Obasanjo replies IBB, A Fool at 70 | Welcome to Linda Ikeji's Blog

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Thursday 18 August 2011

Obasanjo replies IBB, A Fool at 70

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Wednesday, reacted to the comments about him made by  former President Ibrahim Babangida saying that he [IBB] was being foolish as his comments were not well though out.

According to him, former President Babangida should be pitied and shown sympathy rather than anger or condemnation as he was being foolish at the age of 70.


Obasanjo who spoke with news men in Abeokuta during the visit of an American Team on an inspection of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library [OOPL] said that his initial thought was not to respond but that on second thought he decided to reply IBB so that he would not consider himself wise.

He said  “well, normally when I read these things I don’t believe them. Yesterday when somebody phoned me and said this was said, I said don’t believe it. He said check on all the papers and I said get me all the papers, they got me the papers and I read; it’s a little bit unlike Babangida.

But if Babangida had decided on becoming a septuagenarian, that he will be a fool, I think one should probably do what the Bible says in Proverbs chapter 26, verse 4. It says don’t answer a fool because you may also become like him.

“When you go to the same Proverbs chapter 26, verse 5, it says answer a fool so that he will not think he’s a wise man. So, I am now torn between which of the two verses I should follow in this respect. Some of the things he said unfortunately were not well thought-out.

“For instance, he talked about our energy. When I was the military head of state, I built Jebba dam; built Shiroro dam, I prepared the foundation of Egbin plant which President Shagari completed and commissioned. That time the money we were making was not up to the money Babangida was making annually for his eight years and yet we built two dams.

Because it was important, you know that power is the driving force for development and for any developing country. But since the building of Egbin power plant, until I came back in 1999 there was not any generating plant for almost 20 years and Babangida spent eight years out of that. Now, he has the audacity to talk about anybody; I think that is unfortunate.

“I also read where he said in his time, he gave the dividends of democracy and at the same time he regretted. When I read that, well I said Babangida should be pitied and shown sympathy rather than anger or condemnation because the old saying says a fool at 40 is a fool forever and I would say a regret at 70 is a regret too late. Well a regret at 70 is a regret to the grave.

“Then as elected president, I built Papalanto, Omotosho, others and I started five what they called Independent Power Stations which were stopped for two and a half years. Now that the present administration has started building a new power project at Uyo. As a country, Nigeria should be adding nothing less than 1,500 megawatts annually. South Africa with a population of 50 million generates 50,000 mega watts.

Nigeria with a population of about 165 million we are not generating, we as at 1999 met 1,500 mega watts before we took it up to 4,000 mega watts. What we started they are now allowing it to go on. I believe if they continue with the programme that we left, In another two years , we will get to 10,000”.

Further straightning issues, the former Presdent confirmed that he in fact blocked the sale of Nigeria Airways saying such a sale would have put the Nigeria nation in further debt.

He said “I blocked the sale of Nigeria Airways, not that I attempted to block the sale of Nigeria Airways. When I was military head of state, Nigeria Airways had 32 aircrafts, by the time I came back as elected president of Nigeria, Nigeria Airways had only one aircraft.

“One of the 32 was a wide bodied aircraft, they have all gone and the report on which we worked is here, the amount of money we will have to pay if Nigeria Airways was sold, what we would get out of it is less than 10 percent of the debt we have to pay. That will be the debt Nigeria tax payers will have to pay; that will not be the way to run the affairs of this country. I won’t run my own affairs that way, so I opted for liquidation. So, it was bankrupt, it was liquidated; in which case whatever you gain from liquidation which is also a form of sale, it means the burden will be shared by all the creditors and everybody. So, if I owe you 10 dollars and what I sell when I am liquidated is two. That’s what you get. So, I did not allow normal privatization or sale because it would have put very heavy burden on Nigeria.

“So, Nigerians should know that and in fact my administration should be commended for that. It’s not that I did not allow that sale because the law establishing it is sale and liquidation is also a form of sale”.

Culled from Vanguard 

42 comments:

1976AD.com said...

Right on, OBJ... IBB is delusional.

Anonymous said...

Obasanjo was a good president in his own way. Take or leave it. Much better than yar'adua and goodluck combined.

