IBB's myth and the truth
By
VANGUARD’S Jide Ajani, Kola Animashaun and Kayode Samuel’s white- wash of Babangida in celebration of his 60th birthday raises a lot of interesting issues. Whether the attributes of a good soldier, assumed intelligence and friends making and cultivating nationwide are qualities imperative for a new millennium democracy are debatable. Non paid spin-doctors but serious minded students of a sound modern nation building will find it quite interesting a project to embark on.
In this regard, good soldering is not scored from the activities in the comfort of the barracks as IBB never fought any serious international war from his defence academy days till he stepped aside. We must therefore be spared the tedium of good soldiering quality that never got tested and leave that to Collin Powell of the Gulf war fame now the American Secretary of State or Winston Churchill the British hero of the Second World War.
IBB recruited the highest number of intellectuals to work in his government. True. But did he ever make any real good use of them except for window dressing his administration. If the quality of the output of his government was that low by all standards inspite of the presence of these intellectuals, two things must have happened. The chosen intellectuals may not really be the sound quality material but mere come and eat intellectuals. The other is the possibility of IBB motive for getting them around him being not necessarily for the use of the wealth of their intellect as tools for sound administrative policy and decision making.
The acid test for knowing what job satisfaction they had and if they would like to serve IBB again is to ask Wole Soyinka. For the rest that may not be necessary as the destruction IBB wrought on the economy lingers on and with working in government the only credible industry around do not ask if they will not jump at the opportunity from their relative now jobless status.
IBB made a beautiful speech to spite world powers at the United Nations and boycotted the Commonwealth Games. Yea! Yea! How does that impact on the human development index of Nigerians. Did that fix our best hospital to enable him seek medical attention for his sickness here rather than go abroad? Cuba, a small country the size of his Niger State has its medical facilities in such state that Fidel Castro has all his medical attention at home. The nonsense of standing up to the West only when it comes to making flowering speeches but run to them for loans, aid, investment and medical and educational care for our leaders and the rich is now an anachronism. The very leaders who spit on the Western developed nations are the same who steal our wealth for investment and safe keeping with them leaving us the poorer.
So Pat Utomi did say that the Nigerian economy had the highest growth rate under IBB. That must be news. The criteria for determining economic growth rates do vary but if IBB himself once expressed surprise why the economy had not collapsed, Utomi’s statement must be the product of a spin doctor’s hallucination. The cold statistics however run in the contrary direction. Income per capita plunged from 1000 dollar to 400, unemployment rose by 50 points plus while the human development index worsened by 60 points plus by the time he stepped aside. No new industries were built and those in progress like the LNG, petrochemicals, iron and steal and paper mills were not commissioned in his 8 years rule. One must wonder then where the economy growth occurred.
IBB made and maintained friends nationwide. But what is spectacular about such feat with the character of a man he is in a society that always curry’s favour and patronage. A million Tokoyas as friends can be gathered at Eagle Square at the drop of a hat. What matters therefore is the quality of friends. An America president would have Bill Gates as a friend and Bill Gates would accept such friendship on the basis that the president’s policies will advance the IT industry growth for the good of business and the economy. IBB never had such worthy friends with an aim for the common public good but selfish ones leech on public treasury ready to lap patronage that will be doled out. That is how he invented settlement and Nigerian factor into the lexicon of our socio- political life.
IBB attributed intelligence is another nauseating ballyhoo. Except he has an unbroken IQ record in the Nigerian army, there is nothing intelligent he did for the public good while in power. Inordinate exhibition of the trickstar spirit to preserve self is not better than what our 419 stars exhibit to bring us disgrace. Swallowing broken bottles has since been dropped as a ‘feat worth recognition by the Guinness Book of World Records because of its harmful effect on society. So, let us leave this intelligence that benefit self and not the public good in the garbage bin.
It must be advised that IBB’s knowledge of Chaka the Zulu and Machiavelli have very little relevance for a new millennium democratic Nigeria with 120 million impoverished and non players in key world endeavours. He probably needs to go to school in America to learn new skills. One in administration that creates prosperity for all and not a few friends where everybody is somebody and nobody is somebody.
Secondly to master how George Washington used his work for millionaire status to make the ordinary man feel good, to contribute immensely to the growth and development of society. Then he will be equipped to rule again.
I must confess that IBB is a likeable and charming person but that should not blind anybody to his horrendous flaws as a leader not needed to leap frog Nigeria to the desired greatness. He definitely needs a lot of making up to do. His philosophy of government is about spending money and so squanders 12 billion Naira gulf oil windfall while we slipped deeper in foreign debt is daft and senseless. So too must he debrief himself of the settlement and Nigeria factor mind set which bred the highest level of corruption in our society.
Nigeria has a huge gap of catch up to do with our peer South Africa. Leaders that can leap frog such catch up must be extremely creative and prudent in utilizing our 15 billion annual forex earning to set up industries, solid agriculture base and modernise our medical and educational systems. Such leadership must be given a very high standard to achieve by a society which must be more critical circumspect and discerning. Unmerited generous label and attributes have been our past undoing that stuck us at the lowest level of the growth and development ladder. Only a change in attitude in assessing and evaluating our leaders will bring the best in them. Effecting that change as is now or never.
November 2001