Obasanjo: IBB a fool at 70 Presidency wades in as Spat Deepens

Obasanjo and Babangida

•IBB: Nigerians know the fool

FORMER military President Gen. Ibrahim Babangida got yesterday an acidic birthday gift from former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who hurled a stream of invective at him.

Gen. Babangida, who ruled Nigeria between 1985 and 1993, stirred the hornets’ nest of vituperation on the eve of his 70th birthday celebration in Minna, Niger State, when he dismissed Obasanjo’s achievements as low. He said Obasanjo failed to improve the power sector, despite the huge cash available to the government.   

Obasanjo replied the former military dictator yesterday. He said Gen. Babangida should be “pitied” and not “condemned” or visited with “anger” for railing at his (Obasanjo’s)  eight years administration because Babangida’s criticisms  “were, unfortunately, not well thought-out”.

The Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said it was unfortunate that Babangida could embark on an unwise journey of condemning him for not doing enough in the power sector whereas between 1985 and 1993 when he ruled Nigeria, he built no power plant.

Obasanjo, who spoke with journalists at his Presidential Library Project site in Abeokuta, capital of Ogun State, where he met with some foreign investors, said although he did not believe the report credited to Babangida, until he read it in the newspapers, he decided to reply him lest he thought he was wise.

What Obasanjo said about Babangida’s allegations:

“Well, normally when I read these things, I don’t believe them. Yesterday, when somebody phoned me and said this was said, I said don’t believe it. He said check all the newspapers and I said ‘get me all the newspapers’; they got me the newspapers and I read; it’s a little bit unlike Babangida. But, if Babangida had decided on becoming a septuagenarian, that he will be a fool, I think one should probably do what the Bible says in Proverbs chapter 26, verse 4. It says don’t answer a fool because you may also become like him. When you go to the same Proverbs, chapter 26, verse 5, says, answer a fool so that he will not think he’s a wise man. So, I am now torn between which of the two verses I should follow in this respect. 

“Some of the things he said unfortunately were not well thought-out. For instance, he talked about our energy. When I was the military Head of State, I built Jebba dam; built Shiroro dam. I prepared the foundation of Egbin plant, which President Shagari completed and commissioned. That time, the money we were making was not up to the money Babangida was making annually for his eight years and yet we built two dams. Because it was important, you know that power is the driving force for development and for any developing country. But since the building of Egbin power plant, until I came back in 1999, there was no generating plant for almost 20 years and Babangida spent eight years out of that. 

“Now, he has the audacity to talk about anybody; I think that is unfortunate. I also read where he said in his time, he gave the dividends of democracy and at the same time he regretted. When I read that, well, I said Babangida should be pitied and shown sympathy, rather than anger or condemnation because the old saying says a fool at 40 is a fool forever and I would say a regret at 70 is a regret too late. Well, a regret at 70 is a regret to the grave.”

Reporter: On el-Rufai’s allegation against him on privatisation

Obasanjo: “I don’t know what he said. You gentlemen of the press, you have a way of putting slant into what people say. I need to know exactly what he said.”

Reporter: el-Rufai said you almost or attempted to block the sale of Nigeria Airways

Obasanjo: “I blocked the sale of Nigeria Airways, not that I attempted to block the sale of Nigeria Airways. When I was military Head of State, Nigeria Airways had 32 aircraft. By the time I came back as elected President of Nigeria, Nigeria Airways had only one aircraft. One of the 32 was a wide body. They had all gone and the report on which we worked is here. The amount of money we will have to pay if Nigeria Airways was sold, what we would get out of it is less than 10 per cent of the debt we had to pay. That would be the debt Nigerian tax payers would have to pay; that was not the way to run the affairs of this country. I won’t run my own affairs that way. So, I opted for liquidation. So, it was bankrupted; it was liquidated; in which case whatever you gained from liquidation, which is also a form of sale, it means the burden will be shared by all the creditors and everybody. So, if I owe you 10 dollars and what I sell when I am liquidated is two. That’s what you get. So, I did not allow normal privatisation or sale because it would have put very heavy burden on Nigeria. So, Nigerians should know that and, in fact, my administration should be commended for that. It’s not that I did not allow that sale because by the law establishing it, liquidation is also a form of sale.

Reporter: We learnt that you’ll be invited to come and explain yourself on the issue. Will you be there?

Obasanjo: Anybody who wants me for any event, I’m available.

Reporter: Why do you think these attacks are coming this time?

Obasanjo: I should ask you.