Opinion
World Education Day: The need for Accelerated Learning Program (ALP)
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Opinion
Autobiographies as Constructed Narratives: Reflections on General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida’s _A Journey in Service_
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*_By Ibraheem A. Waziri_*
23-02-2025
Tags: #IBB, #BookLauch, #Autobiographies, #AJourneyInService
On February 20, 2025, Nigeria marked a pivotal moment in its historical and literary landscape with the launch of *A Journey in Service*, the autobiography of General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, the nation’s former Military Head of State. Held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel’s Congress Hall in Abuja, the event drew an illustrious crowd: President Bola Tinubu, former Presidents Yakubu Gowon, Abdulsalami Abubakar, and Goodluck Jonathan, alongside business magnates Aliko Dangote and Abdulsamad Rabiu. Beyond the fanfare and the nearly N17.5 billion raised for the IBB Legacy Centre—mistakenly dubbed a presidential library in early reports—the memoir’s released, reignites a profound discussion about autobiographies. Far from being vessels of absolute truth, such works are meticulously crafted narratives, designed to logically articulate an author’s perspective while justifying their actions and thoughts—past, present, and future. Babangida’s *A Journey in Service* embodies this, offering a lens to explore the constructed essence of autobiographical storytelling.
Autobiographies are, by design, subjective endeavors, distinct from impartial chronicles. They weave personal accounts from memory, intent, and selective disclosure, often prioritizing coherence over unvarnished fact. Babangida, who governed Nigeria from August 27, 1985, to August 26, 1993, remains a divisive figure. Known for deft political maneuvers—earning monikers like “Maradona” for his agility and “evil genius” for his cunningness—he oversaw a tumultuous era marked by economic upheaval and democratic setbacks. His most infamous act, the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election—widely deemed Nigeria’s freest, at that time, won by Moshood Abiola—has haunted his legacy for 31 years. Nigerians anticipated *A Journey in Service* as a chance for clarity or confession, yet its launch reveals a narrative sculpted to reflect Babangida’s self-perception. He acknowledges Abiola’s victory, a move Tinubu hailed as “unusual courage,” but frames the annulment as an unauthorized act by General Sani Abacha and other officers while he was in Katsina, sidelined by circumstance. This selective disclosure suggests not a full unveiling but a justification, repositioning him as a leader constrained rather than complicit.
This subjectivity underscores a broader truth: books, especially memoirs, filter reality through hindsight, bias, and audience expectation. Babangida’s 420-page work, reviewed by former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, promises insights into his eight-year tenure—economic reforms like the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP), infrastructure feats, and banking deregulation—yet sidesteps a complete reckoning. Critics highlight glaring omissions: no confession regarding the October 19, 1986, assassination of journalist Dele Giwa by parcel bomb, widely linked to his regime; no accounting for the $12.4 billion Gulf War oil windfall, per the 1994 Pius Okigbo report; and no remorse for the executions of coup plotters like Mamman Vatsa in 1986 and Gideon Orkar in 1990. Babangida’s claim that he feared Abiola’s assassination if he took office—a speculative justification—casts him as a reluctant actor amidst a military cabal, absolving himself of agency. These silences, as much as the revelations, illustrate how *A Journey in Service* constructs a narrative that defends rather than fully discloses, a deliberate choice aligning with autobiographical norms.
The memoir’s role as a legacy-building tool further amplifies its constructed nature. Launched as Babangida, now 83 (born August 17, 1941), nears life’s twilight and Nigeria approaches the 2027 elections, the event doubled as a fundraising spectacle for the IBB Legacy Centre. Billion-naira pledges from Dangote, Rabiu, and others—totaling N17.5 billion per ThisDay—underscored Babangida’s enduring clout, 31 years after stepping down. The title *A Journey in Service* reframes his rule as a patriotic endeavor, softening the authoritarian edges of his “evil genius” persona. By admitting Abiola’s win while distancing himself from the annulment’s execution, he crafts a complex portrait: a transformative leader navigating chaos, appealing to admirers who credit him with modernization while mitigating critics’ ire over economic hardship and political repression. This duality reflects a narrative engineered to reconcile his past with the statesman image he seeks today, extending its influence beyond the page into Nigeria’s political present.
The historical context of Babangida’s tenure enriches this analysis. His regime followed a series of military coups, inheriting a nation battered by oil-dependent economics and factional strife. The SAP, intended to liberalize the economy, sparked inflation and unrest, while his annulment catalyzed protests and deepened ethnic divides, paving the way for Abacha’s reign. *A Journey in Service* likely glosses over these ripple effects, emphasizing achievements—like the Third Mainland Bridge or Abuja’s development—to counterbalance failures. This selective memory mirrors how autobiographies prioritize legacy over accountability, inviting readers to weigh Babangida’s narrative against Nigeria’s collective experience.
