Chief Ebenezer Babatope, a former Minister of Transport is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Board of Trustees (BoT). In this interview, he speaks on the allegations made by Senator Femi Okurounmu that he and Yoruba ministers who served under the late General Sani Abacha betrayed the June 12 struggle. TEMIDAYO AKINSUYI brings the excerpts:



Was there any point in time that you said Abacha is the best president Nigeria can have?


Never! But I must confess to you, I worked with General Sani Abacha. He was a rigid person, very hard on principles. Nobody is without his mistakes but how could I have classified a person who is created by God as an almighty person that cannot make mistakes? I won’t do that kind of mistake. Though I worked with Abacha, he used to call me comrade until we both went separate ways but believe, I never said Abacha was the best man Nigeria can have. How could I say that? Those who are to judge Abacha are the Nigerian people, not me.

During the period Abacha was trying to transmute to civilian president, what are your thoughts?

I was a member of UNCP that said let him go ahead. But then, when they asked me to move the motion, I refused. They later called me to speak on behalf of the Southwest which I did. I made mistakes which I have written in my book about the June 12 crisis but the mistakes were not such that will dent my image as Okurounmu wants Nigerians to believe.

During the clamour by NADECO to get Abiola released, as a Yoruba minister, what were you doing?

I was a cabinet minister and we did our best. There was a time after Abiola had been arrested by Abacha, we the Yoruba ministers requested a meeting with Abacha. We were led into that meeting by the late Dr. Olu Onagoruwa, Mrs Mobolaji Osomo was there, I was there and Elder Wole Oyelese was there. We went to Abacha and told him to release Abiola from detention and we left. Apart from that, the late Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu organised one lawyer to go and file for bail for Abiola.

We were meeting in General Diya’s house. If we had been arrested that time for planning a coup, it’s treason. We all now agreed that the late Alex Ibru should talk to Abiola that he should not refuse the bail and go home after his release. A plane was stationed to take Abiola to Lagos. Apart from that, I was given the extra duty to use my influence with my good friend, Mr John Teteda, a very powerful trade unionist who became Ghana’s ambassador to Nigeria to help us get Jerry Rawlings so he could intervene and speak to Abacha.

Jerry Rawlings agreed and spoke to Abacha and he also agreed that Abiola should be released. General Diya even arranged a plane to go and convey the judge who presided over the bail application from Benin to Abuja. The plane went and brought the judge and he gave the ruling that Abiola should be released. But what eventually happened, NADECO leaders told Abiola not to accept the bail offered him.

So, Abacha had no blame over the continued incarceration of Abiola, it was NADECO leaders that should be held responsible. Okurounmu said we didn’t say Abiola should reject bail but we didn’t like it. Can you imagine that? We heard so many reports that Abiola wanted to accept the bail offer but it was these same NADECO leaders who were urging him not to. I said it is wrong. They should have allowed Abiola to go.

Did you at anytime compromise the June 12 struggle while in Abacha’ s government?

We never compromised our belief in June 12 even when we were in Abacha’s government. When the government was preparing the agenda for the conference that took place in 1995, I think it was former governor of Anambra state, Jim Nwobodo who was in charge. I was the one who asked Nwobodo in the cabinet that ‘where is the issue of June 12 in the agenda you are preparing’? Nwobodo explained that he didn’t want to mention June 12 so as not to debase the argument. So, we never compromised the agenda of June 12.

Looking back in restrospect, do you have any regret serving in Abacha’s government?

Not at all! I have said it several times. Whatever happens to any man comes from God and it happens to him for his own good. I was made minister, I didn’t want to accept but my leaders in the Awolowo movement said I should go and participate. Mama HID Awolowo also gave her blessings. So, I have no regret at all for serving under Abacha. That was what God wanted me to do. I made mistakes on the way but they were not mistakes meant to dampen the enthusiasm and the supreme wishes of my people.

What were some of the mistakes you made?

For instance, what happened at the UNCP convention? I should have made it clearer that I didn’t move any motion. I ought to have hammered on it that I didn’t move any motion but I only spoke on behalf of the Southwest region.

Do you think you should have also rejected to speak on behalf of the Southwest?

If I did that, I would have offended against the principle of supremacy of the party. The party is supreme. There was nothing committal about the speech I made.

What was your experience like serving Abacha?

I believe that Abacha did his best for Nigeria. Abacha was a straightforward man who didn’t hide his feelings towards you. He would say his mind. Abacha was a Nigerian leader and we can’t continue to condemn him. No human being is perfect. He had his own shortcomings. Working with Abacha is an experience to cherish. Even when he was about to dissolve the cabinet, Abacha called us, he then expressed his appreciation to us for serving the nation. It was later that he then dissolved the cabinet. I have no regret serving Abacha, neither do I have apology to offer anybody.
http://independent.ng/abacha-did-his-best-for-nigeria-babatope/

Sure. Abacha is a Saint.
That's why Yoruba's love him.
Buhari said "Abacha is a saint"
That's why Yoruba's loves Buhari.
I am a saint. Who's got my back??

Well compared to this government, Abacha tried. The exchange rate was #22 to a dollar all thru his five years.

100 buhari is not equivalent to 1 abacha beat me if e pepper you

Hmm

Abacha built hospitals in all the states in Nigeria

Built Gwarinpa Estate of about 28,000 no.duplexes in the FCT

Built inter states road one passes through my village

Brought investors for the $6bn LNG project

Robust economy, very robust

But no freedom of speech for the politician ooo not the Masses

He never increase fuel price by 100% throughout his 5yrs reign

Late Onagorowa's son was killed by same abacha... Abasha,iranu Iranu,Abasha

Late Onagorowa's son was killed by same abacha... Abasha,iranu Iranu,Abasha

Well Abacha might not ve been a saint bt he surely did his bit,I can remember his debt recovery platform which thru which huge amounts of money was recovered from from eminent persons owing banks then,Igbinedion andUmaru Dikko come to mind readily ,after the former had paid his son was then made the chairman of FAAN me in the case of Umaru Dikko ,he was asked to supply rice when he was still in asylum after which the move an government refused to pay him with Abacha insisting that Nigeria had already paid him during the reign of Shehu Shagari when he Umaru Dikko held sway,,and which they did to the best of my knowledge ,there was no ethnicity nd it's likes, however the downside to his regime was the experiment of transmutation into a civilian president nd which ultimately consumed him,and his handedness which Nigerians definitely need because I can't be normal me and rule Nigeria successfully..



it would take a "mad" person to govern this country successfully ,if u want to be too democratic then also known that there re some fifth columnists by the sidelines working day no night to capitalize on any loop holes nd inflict damage maximally.

Indeed!

Even Buhari vouched for him saying "Abacha never stole"


As long as you are hausa/fulani and had no hand in his overthrow, then Buhari got your back!

BiafranBushBoy:
Sure. Abacha is a Saint.

That's why Yoruba's love him.

Buhari said "Abacha is a saint"

That's why Yoruba's loves Buhari.

I am a saint. Who's got my back??

Afonjas are well known for stupidity