Babangida at 80 celebrations are in order (3) – Dele Sobowale

Dele Sobowale

“Nor should we listen to those who say “the voice of the people is the voice of God”; for the turbulence of the mob is always close to insanity.”

Alcuin, 735-804.

Since coming across that statement by Alcuin, more than fifty years ago, I have dropped from my writings the assertion that “the voice of the people is the voice of God” – even if it is the most popular view, and I agree with it. That attitude has been carried to writing columns for newspapers and online publications. I write what, to me, is the best position to take in any situation – irrespective of whether it is popular or not. It is never passed on as “the voice of the people” – not to talk of God. Thus, I am frequently amused when my co-columnists, taking themselves more seriously than we should, assume that we speak for the people and God as well.

Which people? Columnists are the largest group of un-elected and self-opinionated event manipulators on earth. The main difference between us and others is that some of us undertake some research before we write. Most hide pure sentimental opinion under fine words; and present it as “truth”. Quite a lot of times, we are deliberately very selective about the “facts” presented. Despite that, some still deliberately offer falsehood to the public.

Frequently, sectional, ethnic self-interest is being promoted as national interest. I was therefore not surprised that after IBB’s interview with ARISE TV, my brothers in the South West, have focussed on only June 12 for comment – as if the entire interview was about that topic. To read what some of them have been writing, IBB uttered no sentence that was not false. That is Nigerian journalism.

A national newspaper packed full with former CONCORD staff, and whose boss had been told to stay out of the 2023 presidential race, had exhibited the group-think mentality of children. Like a pack of wild dogs in the African Safariland, they have sparred no day savaging Babangida. I was in Abuja and Minna for two days each; and I bought the paper to find out if one of their columnists would surprise me and write something different. No such luck. This is gang journalism; nobody is permitted to think differently. Incidentally, the paper and its columnists hardly impress anyone in Niger State. Here in VANGUARD others, mostly my brothers, have joined in the group media assault. But, here I can write my dissenting view. That is the difference.

Take for instance the Structural Adjustment Programme, SAP, and ask any Editor of a major newspaper if Babangida accepted the $2 billion loan offered by the International Monetary Fund, IMF, and that resulted in devaluation of the Naira. And, the answer will be “Yes”. Unfortunately, that is a lie; and one of the biggest and longest enduring lies which the mostly Lagos-Ibadan media had foisted on Nigerians. I will partly excuse the Editors too young to know what happened in 1986. Most of the new Editors were probably still in the universities 35 years ago. They inherited the lie from their biased predecessors. But, they also have the responsibility to educate themselves to avoid purveying fake news.

So, in order to at least set on record straight, I secured an interview with Babangida for our Deputy Editor in Abuja. Among the questions asked was whether he accepted the IMF loan. Wait for the answer on August 17. But, don’t expect my brothers in Lagos/Ibadan to change their minds until their dying day.

As far as I am concerned IBB made only one error with respect to SAP. He listened to “the voice of the people” – meaning the Nigerian Labour Congress, the Socialists and the media at the time. Nigeria’s SAP failed, unlike those implemented by the Asian Tigers, because we forced our government to deviate significantly from the original economic prescription. Fuel subsidy, for instance, was still retained; so was multiple exchange rate – in order to pacify the bedlam promoted as “the voice of the people.” Sabotage by the pillars of Nigerian society at the time, including round-tripping by banks and over-invoicing by the Organised Private Sector, OPS, savaged the programme in a way unique to Nigeria. Banned products were openly displayed in our markets. Nobody would dare present for sale prohibited goods in Lee Kwan Yew’s Singapore. That was why they succeeded and we failed with SAP. Enough of the nonsense we publish on SAP.

WHAT IBB DID APART FROM JUNE 12

“He gave it for his opinion that whoever could make two ears of corn or two blades of grass to grow upon a spot of ground where only one grew before, would deserve better of mankind and do more essential service than the whole race of politicians put together”. Jonathan Swift, 1667-1745.

Babangida’s administration built more dams, constructed more rural roads to promote agriculture. The Directorate of Food, Road and Rural Infrastructure, DFRRI, was the most comprehensive attempt by any government to ensure Nigeria achieved sustainable food security. Space will not allow me to go further on that.

To accompany the effort on food production, his government also embarked on the National Water Rehabilitation Programme aied at upgrading all the states water stations and position them to serve a rapidly expanding population. Again, I cannot now elaborate. He touched our lives in several other ways. Below are some of the Decrees passed by the Babangida administration which the June 12 merchants will not want you to know about; because it will destroy their attempt to reduce eight years of meritorious service to one event. The list under each category is only indicative, not exhaustive of what was achieved.

• Business and Economy.
1. Securities and Exchange Commission Decree 29, 1988.
2. Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation, 1988
3. National Directorate of Employment, D 24, 1989.
4. Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Decree 49, 1989.
5. Company and Allied Matters Act, Decree 20, 1990
6. Central Bank of Nigeria Decree 24, 1991
7. Nigeria Export Processing Zone, Decree 34, 1991
8. NLNG (FIGA, Decree 39, 1990
• Institutions
1. Medical and Dental Practitioners Decree 23, 1988
2. National Primary Education Commission etc Decree 31, 1988
3. Federal Road Safety Corps Decree 45, 1988
4. Nigerian Institute of Public Relations Practitioners, Decree 16, 1990.
5. Banks and Other Financial Institutions, Decree 25, 1991
6. National Institute for Sports Decree 31, 1992
7. Chartered Institute of Taxation Decree 76, 1992
I read every one of the decrees passed in those eight years in order to educate our readers on each of them instead of flogging the dead horse of June 12 as most of my colleagues in the media choose to do. They might not realise it, but all they are doing amounts to “serving the same stale stew; warmed up; and served in new plates”. They offer their opinions, but at the heart of journalism are facts. As former US Senator Daniel Moynihan has reminded all of us “You are entitled to your own opinions; you are not entitled to your facts.” I am celebrating IBB because of his everlasting foot prints on the sands of our national history as can be verified by going to the National Library or Ministry of Justice Library.

No matter what others may say, while sounding like a bunch of broken records, I will for ever express gratitude to the creator of the FRSC whose officers saved my life when involved in an accident in 1990. I am ready to forgive a lot of “sins” for that. Most of those now writing about June 12 were not even there when we were burning tyres to actualise it. For me, the struggle ended when the Almighty in his infinite wisdom took Chief MKO Abiola away. Those who cannot think of anything else to write are welcome to their determination to bore readers to tears. I have moved on.