Reactions to the memoir underscore its status as perspective, not fact. Tinubu, a June 12 activist turned president, praised its candor as setting “records properly,” perhaps reflecting political pragmatism. Afenifere, a pan-Yoruba group, rejected it as too late to mend the annulment’s “ogbonge damage,” echoing Yoruba grievances. Activists accused Babangida of exploiting Nigeria’s accountability vacuum, a sentiment rooted in decades of unresolved justice. Literary scholar Pius Adesanmi, were he alive, might have called it a “textual performance,” blending truth and theater. These responses reveal a fragmented reception: the book’s narrative is interpreted through readers’ biases, not universally embraced as truth, highlighting the elusive nature of autobiographical authority.
Yet, this constructed nature does not diminish *A Journey in Service*’s value—it enhances its complexity. It offers a window into Babangida’s mind: his rationalizations, regrets, and aspirations amid a career of calculated risks. Goodluck Jonathan, at the launch, urged preserving such narratives to enrich Nigeria’s political archive, a call to institutionalize personal histories. Readers, however, must approach it skeptically, recognizing it as one voice in a cacophony of perspectives—those of June 12 activists, SAP victims, or silenced journalists. Its significance lies not in claiming absolute truth but in sparking reflection and debate, forcing Nigerians to confront their history’s ambiguities. For youth, as commentators suggest, it provides leadership lessons—resilience, adaptability—albeit through a self-justifying lens that demands critical parsing.
Comparatively, *A Journey in Service* fits a global tradition of autobiographical narrative-building. Nelson Mandela’s *Long Walk to Freedom* blends triumph with curated humility, while Barack Obama’s *Dreams from My Father* navigates identity with selective introspection. Babangida’s work, with its wit (per Osinbajo’s review) and strategic candor, joins this lineage, tailoring Nigeria’s military past to a personal saga. Its launch timing—amid economic woes and democratic flux—amplifies its relevance, positioning Babangida as a commentator on leadership in crisis, a narrative thread justifying his past while influencing future discourse.
In conclusion, autobiographies like *A Journey in Service* are not absolute truths but woven narratives serving their authors’ ends. Launched on February 20, 2025, Babangida’s memoir—through selective revelations, strategic omissions, and legacy-driven intent—justifies actions like the annulment while shaping his present stature and future remembrance. As Nigerians grapple with its contents, it stands as a testament to storytelling’s power: not a final word, but a provocation to question, analyze, and seek broader truths it skirts. In a nation wrestling with its past—where military rule, economic policy, and democratic betrayal remain raw—such narratives are vital, not for certainty, but for the conversations they ignite, urging a deeper reckoning with history’s many voices.
Opinion
Forsaken Souls of Rimin Zakara: Betrayed in Life, Used in Death
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By Ismail Auwal
For politicians, even death is just another game—a stage to manipulate, a tool to wield. In Rimin Zakara, the dead did not just die. They were killed—not by accident, not by fate, but by the recklessness of a government that never saw them as lives worth protecting.
The recent violence in Rimin Zakara, which claimed innocent lives, was not an unforeseen disaster. It was the inevitable consequence of political negligence, a system that thrives on the oppression of the poor while securing the comfort of the powerful. When the demolition exercises sparked clashes between security forces and civilians, it was not just buildings that were destroyed—it was lives, futures, and hope.
Their only crime? Being poor. A poverty not of their choosing, but one crafted, sustained, and imposed by the very leaders who now twist their deaths into political spectacle. NNPP and APC, two opposing parties have since flooded the grieving community, parading their concern, handing out money, and making empty promises—all while ensuring their own hands remain clean of bloodstains.
To make it even more painful, the state governor—whose duty it is to protect all citizens—shamelessly admitted to the mourning community that he had never even heard of the name Rimin Zakara before the tragic incident. A revelation that speaks volumes about the level of neglect and abandonment the poor endure. The past governor, who ruled the state for eight years, never once cared to know about their existence until now, when he, too, saw an opportunity to play his game. And yet, the most heartbreaking sight of all? The poor residents, instead of rejecting these opportunistic politicians, clapped their hands and jubilated at the sight of them, as though the architects of their suffering were their saviors.
