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IBB: The Architect of Nigeria’s Ruin and His Pathetic Memoir of Lies
(A Scorching Indictment of Tyranny, Greed, and Historical Revisionism)
1. Introduction: A Thief of Destiny Dares to Rewrite History
Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), Nigeria’s most duplicitous tyrant, has the audacity to peddle a memoir titled *“A Journey in Service.”* Service? To whom? Himself, his cronies, and foreign exploiters! This grotesque spectacle—launched amidst the sycophantic cheers of Abuja’s corrupt elite—is nothing but a vulgar attempt to sanitize a legacy drenched in blood, stolen wealth, and betrayal. While he prances around Transcorp Hilton, sipping champagne with Aliko Dangote and Abdul Samad Rabiu (whose empires were built on IBB’s crony capitalism), millions of Nigerians still reel from the economic carnage and political rot he institutionalized. Let us dismantle this fraud’s narrative, brick by brick, and expose the *real* “journey”: a 32-year trail of destruction, greed, and unbridled selfishness.
2. The Coup-Monger: Power Seized Through Betrayal
**Point 1: A Traitor’s Rise to Power**
IBB’s entire career is a masterclass in betrayal. He slithered into prominence via coups, betraying comrades and democracy alike:
1983 Coup. As a key plotter, he ousted Shehu Shagari’s democratically elected government, exploiting public frustration with corruption to install a military dictatorship.
1985 Coup. He stabbed his friend, General Muhammadu Buhari, in the back, seizing power under the pretense of “correcting” Buhari’s austerity measures. Hypocrite!
Point 2: The Civil War Hypocrisy
IBB loves to romanticize his role in Nigeria’s civil war (1967–1970), framing himself as a “patriot.” Lies! His post-war actions reveal his true colors:
– As a young officer, he absorbed the art of brutality, later deploying it against civilians (e.g., the 1986 brutal suppression of student protests).
– His regime executed Major General Mamman Vatsa, a childhood friend and critic, on trumped-up coup charges. Ruthlessness, not patriotism, defined him.
3. SAP: Economic Sabotage for Personal Gain
Point 3: The Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP). A Weapon of Mass Poverty
IBB’s SAP, dictated by the IMF/World Bank, was economic genocide against Nigerians:
Naira Devaluation. The naira crashed from ₦0.89/$1 in 1985 to ₦22/$1 by 1993. Import costs skyrocketed, industries collapsed, and millions plunged into poverty.
Subsidy Removal Fuel prices quadrupled, sparking riots. IBB’s response? “Let them eat cake!”—a luxury he enjoyed while Nigerians starved.
Privatization Kleptocracy. State assets were sold to IBB’s cronies for pennies. Dangote’s cement empire? Built on IBB’s rigged privatization deals.
Point 4: The Missing $12.4 Billion Gulf War Oil Windfall
In 1991, Nigeria earned $12.4 billion from Gulf War oil sales. By 1994, the *Okigbo Panel* confirmed the funds had vanished. IBB’s regime siphoned this wealth into offshore accounts, luxury estates, and Swiss banks. Yet, in his memoir, he dares to call this “economic strategy.” Thief!
4. June 12, 1993: The Ultimate Betrayal of Democracy
**Point 5: Annulling Nigeria’s Fairest Election**
IBB’s annulment of MKO Abiola’s June 12 victory wasn’t “in national interest”—it was a *cowardly act of a power-drunk tyrant*.
– The Truth. Abiola, a Yoruba Muslim, won nationally, including in IBB’s Northern strongholds. IBB feared losing control to a civilian government.
–The Lies : IBB claims “electoral malpractices.” Yet, the 1993 election remains Nigeria’s freest. Even the National Electoral Commission (NEC) chair, Humphrey Nwosu, confirmed its credibility.
Point 6: Blood on His Hands
The annulment triggered protests, leading to Sani Abacha’s dictatorship and Abiola’s murder in 1998. IBB’s memoir whimpers about “regret,” but where was his conscience when:
– Kudirat Abiola was assassinated in 1996?
– The Ogoni Nine were hanged for resisting Shell’s environmental terrorism?
IBB enabled Abacha’s reign of terror. Collaborator!
5. Corruption Incarnate: Looting Nigeria’s Future
Point 7: The Presidential Library Scam
IBB’s laughable ₦17.5 billion “fundraiser” for a *presidential library* is a money-laundering scheme:
Dangote’s ₦8 Billion “Donation” A kickback for decades of monopolistic favors.
Abdul Samad Rabiu’s ₦5 Billion Blood money from BUA Group’s exploitation of IBB’s policies.
Why not build hospitals? Schools? Because IBB’s legacy is a shrine to greed, not service.
Point 8: The Hilltop Mansion and Dubai Palaces
While Nigerians queued for kerosene, IBB built a ₦6 billion hilltop mansion in Minna and owns luxury properties in Dubai. His memoir is silent on these ill-gotten treasures. Hypocrite!
6. Political Repression: Silencing Dissent with Bullets
Point 9: Dele Giwa’s Murder by Letter Bomb
In 1986, Dele Giwa, founder of
Newswatch, was assassinated via a parcel bomb after exposing IBB’s corruption. The regime’s henchmen, including Major Haliru Akilu, remain unpunished. IBB’s memoir? Not a word. Coward!
Point 10: The AFRC Kangaroo Courts**
IBB’s Armed Forces Ruling Council (AFRC) sentenced critics to death or imprisonment. Where is the chapter on Major General Shehu Yar’Adua, tortured to death in Abacha’s jail? Omission is confession.
7. The Illusion of Reform: A Duplicitous “Maradona”
Point 11: The Two-Party Fraud
IBB’s “transition to democracy” was a farce. He created two parties—SDP and NRC—both controlled by his regime. No ideologies, just puppetry.
Point 12: The Endless Transition
He scheduled, then postponed, elections for eight years, clinging to power until protests forced him to “step aside” in 1993. His memoir calls this “strategy.” Delusional!
8. The Memoir: A Pathetic Rewrite of History
Point 13: “Regret” Without Repentance**
IBB’s crocodile tears over June 12 insult Nigerians. Where is his apology? His restitution? His memoir is a *manual of excuses*, not accountability.
Point 14: Rewriting SAP as “Progress”**
He claims SAP “modernized” Nigeria. Lies! SAP destroyed education, healthcare, and infrastructure. Today, 63% of Nigerians live in poverty—IBB’s legacy.
Point 15: The Omission of Victims**
No mention of:
– Students massacred in 1986.
– Journalists jailed or killed.
– Civil servants whose pensions vanished.
A memoir without truth is propaganda.
9. Conclusion: Hell Awaits the Unrepentant Tyrant
IBB, your memoir is a joke. No amount of Dangote’s billions or Abuja photo-ops will cleanse your soul. Nigerians remember:
<span;>- The SAP-induced hunger.
<span;>- The June 12 betrayal.
<span;>- The stolen billions.
– You are no “Evil Genius”—just a common thief with a general’s uniform. As your victims languish in poverty, know this: history’s judgment will be merciless. When you meet your victims in the hereafter, may their screams haunt you for eternity. *“A Journey in Service”*? More like *“A Lifetime of Theft.”*
Engr. Chidi Ekeh a public affairs commentator Writes from Abuja FCT Nigeria
