June 12: Another PerspectiveByMax GbaniteNEW
JERSEY, USA
It
is very disturbing to me and a great number of Nigerians that the issue
of June 12 has become so ingrained in the minds of some nonchalant
writers, to the extent that some of them, in an attempt to
obfuscate the history of Nigeria to suit their personal egos, have even
resorted to sensationalism and wicked interpretations and in most cases
have even resorted to using serpentine venoms to describe their fellow
human beings. Without
prejudice, I do not begrudge those holding holistically to June 12.
However, there are those of us, and this writer in particular, who feel
very differently about the same June 12 and its attendant sagas. For me,
I
have not seen nor heard that any of the victims' family members is
agitating for a national monument to be erected in honor of their kith
and kin. They have, instead, surrendered everything to the
Almighty God. Then on July 29th 1966, another significant
date in the annals of our national history, a reprisal killing was
enunciated and carried out by the late General Murtala Ramat Muhammed
and General T. Y. Danjuma, under the leadership of General Yakubu Gowon,
culminating in the killing of so many officers of Eastern extraction in
the military, including the Head of State, the late General J. T. U.
Aguiyi-Ironsi. As if that wasn’t enough, a calculated genocidal
killing was carried out within the North by uninformed elements to
further the decimation of Ndiigbo for the act associated with their sons
in the Then
came the forceful removal of Alhaji Shehu Shagari in 1983 by General
Buhari-led group. This act alone is far more superior to that of June
12. President Shagari was reelected and sworn in to continue his second
term, whereas June 12 was inconclusive. Therefore, the
comparison clearly indicates that democracy was usurped, stolen, and
maligned by the military. Yet, President Shehu Shagari and
Vice-President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, and the entire National Assembly --
though upset -- took their removal in stride, while surrendering their
fate to the will of the Almighty God. They
had a choice to constitute their own opposition group that could have
sought the reinstatement of their mandates. And even now the
constitution we operate does not say that Shagari cannot come back and
demand his mandate. However, the acceptance of what happened by the
entire cabinet of National Party of Nigeria (NPN) -- as they were
called then, showed patriotic maturity. The train of government has
since moved on and those interested in boarding have equally done so. Granted,
June 12, like January 15th and The
most wicked and misleading act of journalism or write-up for that matter
is an article published by This Day on The
same author claims to have chronicled the accounts and records of
General Babangida’s era in a book titled “2007: The IBB Option”
written by him and his co-traveler. As brilliant as the chronicled tales
disguised as history might appear, it would be delightful to know if
they could sell a copy had the title not mentioned Babangida’s name.
Like I once posited, anything with the name "IBB," "Babangida,"
and "Ibrahim Babangida" will be an instant hit --
whether the story is true or false. I wonder why such
self-acclaimed, brilliant, and ebullient writers waited eleven years
after General Babangida left office to write such a book. My good friend
who read the book simply called the writers intentions, “profit,
profit, and nothing but profiting from General Ibrahim Badamasi
Babangida bashing." [See: Profiting
from Babangida bashing ] The
author’s attempt to denigrate the good virtues of General Ibrahim
Babangida by linking him to corruption and the killing of Dele Giwa,
amongst other accusations without any evidence, must lack in
intellectual and judicial wisdom. He seems to have forgotten that one
thing all the successful coups in the country since 1966 have in common
is the disdain of the plotters for corruption. I am sure if the writer
researches his information he will find that the coup plotter’s
principal reason is corruption. Therefore, Babangida could not have
invented, institutionalized, nationalized, politicized, academicalized,
journalized and Nigerianized corruption! Corruption is synonymous with
our culture as a result of "Dash me," "Ranka
Dede," and "Dobale Baba" mentality. Take
a good look at some members of the current National Assembly and some of
these antagonistic writers, you will find corruption in their DNA, and
the same could be said of some ministers. Even prayers that are meant by
God to be offered free of charge by both mullahs and pastors are no
longer so. And all these had been happening before Major Nzeogwu’s
coup, during all the subsequent administrations, and they are still
happening eleven years after General Babangida. Regarding
the death of Dele Giwa, the writer must read “In Thy Hands O’
God,” a book written by Rev. Dr. Chris Omebem, the former DIG
of Nigerian Police force who investigated the death, or read my take on
this issue. [See Dele
Giwa: The silent fact.] Otherwise, kindly keep your
pen down. Only the Almighty God knows to whom these hired and sponsored
writers will credit the deaths of Bola Ige, Harry Marshall, Dikibo, Uche
Ogbonnaya, and many other political deaths! Other
issues raised will be addressed in due course, I will not waste my time
on non-issues at this time. However, suffice it to state without
apologies to Joe Igbokwe, his co-travelers, and hidden sponsors that if
General Ibrahim Babangida decides to enter the race for the presidency
of Nigeria in 2007, there is nothing they, their books, and their
sponsors can do to stop him from winning (God willing), and they must
know that even their kith and kin would vote for Babangida en-masse, and
any attempt to dissuade them from voting for the man they so dearly love
would be cataclysmic. And as far as June 12 is concerned, all I can say to future celebrants is to please be kind to others who have suffered greater injustices than you. As you insist in keeping the flag of that era flying, kindly make room for others who do not share your views. If you are truly sincere to yourselves, you will reckon that the another perspective of June 12 is that January 15th 1966, July 29th 1966, and December 31st 1983 are superior and more important significant dates to our dear battered but rebuilding nation. |