Galore said...

I too gbadun OBJ,,,,,,,,him no dey carry last..........the score stil remains 20-1,,,,with Baba iyabo leading.......i dey laff oooo

Anonymous said...

i trust baba iyabo for an appropriate response...and he did not dissapoint me...ride on baba, let the 70 year old malam realise his insanity

Galore said...

I gbadun OBJ..........

Anonymous said...

Gbam!i concur!IBB is jst trying to remain relevant with those statements!lol

Tony said...

They are both suffering from old age. They are looking for peace which they murdered while they were presidents of the country. They will suffer it till they die

Muah said...

At least in his dispensation, things were getting done - good or bad. Bt Yar'adua and Jonathan, they work at snail pace....And nothing has happened

defacto said...

He is the best President we have ever had.Yes,he is a cantankerous bully,or maybe even corrupt Like Thatcher in the UK, he laid the foundation for what one might call 'modern Nigeria'.
The various free market and and economic reforms led to an enabling environment in our economic activities.

Dantil said...

This is too bad of this ppl, They should be ashamed of sayin ds in d public!

defacto said...

Obasanjo is the best President we have ever had.Yes,he is a cantankerous bully,or maybe even corrupt Like Thatcher in the UK, he laid the foundation for what one might call 'modern Nigeria'.

Anonymous said...

Which day these two go die sef? I don tire for dia yeye. One na goat the other wan na bully. I no care whether im try for im time...as far as im no do enough then na failure im be too.

*ajalahtravel*

Anonymous said...

Which day these two go die sef? I don tire for dia yeye. One na goat the other wan na bully. I no care whether im try for im time...as far as im no do enough then na failure im be too.

*ajalahtravel*

crys said...

check out bad mouthing o,dis is funny for men of their age,mschew!!!!

Unknown said...

Who is better of the two? IBB. It is a pity that we had both men once upon a time as our president. What is the product of a mediocre society like Nigeria, this Two men. Mediocre society will always produce mediocre rulers. But on a second though I still prefer IBB to the No 1 looter in Nigeria, OBASANJO.

Ade_Cool said...

For the record..OBJ handed over power twice to civilians..something IBB refused to do and almost threw the country into another civil war..I do agree OBJ heralded in Modern Nigeria..of course he has many faults..but apart from Gowon..no one comes close..

Anonymous said...

Baba don stike again! Classic, hahaa!!!

ibkworld said...

It is just sad that our so called good or bad president, better or worse president could not really come up with ideas that could save this country..... let them come back even for the 4th or 5th time, they can't solve it... I see only luck in Jonathan without preparation (idea), thus goodluck turns badluck..... Only God can help Nigeria... Youths shine ur eyes

CLF said...

Raucous laughter. I love it when he speaks. He doesn't do spin and he shoots from the hip.

OBJ 1 versus IBB 0

More to come ....

Anonymous said...

abeg leave that one of handing over, hand over to WHO? na the guy, u said that they should hand over put naija in this shape

Anonymous said...

OBJ baba...!!!!
Babagida shld stop forming relevancy

Anonymous said...

(dancing)fun ra won lo ma fun ra won logunje. jus watch o. they will expose themselves. this prayer has been on for 10yrs

Anonymous said...

I have never been a fan of baba iyabo but on this issue. I give him kudos for a well thought answer to a fool like IBB. Who is IBB kidding with his statement? Baba Iyabo is a much better head of state and president than IBB any given day. From the time he was a military head of state to be a president, to be truthful, he has the interest of a Nigeria as a whole, the way he went about some of his policy i don't agree with but knowing him on a personal level I think it is who he is. He is a typical owo man. You either love him or hate him but he was done us some good than any other living president or head of state.

Anonymous said...

They are both fools to me. It takes one to know one. They have both done lots of foolish things.

OBJ should watch it before IBB extends the verbal clash to OBJ's sex scandals. Who would be the fool by then? IBB may have the last laugh.

sommie said...

hi guys, just digged this pic. out of my fb photos: http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/717/objibbplayingdraft.jpg/. No be today obj & ibb begin play hide & seek. 'agadi abuo n'agwo ofe' haha

sommie said...

sorry, here's the right link:
http://i52.tinypic.com/2unzhxf.jpg

Loudmouthed said...

