IBB, David-West Under Fire Over 2011

IBB, David-West Under Fire Over 2011

FORMER military ruler, Ibrahim Babangida, and former Petroluem Minister, Prof. Tam David-West, have come under fire in the Niger Delta, Nigeria's main oil and gas region, over the coming 2011 general elections.

A civil society group, the Grassroots Initiative for Peace and Democracy (GIPD), which is currently mobilising oil-bearing communities against Babangida, says the former military ruler has no moral right to seek for the highest office in Nigeria after he had dominated the affairs of the country for eight years.

The Executive Director of the group, Mr. Akinaka Richard, who is leading the political assault against Babangida, does not appear to be comfortable with the retired military general's recent comment on Nigerian youths.

Richard told AkanimoReports in an exclusive interview in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, on his way to Abuja, on Friday that Babangida's claim that youths cannot save Nigeria ''is a collective indictment of governors and the young elements in the National Assembly''.

Continuing, he said, ''for us in the GIPD, it is immoral, oppressive and unjust for Babangida to claim to be the man of the hour as far as the 2011 presidential race is concern in a country of around 150 million. It is a shame and an outright failure that his regime was unable to produce leaders at all levels that could take Nigeria to the gloryland''.

According to him, Babangida should go and sit down and float a foundation dedicated to grassroots development, eradication of poverty, and leadership training.

''It is not likely that he has any good thing to offer the Nigerian people who were the greatest victims of his crushing Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP). That repressive programme cost tens of thousands their jobs, drown many businesses and triggered off the failed banks'', he added.

''Those who are pushing for Babangida to return to Aso Rock'', he went on, ''are invariably pushing for the return of state sponsored assassination, high wire oil bunkering, cultism, further devaluation of the naira, institutionalised corruption, and a culture of impunity''.

Continuing, he said a columnist with the NEXT newspaper, Obadiah Mailafia, recently wrote: The Babangida years began the process that hurled us from the heights of world historic ambition to the quagmire of an irresponsible, beggarly fourth world nation. He cannot give what he does not have''.

On Prof. David-West, who said Acting President Goodluck Jonathan should not contest next year's presidential poll, the activist said he did not expect that from the virology professor.

Richard said David-West does not seem to be aware that the 1999 Constitution allows Jonathan to contest if he so wish. ''GIPD had expected David-West to counsel the acting president to first show what he can do before seeking to run''.

Adding, he said, ''we are of the view that the pressing challenge before Jonathan is electricity, electoral reform, and the Niger Delta. If he can resolve these crises, the Nigerian people will clamour for him to run in spite of David-West's opposition''.

ENDS

© Scoop Media