Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Ibrahim Babangida

The country’s political grass suffered yesterday when two gigantic former military rulers traded insults over their respective records in offices. Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Ibrahim Babangida berated each other for alleged dismal records in office.

Obasanjo reacted to the criticism of his administration by Babangida on Tuesday, and he described his former military subordinate as “a fool at 70 who should be pitied because he is living a life full of regrets.”



The normally cautious Babangida reacted swiftly through his spokesman Kassim Afegbua, saying “only Nigerians can tell who the biggest fool is between him and Obasanjo after a good assessment of their pedigrees.” In a statement yesterday, Afegbua regretted that rather than address the issues raised by his boss, Obasanjo decided “to throw decency in the air to describe General IBB in such uncouth verbiage as a birthday message.”

“We do not want to believe that he truly said that, but if it is true that he did say that, Nigerians know who the greatest fool is,” the statement said. Afegbua also said “calling IBB a fool at 70, especially by a man reportedly and allegedly accused by his own son of incest, is at best a compliment. Nigerians surely know who is truly a fool or the greatest fool of this century.”

Babangida had on the eve of his 70th birthday criticised Obasanjo’s eight year civilian regime, saying there was “no foresight, no imagination” and that given the huge resources that accrued to the government since 1999, Nigeria ought to have done better.

Only Nigerians can tell who the biggest fool is between him and Obasanjo after a good assessment of their pedigrees.

However, speaking to reporters in his presidential library, Obsanjo said Babangida had contradicted himself on the issue of the provision of dividends of democracy because he (IBB) couldn’t have provided dividends of democracy and still be regretting. He said, “I also read where he said in his time, he gave the dividends of democracy and at the same time he regretted. When I read that, well I said Babangida should be pitied and shown sympathy rather than anger or condemnation because the old saying says a fool at 40 is a fool forever and I would say a regret at 70 is regret too late. Well, a regret at 70 is a regret to the grave...”

Obasanjo added, “If Babangida had decided on becoming a septuagenarian that he will be a fool, I think one should probably do what the Bible says in Proverbs chapter 26, verse 4. It says don’t answer a fool because you may also become like him. When you go to the same Proverbs chapter 26, verse 5, it says answer a fool so that he will not think he’s a wise man. So, I am now torn between which of the two verses I should follow in this respect.”

Babangida had also castigated Obasanjo’s administration, particularly on the power situation in the country, lamenting that he did not do enough on the sector. But Obasanjo who spoke in Abeokuta while meeting with some foreign investors said that the outburst by Babangida was unfortunate for having himself regretted not doing enough in providing the dividend of democracy for the people during his administration.

He said some of the allegations raised by IBB “were unfortunately not well thought-out. For instance, he talked about our energy. When I was the military head of state, I built Jebba dam; built Shiroro dam, I prepared the foundation of Egbin plant which President Shagari completed and commissioned. That time the money we were making was not up to the money Babangida was making annually for his eight years and yet we built two dams.

“Because it was important, you know that power is the driving force for development and for any developing country. But since the building of Egbin power plant until I came back in 1999 there was not any generating plant for almost 20 years and Babangida spent eight years out of that. Now, he has the audacity to talk about anybody; I think that is unfortunate.”

Obasanjo who is chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) Board of Trustees (BoT) said Babangida had contradicted himself on the issue of the provision of dividend of democracy wondering how one could have provided dividend of democracy and still be regretting it.

“As a country, Nigeria should be adding nothing less than 1,500 megawatts annually. South Africa with a population of 50 million generates 50,000 mega watts. Nigeria with a population of about 165 million we are not generating, we as at 1999 met 1,500 mega watts before we took it up to 4,000 mega watts. What we started they are now allowing it to go on. I believe if they continue with the programme that we left, in another two years, we will get to 10,000,” he said.

In his statement, IBB’s spokesman Afegbua, said: “We expected Chief Obasanjo to react to the substance of General Babangida’s submissions and not deploy this distractive strategy to shy away from the real issues at stake. The statistics of the government they both ran at different times, speak for them. The history of Chief Obasanjo is an open sore that is irredeemably contrived in several incongruities and contradictions.

“When he pleaded with IBB to be given another chance to extend his tenure, IBB was not a fool then. When he was released from prison and granted state pardon, bathed in cerebral ornaments and clothed in royal beads and later crowned as President of Nigeria, IBB was not a fool then.

“Now that he is at the extreme of his thoughts and engagements, he can decide to dress IBB in borrowed robes. But the histories of both of them, when put to public scrutiny comparatively, IBB is far glowing and instructively stands poles apart from Obasanjo. In terms of decency, finesse, class, distinction and general conduct, IBB could be described in the superlatives but for Obasanjo; God bless Nigeria.

“For a man who cannot possibly tell his true age, one may excuse his present outburst as the effusions of a witless comedian trying effortlessly to impress his select audience.”

Afegbua said on the issue of performance, Obasanjo cannot contemplate a comparison of his “largely acquisitive regime that plundered our hard-earned state resources” with that of IBB government with verifiable record of achievements.

“We wish to refer Obasanjo to the National Assembly to give his own side of the story to the several revelations that have become themes of his orchestra when he held sway as President of Nigeria. Perhaps, he would be able to tell the world how he managed Nigeria’s resources during his regime,” the statement added.

“Chief Obasanjo should ponder on these incontrovertible facts: The revenues that accrued to former President Obasanjo during his eight years are more than those that accrued to the nation from independence till 1999 before he took over. Despite such stupendous wealth of the nation, what was his performance profile? The number of high profile deaths by assassinations and politically motivated killings during Obasanjo’s eight years is more than any other in the history of this country. Besides, is it not curious that after Obasanjo’s exit, there has not been any reported case of plane crashes? What was his human rights record? The people of Odi in Bayelsa State and Zaki-Ibiam in Benue State are yet to recover from the massacre visited on them by Chief Obasanjo.

“Again Crude Oil sold for as much as $180 dollars per barrel for the better part of his eight years, what benefit did Nigerians derive from such excess crude? With the revelations coming from the hallowed chambers of the National Assembly, Nigerians are now coming to terms with the profligacy of the Obasanjo era,” the statement added.

But Obasanjo who has been indicted by the ongoing probe into the activities of the Bureau for Public Enterprise at the National Assembly Obasanjo declared that he was ready to show up at any sitting to explain himself on the issue declaring, “Anybody who wants me for any event, I’m available.” And asked why these attacks were coming at this time, Obasanjo said, “I should ask you.”