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Dear Dr. Phil
...Read the full article.

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The letter by the so-called Zamfara guy, does not look northern in any of its diction, phrasology and even substance. It does not reflect the popular opinion in the steets of Northern Nigeria. It does not depict with near accuracy, the mindset of the cultural establishment, nay, the political class of the region.

It is unfortunate that the writer cannot even spell his hometown right. Instead of GUSAU, he wrote GUSUA. Tis colourless, very artificial.

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I wonder why people are scared because IBB wants to contest for this postion in 2007,just leave him alone and let the public put himwhere he belongs during election. I have no doubt in my mind that if public is allowed to decide this man won't have 2% of nigerians votes.i am even praying that he would be PDP candidate during the general election that will bring an end to the ruling of that deadly party (PDP) in nigeria.

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Khalil, you apparently know much better than the "so-called Zamfara guy." Therefore, please, tell us more about "the popular opinion in the steets of Northern Nigeria." What is the mindset of the Northern Nigerian cultural establishment and/or political class?
Are the streets of Northern Nigeria rejoicing at the return of Babangida?
Instructions from a knowledgeable person like you will be very much appreciated.

A bientôt.

- Nosa

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I do agree with Jojo. What is all the hype about IBB. Let him test his popularity during elections. First is within the PDP and then the whole country. Is democracy not government OBF people.
Recall that it was IBB who single-handedly stopped Dimka at Radio Nigeria in Lagos when the former tried to topple the government of Murtala thus paving the way for the reluctant OBJ. Later he presided over a government which we have been led to believe now was riddled with corruption, although I am yet to see any govt in Nigeria which is not riddled with corruption. He later handed over to Shonekan who handed over to Abacha and when the latter died in office, IBB played a crucial role in the installation of Abdulsalami from his state over and above his seniors in the military.
This marked the beginning of the reemergence of IBB after he stepped aside following the annulmentgate. It was later said and it had not been denied that he went to Ota to bring OBJ to be made presidential candidate in 1999 with a promise that Obj would scratch his back. By this ingenious act, IBB tested the will of Nigerians to tolerate a former military leader as their civilian president. We fell for it. In 2003 when Ekwueme got his support to challenge OBJ, IBB made a quick turn a la Maradona at the last minute because a failure by Ekwueme would have made him fallible and open to massive attacks by the unforgiving Baba. See the fate of Atiku after the prostrationgate.
In 2007 and with the death of TT, the die was cast. IBB has read the political weather forecast and it is neither hazy nor rainy. He knows Obj very well both as serving officers in the military and in the aftermath of the Dimka coup and knows when to apply the pressure on OBj and at what time. Indeed IBB also knows the Nigeria elite very well. his thesis on thenm was copiously outlined in a speech he delivered to teh Oxbridge Almuni sometime in Lagos.
The fate of the nation lies on God first and foremost whose divine intervention would see the death of some key characters. If not, IBB will make the move which he has already begun and will complete when he returns his nomination papers. From then on anything can happen.
Before we jump to emotional conclusions, the only claim which Obj used to best IBB, ie that the former handed over power to an elected government and that the latter annulled an election, have all been overtaken by events. The ill-fated move by Obj for TT have removed all the legititmacy that he has as a democrat coupled with his penchant for not heeding court decisions including the release of LG funds for lagos state.
With regards to corruption, the jury is still out. I cannot recall IBB using the Presidential aircraft to loot Nigerian funds neither did he preside over the massive oil windfall such as we witnessed during the tenure of OBJ.
Let the politics of 2007 begin and may Our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of us.

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The hype about Ibrahim Babangida is precisely because this chief of thieves has stolen the country blind in his first sojourn as self-imposed ruler, and thus can have and/or buy the influence and power that money can. There's the talk of Babangida testing his popularity in the polls; we know there's no such thing happening, since most election sin Nigeria are repetitions of history as farce: votes don't count, money does, and Babangida has stolen lots of it. There's a curiousity about anyone dismissing Babangida's bid to become president: either they're on his side, or they're failing to see what's rather obvious.

