IBB the enigma turns 84 and I write to wish him a birthday full of contentment, peace and good health. Having come this far and lived this long, has accorded him the privilege of x-raying decades of Nigeria’s leadership landscape and I am more than certain that baban Nigeria must be content that he has given his motherland his best years of committed and meritorious service to his country. Nigeria has given IBB its best and in turn he has given it his patriotism, his dedication, his loyalty, and true grit. I have experienced Nigeria’s political turmoil, transformation and continued development, and in almost in each turn, Nigerians celebrate their leaders of yesteryears, as they reflect on the policies and structures they laid down which have been hugely instrumental to the development of our motherland, Nigeria. Some ofcourse are considered as responsible for the under-development of Nigeria. Umar Yar’adua that was tagged dull and go-slowish is now celebrated every year as the most incorruptible President, who implemented policies and programs that were strictly for the well-being and social advancement of ordinary Nigerians. His tenure was ‘well-meaning’ and had it not been for the very short-circuited life span of his administration, an eight year tenure of Yar’adua would have been massively impactful in the betterment of the lives of Nigerians.
IBB’s journey in service is not foreclosed by the book launch titled ‘A Journey in Service’. His service continues as long as he lives and is able to contribute to the development of our country. This is exemplified not only by the visit of politicians and bigwigs of Nigeria’s leadership class, but by his committed intervention in the affairs of governance that are purposeful and developmental. An example is the visit of the members of the National Assembly to IBB’s Minna Hilltop residence, when they sought his support for the rehabilitation and operationalisation of the Baro Inland Port in Minna. IBB intimated them that the Baro Port was something he had long prayed for and championed across different administrations. “I want to thank you for opportunity to have you visit me and it couldn’t have come at a better time” he said. Niger State needs this Port to attain its dream of Industrialisation and I am glad your efforts will be the last one and we will get it formalised and completed during your tenure he added. You can be rest assured that I will do my best to support you on this. We pray God will spare our lives to see what you have put across become natural and realised. I will continue to support you and I will also keep putting pressure on all of you — pressure on the President, pressure on everyone involved in this project. If you slacken even a little we will prod you to keep going.
IBB’s book spoke about the June 12 annulment whose cross has been hung on his neck. His revelations were not welcome by some quarters and it is no surprise as this has been the disposition before now. His revelation hardly shifted the ‘needle’ of public opinion. But his book and his revelation are fact loaded and unless we choose to be in denial as we are won’t to do as Nigerians, he has put forward his testimony about the events surrounding the annulment. He has always shouldered responsibility for the annulment and I wondered what the pour of emotion around the revelations of his book was all about. We must not forget that MKO was made by the military establishment and it has been said in not one book, that he had always been part and parcel of military adventures in the late 70s and early 80s. His meteoric rise to wealth and his eventual political exploits including being the presidential flagbearer of the SDP and his supposed win of the 93 elections have all been courtesy of the military. It has never been a secret that northern elite aside a few progressive minds never bought into the idea of an MKO presidency. Is it a wonder that the military establishment felt the same too? Afterall the top brass of Nigerian military at the time were largely northern! IBB was in a fix and it was clear, and even clearer now that he had to fix things or be fixed too. He was proved right as the ING, Interim National Government, was truncated by the military. They were never really interested in leaving power, and who knows if MKO’s presidency would have been truncated as well?
IBB’s prudence in governance has been vindicated by the struggles of the last 5 administrations in terms of project delivery. Humongous resources are deployed and yet little progress is achieved. His projects are indelible marks in our nation’s history and the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano highway is a stellar example of the difference he made at the helm of affairs. You may want to add the 3rd mainland bridge considering the trillions Engr. Umahi is projecting on its repairs! Nigeria’s privatisation drive and the renaissance of its private enterprise were seeds well sown during the IBB years. Today’s Dangotes and Elumelus all beared testimony as to how the IBB govt supported and developed entrepreneural climates that provided conducive atmospheres for their growth.
IBB is and will always be my best President for both official and personal reasons. I have a good relationship which was birthed by my dad’s demise. Since then he had stepped into my life and stepped up for me each time I needed a daddy. He accords me the same attention and recognition he extended to my late father Dr. Ibrahim Tahir, Talban Bauchi. He marvels me with flashbacks and memorable times he shared with my late father. I remember hearing them roar on with laughter as they dined and discussed past and present national issues. He reminds me all the time how selfless my daddy was. I may have lost a dad, but I never lost a father figure in my life. This very rare strength in character, to be there for your late friends family is one of the noble reasons I revere him and love him a lot. Happy Birthday babana, baban yan Nigeria.
