By Bala Ibrahim.
32 years after leaving office, former military President, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, popularly referred to as IBB, has today launched his long-awaited autobiography in Abuja. Titled, “A Journey In Service”, the event was originally billed to be chaired by his boss, former president Olusegun Obasanjo, but for some reasons, he was visibly absent at the venue. However, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was physically present as the special guest of honour. In attendance also was the former President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, who delivered the keynote address, while former Vice-President, Yemi Osinbajo, played the reviewer of the autobiography. As expected, the event brought forward eminent members of the society, amongst whom are former Head of state Gen.Yakubu Gowon, former Head of state Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, and former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.
The book and Presidential Library were launched by the duo of the former Minister of Defence, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma, ably represented by Gen. Martin Luther Agwai and the Chairman of BUA Group, Alhaji Abdul Samad Rabiu. As at the time of writing this article, the biggest donation of N5 billion came from Alhaji Abdussamad Rabiu of BUA, followed by the generous donation of N3 billion from Gen. T. Y. Danjuma, the co-launcher. But dramatically, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, the Chairman of Dangote Group, announced the donation of N2 billion each year for the next four years. And if the project exceeds four years, he would continue to pay N2 billion every year, he pledged. Technically, he is the largest donor.
A Journey In Service is a book that is coming after three decades of waiting, and as the publisher put’s it, there is a world of difference between engineering a nation and ruling a nation. According to the publisher, he never ruled a nation, he only engineered a nation. And that to me, is an abstruse, or, one of the complications I anticipated in IBB’s account of his journey in service. Hate him or like him, IBB is an enigma. Yes, a person or thing that is mysterious or difficult to understand.
Although he had since dissociated himself from the widely held view that he is an evil genius, because of his demonstrative skill and cleverness in political manoeuvring, in his days as military president, the minds of many is still filled with questions on the abstruse of this autobiography. Like former President Muhammadu Buhari, who Babangida pushed out of power in 1985, once said, “There is hardly any major episode in Nigeria’s short history where your name and contribution does not feature.” Undoubtedly, IBB is an aptitude that had repeatedly said he is a trustworthy person with an excellent background.
Years back, at a press briefing held in Minna, as part of activities to mark his 75th birthday, Babangida told newsmen thus, “I am not the evil genius that a lot of people think I am. I have an excellent background and by my training I am trained to love people.” One may be forgiven if he comes confused, in differentiating between whether IBB is an intelligent person or simply an aptitude, because he possesses the two qualities in quantum. While intelligence test measures your current cognitive skills, on the other hand, an aptitude test measures whether you have the potential to develop skills in specific areas in the future. And IBB is excellent in both.
In reviewing the book, former Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo said, the book is a story of stories of the journey of Nigeria as a nation. Although the book had touched on many areas, but the section that watered the appetite of every reader most, is what he has to say about June 12. Yes, the annulment of the Presidential election that took place in 1993, who annulled it, why was it annulled? etc. Characteristically, IBB devoted a segment of the book to what he called, the events that shock his administration to its foundation. He listed events like the death of Dele Giwa, the Vatsa coup, the Orka coup, OIC palaver, SAP riots, the C130 Air force plane crash in Lagos and of course the June 12 saga.
With a sober sense of responsibility, and in a solemn manner, IBB said and I quote, “with regards the June 12, mistakes and misteps were taken, and I deeply regret them, but take full responsibility. There was no doubt that based on the recorded votes, MKO Abiola won the election. Undoubtedly that decision was the most challenging moment of my life. With hindsight, if I have to do it again, I would do it differently. The book dwelled on how as a Lt. Colonel, he played a role in the coup that toppled the man who lured him into the military- Gen. Gowon. And today, Gen. Gowon admitted in person, to that episode, but showered encomiums on IBB, for a number of reasons, including the restoration of his rank, his salary areas and his dignity, after their withdrawal by a previous regime. In all, A Journey In Service is the abstruse of an autobiography of an aptitude. And the aptitude is IBB, otherwise called, “The Maradona”.