Nigerians are never satisfied.. No1 stated fact

kilz said...

na God go judge u and ibb.

Father M. said...

i trust baba iyabo for an appropriate response...and he did not dissapoint me...ride on baba, let the 70 year old malam realise his insanity what did he do for the country dont worry God is going to judge him very soon.

Olawale Akins said...

How can anyone tell who meant well for the country. Whatever Baba too claimed to have done or achieved was through tax payers money. IBB brought 419 and baba brought political fraudsters whose intention we all know, the legacy is still on going now.
Pls Pls Pls.....spare me this crocodile sympathy. They both are wrong and should seek for God`s forgiveness!

Anonymous said...

They are both FOOLS.

Anonymous said...

Pot versus kettle. Both are black. Now they can spend the rest of their lives arguing over how they misused the golden opportunities God gave them to build a solid nation, but instead brought ruin and suffering to the people. The other one even had a second chance and with all his experience he even performed worse than the first time. The annoying part is that they don't feel an iota of shame when they walk among their counterparts from other nations who have ruled their countries well. If they are so proud of their achievements why don't they come on TV and have a civilised debate? At least some of us might be entertained by their ignorance.

Shakara said...

Anon August 18, 2011 8:57 PM; sexual scandal?

I remember OBJ saying he's never slept with a man or with animals.

They are both fools, but OBJ is the lesser evil. I think he's the only Southerner that the Northerners respect.

Ada said...

LWKMD @ Baba'a response esp @a fool @ 70....n a regret @ 70 is a regret to d grave...'....D truth is OBJ was an active president wen it mattered, even though he will always be faulted heavily for digging us further into the modern 'political corruption' grave... i would definitely pick him 10times over dis wet-pant Jonathan.... i for like see Boko Haram showing muscle for OBJ admin...nonsense! As for IBB may he die wit his many regrets and more cos nothing is takin em away anytime soon.....Bloody Idioricot!!!!!

Anonymous said...

baba dey quote bible lol,

baba 1 - ibb 0

sleekreek said...

@Annon Aug 19,,9:34am..........exactly my thoughts,u said it all.....IBB and OBJ are both old fools,,,now they are washing their dirty linen in the public...

In my own view i'll say IBB was better though he committed so many atrocities,,including the annulled June 12 elections but during his time u could still get to buy more with little money,,,but during OBJ's regime price of petrol was increased about 4 times until it reached N70 and i remember his words then that if nigerians can afford to buy bottled water for N50,,they should be able to afford petrol at N70 per litre but how many Nigerians could buy bottled water?.....obviously everything got on the high side cos of that single silly act,,it was also during OBJ's regime that ASUU and other university bodies go on strike like anything,,wat silly thing did he do for Nigeria??he was even tagged as the only one who traveled so much and spent more time outside Nigeria out of all the leaders Nigeria ever had.....the most annoying part of him was that he had a second chance to make things right and even went on two terms yet he couldnt make any positive impact,,,his time as a civilian president was more or less like a military rule....

God punish the two of them and what are they waiting for??the cemetery is waiting for them,,,,abi they have done enof jooor........useless beasts,,,,

Anonymous said...

OBJ after d sale of nigerian airways where did d money go?ofcause ur pocket.... Is just a story of kettle calling pot black d both men r bad.

Bee said...

2 fools arguing over who is the worst of the Bad.

Je-Toast said...

im surprised at some people's comment, to any sensible person, and if you are not going to take side,to me, both of them are birds of the same feathers. Two old FOOLS. A POT that is calling KETTLE black. None is better than the other. Full stop.

MY NAIJA LIFESTYLE said...

chai!...SMH...God have mercy...now i remember the popular nollywood proverb "whom the gods want to destroy, they first make mad".

defacto said...

'My Naija lifestyle'

"Those whom the gods wish to destroy they first make mad'. Anonymous ancient proverb. attributed to Euripides.

Nollywood indeed!

MY NAIJA LIFESTYLE said...

defacto

wen i said nollywood, i only meant that almost al d nollywood movies i watch,dey r always using dat proverb like it deir favorite...ofcos i know it didnt originate frm naija

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