The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Babangida

  • Why Babangida removed me from power, by Buhari

    Why Babangida removed me from power, by Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari has said he was removed from office 31 years ago because he was planning to purge the military hierarchy of corruption.

    Buhari, who has not spared the military even in his ongoing anti-corruption war, said senior military leaders, led by former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida and General Aliyu Gusau, removed him in August 1985, to save themselves from his wrath.

    In an exclusive interview published in the current edition of The Interview magazine, Buhari challenged Babangida and Gusau to tell the truth on why they carried out the coup against him.

    “I learnt,” he said, “that Aliyu Gusau, who was in charge of intelligence, took import licence from the ministry of commerce which was in charge of supplies and gave it to Alhaji Mai Deribe.

    “It was worth N100,000, a lot of money at that time. I confronted them and took the case to the Army council in a memo…I wanted Gusau punished.”

    In a statement on www:theinterview.com.ng, the Managing Director/Editor-in-chief of The Interview, Azu Ishiekwene, said, “This is one edition that won’t let sleeping dogs lie.”

    Babangida had told The Interview in its December edition that there was nothing in the memo which Buhari said he submitted to the Army council.

    “Don’t forget that I was one of Buhari’s closest aides. I was the chief of army staff. So, I had an important position, an important role to play within that administration. I don’t think it had to do with a memo,” Babangida said.

    But in a tone which revealed that the past may neither have been forgotten nor forgiven, Buhari challenged Babangida and Gusau to come clean on why they removed him, asking The Interview to choose whose story to believe.

    He also fielded questions about his health, the 2016 budget, the pace of his government, former President Goodluck Jonathan and why Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola was handed three ministerial portfolios.

    The edition also features interviews with Liberian presidential hopeful, Mr. Winston Tubman, and retired Justice Dahiru Saleh, the controversial judge whose court nailed June 12.

    And in an interview which indicates that the battle for 2019 could be well and truly underway, pharmacist and rotarian, Dr. Mike Omotosho, aims at the Kwara State government house.

    His road map would give rivals sleepless nights.

  • Happy times for Mohammed Babangida

    FATHERHOOD is not a matter of wealth but a matter of desire, diligence and determination to see one’s family exalted above lack or penury. Ask Mohammed Babangida and he will tell you that being a great father has nothing to do with one’s social status. Having had a good father himself, Mohammed Babangida has worked towards becoming even a better one.

    For some time now, his heart has been troubled by despairing tales concerning the health of his father and former head of state, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (rtd). But now he has a reason to rejoice. His daughter, Maryam Babangida, has just won an award as the best in Fine Arts student at her school, El-Amin International School, Minna, Niger State.

    She received the award during her graduation ceremony on Monday. Mohammed was reported to be elated by the artistic traits of his daughter.

  • Babangida: I’m alive

    Babangida: I’m alive

    Former Military President Ibrahim Babangida yesterday dismissed rumours of his death. “I’m alive,” he said on a Television Continental (TVC) programme.

    There were speculations in the social media that the former Military President (1985-1993) had passed on in Germany, where he went for medical reasons.

    But he said that he’s “hale and hearty”  and will return soon. He did not specify when. But, a source in Minna, his Niger State capital hometown, said he is being expected tomorrow.

  • Oliseh: I will pay Babangida

    Oliseh: I will pay Babangida

     

    Nigeria coach, Sunday Oliseh has now agreed to pay his former Ajax Amsterdam teammate, Tijjani Babangida after he insisted on having the ex-Eagles star on his backroom staff.

    “He has maintained he will decide who he works with and that is why Babangida will return to the Eagles camp when it reopens for the AFCON qualifiers against Egypt next month,” an official said on Monday.

    “He has been his close and trusted confidant right from their playing days and he counts on him a great deal.”

    He has made his position on this matter very clear to his employers. And also the contract he signed with the NFF allows him to appoint an assistant coach as well as a special assistant.

    This scenario also played out in the case of Stephen Keshi, when the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) let go his assistant coach Hounadinou Valere. ‘Big Boss’ agreed to shoulder the responsibilities of his assistant, who he also worked with in Togo.

    Last week, the NFF disengaged Babangida without giving any reasons. He was on a monthly salary of N600,000  and has not been paid since he was appointed a special assistant to Oliseh in July 2015.

  • BATTLE OF THE PHARAOHS: Babangida returns to Eagles

    BATTLE OF THE PHARAOHS: Babangida returns to Eagles

    There are strong  indications that Tijani Babangida will return to the Super Eagles but the difference this time is that his N600,000 monthly wages would be included in the salaries of his boss and friend Sunday Oliseh.

    Sportinglife scooped from those who should know at the Glasshouse on Sunday night that Babangida’s sack was informed by wranglings within the team as other support staff who complained that they were not on salaries like the coach’s Personal Assistant (PA), insisting that they should be accorded the same privileges.

    Besides, Sportinglife was told that most of the team’s support staff were miffed that Babangida, aside being paud N600,000 monthly was also listed for allowances, which they argued was unfair to them.

