IBB: Scandalizing the sanctity of sainthood-Bala Ibrahim

I read with disbelief, the interview of former Head of State, or former President, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, wherein he criticized President Muhammadu Buhari’s handling of corruption in Nigeria. In the interview with Arise TV, IBB as he is popularly called boasted that he fought corruption better than the current administration of Muhammadu Buhari. Babangida said individuals who worked under him were saints, compared to those in power now.

The mention of saints, made me rushed to the dictionary for interpretation, as IBB’s reason of classifying his co-travellers as saints is because in his time, he moved against a former military governor, “who embezzled N313,000”. But as he puts it, today, “those who stole billions are walking freely”.

According to the dictionary, Sainthood is the state of being a holy person who goes to heaven after death.

IBB should be lucky, or happy that chief Gani Fawehenmi is not alive today. Because if the late legal luminary were alive before Arise TV finished airing the interview, Gani would have filed a case in court, seeking many things, amongst which would include heavy damages for scandalizing the sanctity of sainthood.

Certainly, IBB’s administration was a “welfarist” regime, that initiated and executed many projects and programs associated with the economic conception of giving welfare to the people. But in doing that, the General never attached significance or attention to comparative cost. As long as they would pave the way and provide jobs to the boys, those attaching importance to due process and prudential guidelines can go to blazes.

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Abuja can owe its creation to late Gen.Murtala Mohammad, but its erection must be given to Gen.Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, who on December 12, 1991, moved the country’s federal capital from Lagos to its present location.

The volume of the civil engineering works are allegedly not commensurate with the attached monetary value given. A situation that made many to allege corruption at high levels. And IBB was in charge.

Virtually all the companies that were involved with the major contracts are linked to him, with Julius Berger being the most favoured. IBB was particularly and repeatedly accused of using cronies to squander the $12.4bn oil windfall money under the pretext of constructing Abuja.

In 2016, a rights advocacy group, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, called on the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), to reopen the unresolved case of the “missing $12.4bn oil windfall.” According to the group, the money was spent between 1988 and 1993 by the government of the former military dictator, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida.

SERAP urged Malami to use his office and power to establish the truth about what happened to the money and to prosecute anyone found culpable.

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Also, about two years ago, Human rights activist and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr. Femi Falana,  resurrected the issue of the alleged missing $12 billion oil windfall under the administration of General Ibrahim Babangida, calling on the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to launch an investigation on the disappearance of the funds.

About the same period, the former governor of Nasarawa state, Sen.Abdullahi Adamu, in response to the General’s claim of cleanliness on corruption said,  “Although men have short memories, history has a long memory. We can trace nearly all our present economic and political problems to his(IBB) transition programme.

We cannot forget the Structural Adjustment Program (SAP) that sapped the economy or the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election for which the country is still paying a stiff price. It is not always advisable to be holier-than-thou”.

Those close to IBB say he is very generous, in fact, some call him criminally generous. But his critics say generosity is dishonest or fraudulent conduct, typically used by those in power, as a technique of bribing their ways out.

Yes, there may be some people in the Buhari administration with many skeletons in their cupboards. Many are accused of amassing questionable wealth within the period of assuming office. But that is not to say the President is unmindful or improvident.

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Recently, the President warned Local Government Chairmen across the 774 Local Government in the country to be prepared to answer for all the funds released directly into their Council by the Federal Government. While announcing the recent release of funds to the Local Governments accounts, President Buhari said, “We have sent money directly to the Local Government account this week, and if you like, withdraw the money from that account and hand them over to your Governor. You will give an account of it properly at EFCC, or Kirikri Maximum Prison”

To me, that doesn’t sound like a President that can be accused of indifference in the fight against corruption. Moreso, when it is on record that under his watch, two former governors are in prison, along with a former powerful member of the House of Representatives.  All of them on charges of corruption.

Ibrahim, a media advisor writes from Abuja