The over razzmatazzed rally
sponsored by former military dictator, General Ibrahim Babangida to flag off
his much-touted presidential ambition come 2011 came to a sorry flop as the
eight-year military president tactically reclined to his rough shell after security
reports showed that he was not welcome in the south-west zone following a stern
threat by National Association of Nigeria Students, NANS who vowed to disrupt
the rally and to stone him (IBB), if he shows up for the exercise in Ibadan.
Many politicians were
disappointed by the absence of the General at the presidential rally which was
slated to kickoff at the Polo Ground. Eleyele, Ibadan, the Oyo state capital. The
gaily dressed politicians, who came in different cars and over 60 buses waited endlessly
to receive him at the Ibadan end of the defunct Lagos-Ibadan expressway toll
gate.
Indications that the visit
had been cancelled emerged at the Oja Oba palace of the Olubadan of Ibadan when
Oba Odulana Odugade and his high chiefs who were waiting to receive IBB in the
palace rose and departed for their homes at 12.15p.m. when the organisers of
the rally told the monarchs that IBB will no longer be coming.
The failure of IBB to make
good his promise dampened the morale of his teeming supporters in the region.
It could be recalled that
the media was awashed recently by a statement credited to former president
Olusegun Obasanjo that, General Ibrahim Babangida should stay clear of
south-west governors in his 2011 presidential bid.
But, Obasanjo denied the
allegation according to Alhaji Abdulkadir Kure, IBB’s representative who said,
“When I read the story, I called Chief Olusegun Obasanjo who denied the reports
credited to him. But, even, if he said that, the report had it that three out
of the five governors in the South-West are supporting IBB in his quest to
become the President. That is 60 per cent. If it is 60 per cent, we have more
governors supporting him in the South-West than in the North.”
Meanwhile, the federal
government panel on s$12.4bn oil windfall has submitted its report on Monday.
Jos, the Plateau state capital, boiled yet again recently leaving in the wake of it hundreds of lives lost and properties worth billions of Naira destroyed. A good number of those who survived crisis have been economically displaced and may have to start life all over again.
A number of people would have kept their dead parents in the mortuary for months, thereby delaying the natural process of decomposition, all for fear of kidnap in the southeast today.
Deregulation, the magic wand, we've been told is the only solution to our petroleum needs. Nigerians, the federal government insists, must embrace deregulation if they need petroleum products or face the fate of returning to the medieval era of using firewood and stones or at best acquire plenty of donkeys from northern Nigeria, if they must move around.
Hey Ladies, In the last publication we
talked about being independent as a lady and highlighted so many points, but we
want to continue exploring the independent state of mind placing emphasis on
when the quest for independence could turn into arrogance in homes or amidst
friends.
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