BUHARI DRAWS THE BATTLE LINE: AS HE CHALLENGES IBB AND GUSAU TO OPEN UP
It is a popular saying in natural justice that “it is not a
crime for a gang member to rob from an outsider, but a crime for a member of
the gang to rob his fellow gang member.
Politics in Nigeria is always centred on the military (serving
or retired).
Thus, one may say that perhaps the President Buhari led government
may be biting more than it can shew, as some people say, that the likes of IBB
and OBJ to mention but a few are all members of the same cabal that are hugely
responsible for the backwardness of Nigeria.
Their fraternisation may be responsible for the current
administration inability to look into the Haliburton bribery scandal as it may
be seen as a crime against their common goal as a cabal holding this nation to ransom.
However, President Buhari, may be heading towards a serious
and prolonged war with the General and his loyalist in the coming days as he
recently challenged IBB and Gusau after 31 years of military coup which toppled
his government then.
According to President Buhari during an private interview
with The Interview, he said that it was because of his desire and readiness to
probe the army hierarchy of corrupt practices that led to the coup. He further
stressed that senior military leaders, led by former military president,
General Ibrahim Babangida and General Aliyu Gusau, removed him in August 1985,
to save themselves from his wrath.
In the interview, President Buhari gave IBB and Gusau the
punch by challenging them to tell the world the truth of the coup that led to
his forceful removal from office as a military Head of States.
“I learnt,” he said,
“that Aliyu Gusau, who was in charge of intelligence, took import licence from
the ministry of commerce which was in charge of supplies and gave it to Alhaji
Mai Deribe.
“It was worth N100,000, a lot of money at that time. I
confronted them and took the case to the Army council in a memo…I wanted Gusau
punished.”
In a statement on www: theinterview.com.ng, the Managing
Director/Editor-in-chief of The Interview, Azu Ishiekwene, said, “This is one
edition that won’t let sleeping dogs lie.”
However, General Babangida (rtd.) had debunked the report in
one of the magazine’s edition last December saying that there was actually
nothing in the memo written by Buhari that was submitted to The Army council.
IBB said: “Don’t forget that I was one of Buhari’s closest
aides. I was the chief of army staff. So, I had an important position, an
important role to play within that administration. I don’t think it had to do
with a memo.”
