Joe Igbokwe
The only thing it takes for Mrs Maryam Babangida to muster the temerity, boldness and audacity to insult the collective intelligence of Nigerians once again that they will return to Aso Rock in 2007 was a statement credited to President Olusegun Obasanjo in London that allegations of corrupt enrichment and other criminal activities being levelled against IBB were unsubstantiated coffee shop rumours.

I laughed and laughed until tears started rolling down from my eyes when I read Mrs Maryam Babangida's joke of the century that Nigerians will reward them again in 2007. It never ceases to fill me with wonders how some people overrate themselves even when history does not support their claims, even when all odds are against them, and even when such people know that it is impossible to climb a tree from the top.

Nigeria has moved beyond a banana republic to take up a leadership position in Africa, courtesy of President Obasanjo and God forbid that Nigeria will fall into the hands of those who made her a laughing stock in the comity of nations. Those who created yesterday's problems must never control our tomorrow's potentials.

Those who brought unprintable disaster to our fatherland, with bloodstains in their hands will never be rewarded again with the highest office in the land.

Another school of thought says that when people have demonstrated unprecedented capacity and have done very well at a level you reward them by moving them up but when people make mince meat of a position you yank them out of the system to make way for other competent people.

President Obasanjo and his team have been breaking their backs for six years now to clear the Augean stable a combination of Buhari, IBB, Abacha and Abubakar left behind. Obasanjo and his team are virtually rebuilding the burnt shop called Nigeria they left behind. They ruined NITEL, NEPA, Nigeria Airways, NPA, NNPC, NAFCON, NNSC, banks, etc. They used sharp axe and mowed down the things that held us together as a nation. They set the major ethnic groups against one another, minorities against minorities, brothers against brothers, friends against friends, families against families, wives against husbands, etc. When the war was raging on, the plunderers were helping themselves with our common patrimony - the public till.

President Obasanjo, Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the Finance Minister, Mrs Oby Ezekwesili and many others went through excruciating experience to get 18 billion dollar debt these self-appointed leaders foisted on us off our shoulders. The president and his team have been going around the world pleading with the foreign investors they drove away to return to Nigeria.

Political watchers and analysts are looking beyond 2007. The questions on everybody's lips now are; Who will succeed OBJ in 2007? Will such a person continue the reforms? Will the monumental progress he has recorded in almost every sector of the economy be sustained? Will such a person command the respect of the international community? Will such a person have the courage and the sagacity of OBJ? Will such a president be blunt as he is? Whoever is coming in 2007 must be an improvement on OBJ. And judging from the benchmarks on the ground some people like IBB are already disqualified. The shoes OBJ is leaving behind is damned too big for little-minded elements like IBB.

IBB came to power in 1985 and was disgraced out in 1993 after eight years. Since he left power 14 years ago, he did not go back to school, he has not travelled outside to learn new things, he has been in self-imposed exile in Minna spending our money.

Sometimes he sneaks out in the night to attend few functions. Now, how can a man who has not done anything to improve himself or add values to himself and others come back after 14 years to rule a nation that is still saddled with problems he created in the first place. I am told that there are two people that matters most in the history of any nation. First is the one who turned forest into a nation. The other is the one who turned a nation into a forest. IBB turned Nigeria into a forest. It takes sophisticated people to bring about sophisticated progress. It takes good leaders to bring about good governance. Only the deepcalls to the deep. People with 3'x2' mind cannot handle a 20-'x30' idea. Nigeria is no longer a huge laboratory where inept, weak, wicked and fraudulent leaders come to perform all kinds of experiment that bring no good to anybody except tears, agony, pains and death. We are in search of leaders not dealers. We need engaging leaders not clowns.

I think Mrs Maryam Babangida should be contented with the running of her schools, the Al-Amin Schools and forget about Aso Rock. It will never be possible again, all things considered. If she is emboldened by the president's joke in London, I think she needs to do a study on the man, Obasanjo.

Joe Igbokwe
Lagos, Nigeria


twitterfacebook twitter google