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The fate of the nation lies on God first ... and may Our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of us

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No serious observer of events in Nigeria can logically believe this. Either God has been sleeping, or he's been too busy with more important stuff: if God's got any sense of order, justice, or the well being of all those calling on him for help and mercy, if he's even as much as heard their pleas for relief, he'd've done something tangible a long time ago. And, lest we continue to say things that aren't anywhere near the truth: during Abacha's sacking of sustainable life in Nigeria, God didn't lift a finger. Abacha was removed by the will and the execution of a well thought-out plan, a plan conceived and hatched by human minds. Even then, ladies of the night of foreign origins proved more useful to the Nigerian peoples than all sorts of gods or Gods. The lesson, missed many years after, is that god won't lift a finger unless we do something ourselves. that includes not being complacent and identifying credible threats, like the Ibrahim Babangida's determined push for the presidency, and taking steps to stop it from happening.
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By joining the fray of Presidential aspirants at all, Ibrahim the Thief is telling the rest of us Nigerians who bore the pains and frustration of his 'Evil Genius' at work, as he took us all on an 8-year journey of mesmerizing obfuscation and vagabond perambulation, to go to blazes/hell.

His inclusion in the list of people who are vying for Presidency in Nigeria is a slap in the face of all Nigerians - an insult to the collective intelligence.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is the source of "all the hype" over his ambition to rule - the godamn effrontery to attempt reaping where he pointedly refused to sow. Damn that conscienceless bastard.

Auspicious.

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JOJO,

Since when did the Nigerian public decide the outcome of any elections? I will have you know that even the Abiola election had its moments and was not as flawless as many would have us believe. That it turned out to be the fairest in our history is a stark reminder of what the term elections mean in Nigeria.

So back to base, IBB knows his fate; he knows how much hate Nigerians, including his close family members and associates have for him and that is why he is using our very own corruption to contest and rig.

That is what you should be worried about mate!

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I have posted 2 diverse responses on IBB in the last 24 hrs. Thought I might share them here.
I

Re: .Calculating and Calibrating Babangida

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Sabella's write up is fairly similar to Uche Nworah's on Andy Ubah last week. We need to avoid calling an incongruous caricature an oil painting.

Let me be express some uncharacteristic verbal uncouthness here. If it looks like it, smells like it, feels like it (for those brave enough to touch it), no matter how much disinfectant or air freshner you douse on it, I assure you the chemical components will not change........it is still s-h-one-t!
Now that we've cleared the air the erstwhile retired General (in this case not a mark of respect) IBB was a very corrupt head of state. Agreed he was not as brutal as Abacha but in many respects he was just as bad. He was just cleverer and better at covering his tracks..thats all.
He has proved himself to be 100% corruptible and he soils all he comes in contact with in corrupt dust. Look at the crop of Nigerians who gathered themselves at the Sheraton Hotel about 3 months ago making morally bankrupt statements pontificating and eulogising about Babangida's non existing qualities.
Sadly amongst them was Abiola's widow and a respected Newswatch Editor.
Babangida corrupted the Nigerian intelligentsia during his regime. He raided the Universities and rooted out Professors making them uncomfortable with their fairly adequate salaries. He dragged them into the world of Politics and made them political appointees, overcoming them with large sums of money to abandon the ivory towers. Not being the product of University education he then proceeded to shut them down serially and began a period of disinvestment in Universities both in terms of money, research and resources. Becoming a University teacher became less attractive to Nigerian graduates and was seen as a stepping stone by some to political posts.
He started the tragic wave of political assasinations with the premature and brutal demise of Dele Giwa.
He even reportedly corrupted Arch Bishop Olubunmi Okogie by luring him into an uncompromising position and then blackmailed him into silence thus neutralising him as a critic. He adopted the loathsome principle that everyone had a price and he capitalised on this by pushing the boundaries until the object of his pseudo affection succumbed.

No institution in Nigeria was sacred. He played one tribe against the other. He wasn't brilliant but he was very cunning. He arrogated the title "evil genius" to himself because he was and still is evil. He brutally and systematically raped Nigeria and now shows an intention to sodomise her all over again. Yet some individuals have the effontery to say positive things about him.