    This decent source stressed that Babangida had not been paid any dime since he joined the Eagles pointing out that the ex-international played a key role in helping the federation to secure Oliseh’s consent on the job.

    “Let me tell you something. Babangida knows how to handle Oliseh. they are friends. he listens to him. Indeed, we don’t need any fued before the Egyptian game. The Pharaohs will fall if we have a united house.”

    But a top brass of the federation told Sportinglife that Babangida is out of the team insisting that the decision to dispense with his services was unannimous.

    Interestingly, Sportinglife gathered that the hierarchy of the federation are also working on the possibility of putting resources togteher to pay Babangida’s wages in the event that they are unable to pulling through the moves to return him bakc to the team.

    When Sportinglife asked one of the NFF chieftains if Babangida’s deal was tied to Oliseh’s, he revealed to the contrary insisting that they had different contractual agreements.

  • AFTERMATH OF YOUTUBE RANTS: NFF sacks Oliseh’s PA, Babangida

    AFTERMATH OF YOUTUBE RANTS: NFF sacks Oliseh’s PA, Babangida

    •General Secretary to inform ex-international
    •Eagles coach must work with technical committee
    •Tactician gets final warning
    •Amuneke named as Flying Eagles coach

    Chieftains of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have dispensed with the services of the personal assistant to the Super Eagles chief coach Tijani Babangida with immidiate effect.

    Babangida’s sack formed part of the highlights of the federation’s execuitve committee meeting held in Abuja on Tuesday with the federation’s communique stating that: “Executive Committee approved the recommendation of the Technical and Development Committee that the backroom staff of the various National Teams be reconstituted immediately, with the exception of the Super Eagles.”

    NFF chiefs warned Oliseh to be of good conduct following his apology which was accepted pointing out that: “Executive Committee reviewed the outing of the Super Eagles at the recently-concluded 4th African Nations Championship and the events that followed, and rebuked Head Coach Sunday Oliseh for his unwarranted statements unbecoming of a National Team Coach in both regular and social media. While acknowledging his apology, the Executive Committee made it clear that similar infractions would not be tolerated in future.

    “In line with global best practices, the Committee decided that Coach Oliseh MUST henceforth report to the NFF General Secretary and the Technical and Development Committee, and should be ready to defend his entire program before the Committee, including invitation of players and training programs.”

    “The Committee endorsed the recommendation of the Technical and Development Committee for the reconstitution of the technical crew of the U-20 National Team, Flying Eagles. Erstwhile U-17 Head Coach, Emmanuel Amuneke, now heads the U-20 crew with Kabiru Baleria and Emeka Amadi as Assistant Coach and Goalkeeper Trainer respectively.

    ” In consonance with its determination to find a holistic solution to the dwindling fortunes of the Senior Women National Team, Falcons, Committee approved the recommendation of the Technical and Development Committee for the appointment of A competent expatriate Coach, within the shortest possible time, for the team. The expatriate Coach will be assisted by former Super Falcons’ Captains, Florence Omagbemi, Perpetua Nkwocha and Ann Chiejine, with Bala Mohammed as Goalkeeper Trainer. Omagbemi will head the crew in the acting capacity in the meantime.

    “The Executive Committee also approved a recommendation by the Technical and Development Committee for processes to be put in place for the training, grading and certification of all categories of football coaches in Nigeria. The program, which would be run in conjunction with a Consultant to be approved by the Executive Committee, will commence once approval is secured from the Confederation of African Football.

    “The Committee approved a recommendation by the NFF Referees Committee for the introduction of Referee Assessor for matches of the Nigeria National League from this season.”

    “The Executive Committee constituted ad-hoc Committees to study and compose governance structures for the Nigeria National League, Nigeria Women Football League and the Nationwide League One, and report back to the Executive Committee within four (4) weeks. The Committees as composed, are: NIGERIA NATIONAL LEAGUE: Barr. Seyi Akinwunmi (Chairman); Dodo Isah (Member); Alloy Chukwuemeka (Member); Lawrence Katken (Secretary). NIGERIA WOMEN FOOTBALL LEAGUE: Alh. Babagana Kalli (Chairman); Sam Kumbo (Member); Emmanuel Zira (Member). NATIONWIDE LEAGUE ONE: Alh. Ibrahim Musa Gusau (Chairman); Julius Atete (Member); Umar Garba (Member); Ibere A and Aliyu Kassim (Member).

  • Babangida rates Ighalo 2015 Sports person

    Babangida rates Ighalo 2015 Sports person

    Former Nigeria International, Tijani Babangida has rated Super Eagles and Watford FC striker Odion Ighalo as the best performer from 2015 and votes the 26-year-old as his Sports personality of the year.

    Disclosing his preferred choice for the most outstanding Sport person from the last 12 months, Babangida told footballlive.ng that he couldn’t see a bigger performer internationally or locally other than the 26-year-old forward and will unabashedly opt for the Nigerian striker.

    Ighalo finished 2015 with more goals than any player in England’s top 4 four leagues and has been on a purple patch, especially in the last six premier league matches, where he has scored consecutively.