Somewhere, a mother still sets an extra plate at the table, forgetting her child will never come home. A father stares blankly at the spot where his son once stood, his hands trembling with grief and rage. But soon, the families will be forced to move on. Not because they have healed, but because poverty does not allow the luxury of prolonged mourning.
Meanwhile, the politicians—the ones who signed off on the policies that led to these deaths—continue shaking hands, making speeches, and playing their endless, soulless games.
The same system that allowed this tragedy to unfold will recycle itself, ensuring that, in time, another Rimin Zakara will emerge. Another community will grieve. Another set of families will be forced to smile for the cameras while their pain is buried under empty sympathies and political calculations.
The saddest part? This is not a tragedy. This is routine. This is Nigeria.
Opinion
Applauding Kano State Government’s Foresight To Profile NGO’s And Donor Organisations In Kano State
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By Tijjani Sarki
I commend the Kano State Government for inaugurating the High-Powered Committee on Profiling NGOs and Donor Organizations. This decisive move underscores a strong commitment to ensuring that NGOs and donor organizations align with the state’s development priorities, values, and laws. The committee’s focus on transparency and accountability is critical, especially given the recent concerns regarding some organizations with fraudulent and evil activities
The allegations involving USAID-funded NGOs promoting terrorism-related activities highlight the urgency of this initiative. Reports linking certain foreign-funded organizations to illegal activities, including financing terrorism, make the establishment of this committee essential to protect Kano State from potential abuses and destruction of the good moral values and religious practices, under the guise of rendering humanitarian services
This engagement will allow for the profiling of NGOs, knowing their funding sources, and ensure they do not serve as vehicles for promoting harmful ideologies or illegal operations, for those who are clean
A troubling example is the case of the NGO Women Initiative for Sustainable Empowerment and Equality (WISE), which, in July 2024, was accused of promoting values that contradict the state’s moral and religious norms, particularly in relation to LGBTQ+ rights. The public outcry following these actions highlights the urgent need for stringent Profiling of the good and clean NGOs supporting the development of the State agenda, and to prevent the dirty NGOs from undermining social cohesion or violating the local values of the good people of Kano. The committee’s authority to shut down organizations engaged in illegal activities and investigate their funding sources is a critical safeguard.
Given Kano State’s status as a rapidly growing and cosmopolitan hub in Nigeria, it is crucial to take swift and strategic action to strengthen the role of NGOs and donor agencies in supporting the state’s development. The activities of these organizations must be effectively coordinated to ensure they align with the state’s strategic development goals.
A similar approach has been implemented in other states across Nigeria, with Borno State leading the way. On December 11, 2019, the Executive Governor of Borno State signed a law establishing the Borno State Commission for Social Development, Humanitarian Affairs, and Relief (BACSDAHR). This agency is charged with creating policies, guidelines, and programs to improve the effectiveness of humanitarian and development partners, ensuring that their efforts are in line with the state’s development agenda. Additionally, BACSDAHR is responsible for creating frameworks and strategies to oversee, coordinate, and monitor the activities of all humanitarian and development organizations operating within the state, including both international and national NGOs (INGOs,NNGOs) and civil society,community-based organizations (CSOs,CBOs). This model offers valuable insights for Kano State as it seeks to enhance the impact of its development partners.
As the committee, led by the Honorable Commissioner of Information and Internal Affairs, Comrade Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya, begins its work, I urge them to carry out their mandate with utmost diligence, safeguard the rights of the good NGOs to operate freely without any hindrance, as they have always remained partners in the development strides of the present Kano State Government. Only organizations that genuinely serve the interests of the people of Kano and operate within the law should be allowed to function. This proactive approach will protect the state’s security and values, ensuring that resources meant for development are not diverted to harmful causes. The people of Kano deserve a transparent and accountable system that promotes trust, peace, and the preservation of the state’s cultural and religious integrity.
In the long run, this initiative will not only eliminate illegality within the sector but also cultivate an environment where legitimate NGOs and CBOs can flourish, contributing to the continued development and well-being of Kano State.
I am confident that, with such a comprehensive and collaborative approach, the committee will succeed in shielding Kano from both external and internal forces seeking to undermine its security and values.
It is my humble opinion that, the clean NGOs and Donor organizations should have no reason to worry over this development, as the Government is seeking to establish more robust and closer working relationships with the NGOs and Donor organizations, who have been supportive to the State Government in the implementation of its blue prints of transforming the State to a greater heights
Tijjani Sarki
Vice President, Human Rights Watch and Youth Empowerment Foundation, Nigeria
22/02/2025
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