• I regretted not scrapping the National Assembly
• IBB deserves accolades at 75, says Atiku
Former military President Gen. Ibrahim Babangida yesterday speaking to reporters at his Hilltop residence in Minna, Niger State, as part of activities to mark his 75th birthday, Babangida said “I am not the evil that quite a lot of people consider me that I am. I have had an excellent background and, by training, we have to love one another. However, I can understand the feeling people have towards me.
“By the virtue of the job I was doing, I was bound to be misconstrued, and my actions misinterpreted as evil. I consider what people say as an opinion as long as I am not what you think I was; I feel satisfied.”
The ex-President hoped the younger generation would look beyond the surface on leadership and come up with a different conclusion on leadership, people and the role they played in the nation.
“There was a time I read somewhere sometime ago that I stole N12.8 billion, and I replied that if I had stolen such an amount, I had no business staying in the country. But those are the things that one has to live with. I hope the younger generation will carry out a research about leadership, people, and what role they play in the development of the nation, and come up with a different conclusion from what is on ground now.”
I regretted not scrapping the National Assembly or making laws to make it optional.
The decision was one thing he would change, if he had another chance.
Babangida said: “During my public life, there were a number of decisions we took with as a military officer or as a political officer that if I had the chance again, I would have done it differently. For example, in 1989, we proposed that the National Assembly should be optional, that is part-time.
“I still believe that if I had the opportunity, I would make the National Assembly part time. I believe in that strongly, it is all in an effort to cut down the cost of governance.”
Babangida further said he is not as evil as people consider him to be, adding that many people still judge him by some decisions he took in the past.
He insisted that people misjudged and misinterpreted his actions.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar yesterday said Babangida at 75 deserved accolades for his contributions to the development of the nation.
A statement by his Head of Media, Mr Paul Ibe, said following the conception of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) by Gen. Murtala Muhammed, the late head of state, Babangida facilitated the rapid development of the city.
“The virtues of forgiveness, and the magnanimous spirit of the former President is one of the magnetic and endearing features of his character.
“It is impossible to encounter IBB without being moved by his humility towards people, regardless of their social status in life.
“His detribalised nature and passion about Nigeria’s oneness are virtues worthy of emulation.”
