Former Speaker, Ghali Umar Na'abba, military governor of Western Region, Major-General Adeyinka Adebayo, Second Republic Governor of Kaduna State, Balarabe Musa, as well as the National Secretary of the Action Congress (AC), Usman Bugaje, have all condemned the statements credited to three former military leaders, Generals Ibrahim Babangida, Abudulsalam Abubakar and Muhammadu Buhari, for denying public evidence that Abacha stashed over $5 billion of Nigeria’s funds in foreign banks.
The two former leaders had made the statement at Abacha’s 10th year remembrance in Kano. The late head of state ruled Nigeria from November 17, 1993 to June 8, 1998.
Of the sum stolen by Abacha, only about $1bn has so far been recovered by the Federal Government through different means. Buhari and Babangida said that allegations that Abacha looted had not been proved by any administration.
But, Adebayo said the statement by the two former rulers, especially Buhari, baffled him.
He said, “I find it difficult that Babangida and Buhari said what was credited to them, when it is a common knowledge that the late Abacha siphoned the country’s money. Knowing Buhari as a highly disciplined man, for him to make such a statement is quite unfortunate. I am not against anybody going to Kano to commiserate with the Abacha family, but it was ridiculous that two former heads of state would attempt to trivialise such an issue that has agitated the minds of Nigerians.”
Adebayo said the statement made him lose sleep for some days, because it would give the country a bad image.
Musa, who expressed shock at the statements, took the leaders to task asking why they waited this long before speaking in support of the late maximum ruler.
To the chairman of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, the statements were self-serving aimed at achieving a clandestine objective.
He noted that the statements were at variance with the various revelations unearthed by the government about the manner Abacha and his family looted the nation.
Musa also took exception to the attempt by the leaders to canonise Abacha by saying his government remains one of the best in Nigeria. He said ''that is like reading their history upside down."
Na'abba was equally scathing. He described the statements as a relic of their "old military mentality" adding that they carried "the concept of espirit de corps to an extreme level."
He said the statements should be ignored and treated as coming from those who have some hidden intentions.
Adebayo, equally expressed shock that the three leaders decided to make such statements at a time the present government is intensifying its campaign against corruption.
Bugaje was equally unhappy that the leaders decided to give a clean bill of health to Abacha. He queried how they came about their assessment and asked Nigerians to ignore them.
