Evil Genius, Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, has declined comments on the Federal Government’s fresh plans to probe his alleged role in the Pius Okigbo’s report on the $12.2b Gulf War windfall during his administration.
At the public presentation and the launch of a book, titled: “Impressions and Facts of Nigeria under General Ibrahim Babangida, 1985 to 1993” by the Zaria-based Centre for Democratic Development Research and Training (CDDERT) in Abuja, Babangida, who was the special guest of honour, pointedly told his aides that he would not speak, when journalists asked to talk to him.
However, Shehu Sani, a civil rights activist described the planned probe of the Okigbo report as an act of double standard on the part of the existing administration in its fight against corruption. In a statement he made available to The Guardian in Abuja yesterday, Sani said for any probe to be meaningful and credible, the Jonathan administration should extend similar probe to past leaders, especially the government of the former President Olusegun Obasanjo.According to the statement, the Jonathan administration must not create the impression about his intention to probe perceived political enemies saying, it could cast a spell of doubt on his intention to reform the polity, especially his avowed intention to fight corruption.
He added that probing Babangida over the $12.2 billion windfall without probing Obasanjo’s $16 billion on Independent Power Plant (IPP) scandal amounted to nothing but blatant double standard and selective justice. For the avoidance of doubt, Sani said the statement by the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) to set up a probe panel to investigate Babangida was a welcome development as it would set the record straight, unveil the truth and ensure that justice is done to the pending issue.
He added: “The initiative is prompt, bold and commendable. However, the proposed probe will be lacking in credibility and moral justification as long as it is limited to IBB and Obasanjo is shielded.”
He said: “The anti-corruption crusade of Jonathan is amusing and confusing: hard on Ibori and soft on El-Rufai; harder on IBB and soft on Obasanjo. No matter the good intentions of probing IBB, Nigerians will read meanings into the selective investigations of IBB if the culprits of the Haliburton, Siemens and Willbross scandals are still at liberty and under state protection.
“The impunity of Obasanjo will discredit the probe of IBB. The intention of the Jonathan administration will suffer a backlash if IBB is in prison and Obasanjo remains in Ota. Both ex-rulers must be probed and docked or it will be irrational, illogical and unjustified because Obasanjo’s regime remains the most corrupt than a combination of all governments in Nigeria since 1960,” he said.