    “Whether internationally or localy, I don’t have any doubts about who my Sports Personality of the Year 2015 is. Odion Ighalo is my choice and anybody can accuse me of picking a country man but he fully deserves it”

  • I’m unavailable for 2019 ticket – IBB

    I’m unavailable for 2019 ticket – IBB

     

    … Opts out of PDP rebranding parley

    The rebranding efforts of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) suffered a setback on Tuesday after former military president, Gen. Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, told the party to count him out of its rebranding conference, saying he has quit partisan politics.

    In a statement signed he personally signed and made available to The Nation in Minna, Niger State, Babangida said he is satisfied  with his role as a non-partisan elder statesman, a patriot and a “consultant-in-chief” to political office seekers and other like-minds who want to have his input in their aspirations.

    He stated that it is ridiculous for people to think the rebranding of PDP is to prepare him for future elections when younger people are on ground.

    The ex-military president insisted that he has no intention of running for any political office in Nigeria again.

    He said, “I wish to make some clarifications concerning the invitation extended to me on the scheduled PDP Rebranding Conference slated for Thursday, 12 November, 2015, aimed at repositioning the party after its poor outing at the last elections.

    “While I welcome the invitation to the event as a mark of respect as one of the founding fathers, I want to be excused on the grounds that I have long bid bye to partisan politics. Since 2011 till date, I have been playing my role as an elder statesman and ‘consultant-in-chief’ to political office seekers and other like-minds who want my input in their aspirations.

    “At 74, I feel a deep sense of fulfillment in my new role as non-partisan elder statesman and a patriot, available to all categories of persons without the burgeoning label of any political party or affiliation. I have many friends and associates in the two dominant political parties – APC and PDP, and numerous other smaller political parties. At this stage of my political journey, I want to be able to interact and socialize with them without being branded anti-party.”

    “I have heard whispers from different political arenas that one of the rationales for the rebranding of PDP was to prepare me for future elections in 2019. How ridiculous? God’s willing; by 2019, I will be 78 years old. If I called it quit in 2011, why would PDP contemplate fielding a 78 years old man in a presidential election in a country that parades very vibrant men and women of lesser age?  I have no intention whatsoever to run for any office again in Nigeria.”

     

     

     

     

  • It’s a lie to cover Babangida, Akilu, says Kayode Soyinka

    It’s a lie to cover Babangida, Akilu, says Kayode Soyinka

    Kayode Soyinka – who was with the founding Editor-in-Chief of Newswatch, Dele Giwa, when he was killed by a parcel bomb at his Ikeja, Lagos, home – has described the allegation against him by a former police chief, Chris Omeben, as a pack of lies, which had been peddled through the years.

    In an interview with The Nation from London, he said Omeben, a former deputy inspector-general of Police (DIG), began an intricate web of lies from the beginning of the investigation to protect former Military President Ibrahim Babangida and other intelligence officers.

    His words: “It is obvious lies. I don’t have the time to reply a man like Omeben. I deliberately replied all these same lies about two years ago in The Nation when he made the allegations in The Sun.   I don’t know why the News Agency of Nigeria should continue to give a platform to a man like that to  repeat the lies he has been repeating through the years.

    “In my position, I shouldn’t be responding to Omeben because by doing so, I am making him look important and he is not relevant.”

    He accused Omeben of protecting former President Babangida: “It is a lie  that they have been peddling to protect Babangida, Akilu and Togun through the years. They started it from day one when that incident happened,  they changed the story.”

    On why he did not make himself available to Omeben for interrogation, Soyinka said he was interviewed by the police twice while he was in Nigeria before the burial of Giwa.

    “I cannot make myself available to Chris Omeben,” he said.

    “I was the first person police interviewed on the spot on that day in Lagos. My survival was divine, the guy is lying; he doesn’t know anything. He said he is an investigator, he knows nothing.

    ”I was the first person to be interviewed in the hospital where Dele’s body was next door to me. The second interview took place at Newswatch office on Oregun road. He said I ran away from Nigeria, I didn’t run away, I was in Nigeria till Dele was buried; I attended the burial with my wife. My wife and children were in the United Kingdom (UK) when it happened; somebody flew them in to join me here.

    “After the incident, it was about a month before Dele was buried and I was in the country throughout. It was after the burial that I left Nigeria and I did not go through Nadeco route, I went through British Caledonia at the airport with my wife and children and well-wishers, including Newswatch staff, they followed me to the airport. So, I didn’t run away,” Soyinka said.

     

  • Gowon, IBB, Abdusalami attend Buhari’s inaugural Council of State meeting

    Gowon, IBB, Abdusalami attend Buhari’s inaugural Council of State meeting

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday presided over his first Council of State meeting since his inauguration on May 29.

    The meeting started at about 11:10am when Buhari arrived at the Council Chamber venue of the meeting.

    The former leaders in attendance are – Gen. Yakubu Gowon (rtd), Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (rtd), Gen. Abdusalami Abubakar (rtd) and Chief Ernest Shonekan.

    Former Presidents Shehu Shagari, Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan were absent when the meeting started.

    Also absent at the meeting is the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki.

    Some state governors, deputy governors and other top government officials also attended the meeting, which was still in progress at the time of filing this report.