I of course respect everyone's freedom of expression. But with freedom to express comes great responsibility.

Nigeria has such a great pool of talent yet to show what they can do. The best is yet to come. Away with the old guard and in with the new please. 2007 is a great opportunity and all writers and contributors with attendant commentaries have a great task and opportunity to inform, influence persuade and encourage integrity and service for all who have their eye on diverse seats come 2007.
I don't think I'm being unduly idealistic. Some visitors to the square will find themselves in political office. Many villagers have links one way or another to those in political office. The pen or in this case the keyboard is mightier than the sword.
The current regime has produced some sad players like Fayose, Alamayeseigha, Ubah x2, Dariye Oyinlola and Adedibu (though the latter is more of a notorious kingmaker than a political office holder).
More mediocre ones are josting for positions vying to be Chief Executives of their states come 2007. Its quite obvious that their performance will be low with their treasury emptying activities high. As a country we deserve better. We need better. We want better. We desperately crave better. We have the right calibre of Politicians and personnel. We need to identify them and push them forward. People in the calibre of the Head of NAFDAC and the recently removed Minister for Finance Okonjo Iweala are not in the minority. It is just that in the history of Nigeria they are hardly ever given a chance.

The time to be decisive is now. Please move modify and motivate people's thinking with your expressions. The time to move is now.

III agree with Toyonso.
Babangida does indeed have a large war chest which he is determined to utilise fully in seducing (corrupting more like) Nigerians preparatory to 2007.
News just coming in indicates that he has written to all the serving Senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria enlisting their support for his ill conceived Presidential bid. Needless to say the cunning person that he is, he is already targeting certain of their number with his ill gotten wealth (which he is holding in "trust for Nigeria"because a time will come when he will have to give account and return our money that my parents, your parents and many Nigerians worked hard for) with extra promises of enviable positions under "his government".
80% + of Nigerians (in my estimation) doubt the bona fides and genuineness of his intentions. Many Nigerians really suffered under his regime. Many were thoroughly SAPPED until they effectively dried up materially.
Babangida single handedly eradicated the middle classes from the face of Nigeria. I was at University during his regime in Nigeria and I remember very well as I'm sure most of you do how things were back then. Not a bed of roses but most Nigerians who were prepared to work hard managed to make ends meet before he came along. The security guard at my father's office was able to send his son to University just before his SAPPING regime.
Post Babangida Nigeria became a society of those who have (and I mean really have by virtue of links of some sort to political connections resulting in favours) and an economic underclass who really really struggle to have more than one meal a day.....0-1-0 or 0-0-1 as we jokingly called it back then at University. Little did we know that it would turn into harsh reality for many Nigerian families in the coming years.

I do not wish to go on and on. I'll end this piece in this fashion. Can anyone really identify three positive things that Babangida bestowed on Nigeria during his regime which have stood the test of time and are of real benefit to Nigerians?

1. None
2. None
3. None

My point exactly!!!

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=akuluouno;138786>The fate of the nation lies on God first and foremost whose divine intervention would see the death of some key characters.

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I know FORD earlier highlighted some part of this statement.But, I was compelled to also highlight it and more. Isn't it bizarre that we still think this Job is for GOD, and that divine intervention that kills key characters is what can change the situation in the country.

As for DR PHIL, I went through you reply to the lady. And there was no help nor tangible except that IGBO's are smarter than that.I suspect you are also clueless about what is happening,isn't it?

Anyway, I will keep saying this - the difference between most folks and Babaginda is he has money and many don't. He is stupendously wealthy.He cornered the juicy parts of the economy - telecommunications and oil (Adenuga is holding forth for him).It is the only reason he is still making noise.He was smart enough to have kept shut when Abacha was in government, and Mustapha was ridiculing a lot of the %#%#%#%#%#s around.

I hope whoever comes next will make the mistake of releasing Mustapha (forget his past activities). He holds some of the keys to a better Nigeria - the secrets of most of these greedy politicians and military officers are in his hands.A retired military officer like Babaginda should be in jail cooling his heels.