IBB’s book has exposed origin of banditry, corruption, Igbo marginalisation — Obidigbo

An elder statesman, Dr. Chike Obidigbo, has described the recently unveiled memoir of former military President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida as an authoritative exposition of the impediments to Nigeria’s progress.

Obidigbo noted that ‘A Journey in Service’ by IBB puts in black and white the foundation of political banditry and official graft that continue to threaten national peace, unity and progress, as well as the chequered socio-economic marginalisation of the Igbo ethnic nationality in the Nigeria project.

He expressed the belief that God kept IBB alive to bring closure to the very nagging lies and prejudices that kept eating at the very fabric of Nigeria’s unsteady march to the future, including elite conspiracy against the peace-loving and poor masses of this country.

He noted that apart from the release of the concrete polling figures of the watershed 1993 presidential election, the major takeaway from the controversial memoir is IBB’s clarification on the 1966 coup.

“Some of us have always known that the naming of the January 1966 bloody putsch as the Igbo coup was the deliberate orchestration of the United Kingdom Government using the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and Lagos/Ibadan axis of domestic media.

“Britain resolved to sow the seed of long-term political animosity between Igbo and Yoruba, as well as set Igbo up for national vilification, demonisation and hatred. And, to my mind, this long-term plot by the British started with the ignition of open battle between Chiefs Obafemi Awolowo and Samuel Ladoke Akintola, which snowballed into the 1966 coup.

“From branding the coup as Igbo, through the counter coup, the genocide, the breakdown of the Aburi Accord, and deceiving Ojukwu into secession by the same British, all provided a golden opportunity to destroy Ndigbo, Igbo land, and the Eastern Nigeria emergent and thriving economy,” he remarked.

Obidigbo maintained that with the benefit of hindsight, nobody or group would explain in whose interest the war was fought, regretting that no Yoruba, Igbo, Ijaw, Biron, Jukun, Hausa or even Itsekiri can point to any benefit from the war.

The elder statesman argued that even the current clamour for separation could as well be a part of the intended long-term outcome of the war.

“The civil war happened as the outcome anticipated by Britain, because it provided cover for the massive slaughter of nearly five million innocent Igbo civilians, including women and children in addition to automatically halting the status of Eastern Nigeria as the fastest growing economy south of the Sahara.

“In A Journey in Service, the former military president was right to specifically blame the declaration of the Republic of Biafra as a circumstantially enforced necessity for self-preservation.

“Although Babangida tried to exonerate himself from the blameable annulment of a free and fair presidential election in 1993, Igbo are happy to hear from another top national player that Biafra arose out of the obvious failure by the General Yakubu Gowon-led Federal Military Government to stop the massive pogrom against Igbo people, particularly in northern parts of the country.

“Why IBB stopped short of blaming Gowon also for reneging on the Aburi Accord, which he signed on behalf of Nigeria at the behest of the British leaves much to the imagination. All the same, it was that about-face on Aburi that left Ojukwu with no other clear-cut option to stop the bloodletting that followed. But for IBB’s account in his memoir, General Gowon would not have come out to boldly declare that Britain prevailed on him to wage a genocidal war against the Igbo.

“A former British Prime Minister, Edward (Ted) Heath, did not hide British antipathy towards Igbo when he boldly declared that whoever dares to touch or constitute a threat to British economic interest, Britain must touch his heart. Britain sees the Economy as a form of religion.

“I, for one, have always believed that the United Kingdom (UK) also sees Igbo people of south-east Nigeria as their greatest enemies due to the Igbo spirit of enterprise and competition. From the war up until now, the UK has not forgiven Igbo for standing against British plunder of Nigeria’s economy through political manipulation,” Obidigbo noted.

He remarked that though Babangida’s book has woken up old memories, Nigerians should rise to the occasion by resolving to confront elite conspiracy, which continues to manifest through coup d’états, rigged elections and confiscation of common patrimony by a few criminal-minded thugs in positions of authority.

He stated: “Many people are asking what should be done with the revelations and subterfuges contained in A Journey in Service. My honest take is that time has come for Nigeria to formally apologise to Igbo for the genocidal war they did not cause, cum the unending animosity against the Igbo in Nigeria, which gave rise to Igbo marginalisation and led to the renewed agitations for a separate country from Nigeria.

“Then, on the issue of preserving the sanctity of the ballot box, Nigerians should demand that details of the 2023 presidential election outcome be published, while comprehensive electoral reforms should be undertaken so that the people, rather than the courts, become the final arbiters in leadership recruitment.

“And, for a bold demonstration of Nigeria’s determination to return to the path of national unity, fairness, and equity, the 2027 presidential election should replicate the show of consideration for the south-east as happened in 1999, when all candidates were chosen from the south-west.”

Obidigbo, who said he was yet to read Babangida’s memoir in full, noted that it would have been proper for the retired General to explain the circumstances that surrounded the 1992 military plane crash at Ejigbo, Lagos State, and what he knew about the murder of Dele Giwa, so that Nigeria’s healing process could begin in earnest.

“Finally, if the present calls for a Truth and Reconciliation Commission could still be relevant at this point, the process should be put in place. This way, Nigerians can resolve among themselves whether to continue to be one united country or to consider the separation option or whichever alternative for national harmony and progress.

“Next to that, all the manhunt for separatist agitators should be discontinued and all prisoners of conscience freed unconditionally,” he added.

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