Thirty one years after his administration was toppled in a military coup, President Muhammadu Buhari has finally opened up on why he was sacked.
Buhari said in an exclusive interview granted The Interview, that he was removed from office because he was planning to purge the military hierarchy of corruption.
Buhari, who has not spared the military even in his ongoing anti-corruption war, said 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 an exclusive interview published in the current edition of The Interview magazine, Buhari challenged Babangida and Gusau to tell the truth on why they carried out the coup against him. “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.” But in an earlier edition of the magazine last December, Babangida had said that that there was nothing in the memo which Buhari said he 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.” But in a tone which suggested that the past may neither have been forgotten nor forgiven, Buhari challenged Babangida and Gusau to come clean on why they removed him, asking The Interview to choose whose story to believe.
He also fielded questions about his health, the 2016 budget, the pace of his government, former President Goodluck Jonathan and why Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola was handed three ministerial portfolios.
This man keeps failing our trust every other day. How can we move ahead with all these grudges? 31 years ago? Can we let let sleeping dogs lie?!
ReplyDeleteThat is a typical fulani trait. They don't forget and they don't forgive. That is why his fight against corruption will never be a success. He is going after those who have offended him in the past. Dasuki was the very person who personally placed the handcuffs on his hands during that coup,that is why he was the first on the list. Tau,babangida and gusau,watch your back o!This daura man will take you guys down. Nigeria made a costly mistake by voting pmb into power. He is just here on a revenge mission. It's not their fault, majority of the voters were still kids(or not even born) when buhari was president. Elders who remembered warned us but we still fell prey to apc propaganda. It is well, God will definitely deliver our great nation..
DeleteThat is why you are supporting our treasury looters. Too bad of you. So our money should not be recovered from Dasuki or when Babangida was saying rubbish about the president he must keep quite. Loot tour hatred can never lead you to anywhere.
DeleteIf you consider what Mr President is doing no as retaliatory and ethnic then you are a racist and unpatriotic and potentially corrupt.
DeleteMallam Buhari toppled Shagari's govt bcos of CORRUPTION, IBB toppled him bcos he wanted to expose CORRUPT officers.
Delete31yrs later Mal Buharia is ruling us again with the help of CORRUPT politicians.
I think Mal BUBU is suffering from AntiCorruptosis of the BRAIN.
Sai Buhariii
ReplyDeleteThe economy is in serious recession,and your Fulani president is talking thrash about what happened 31years ago,how can we move forward with this kind of human being in power,and all you senseless meniac can say is sai buhari...smh for you,I think you are sick...
DeleteIn this digital age someone is still having analog mentality. Mr President, move on. We are passed those times. Stop taking us to the 20th century.
ReplyDeleteThen tell us why you removed Shehu Shagari from power. This Buhari is going too far with ' holiness' oh....
ReplyDeletePMB,Forget the past,let us think on how to move ahead as a nation.Ignore Babangida but if he stole,recover the money for us,he is nothing again in Nigerians history.
ReplyDeleteI warned ppl about Buhari, but they did listen. Buhari is a typical Fulani man, he's evil, he can't forgive, he's out for revenge.
ReplyDeletebuhari and apc is this the change u promise us by paying evil with evil may God almighty be the judge of all u are doing if is right.
ReplyDeleteI think President Buhari should forget the past and focus on what is ahead of Nigerian!!!!! He didn't even know that Nigerian are hungry and " and hungry man is an angry man' what do you want shagari to do now? You that overthrow democratic elected government!!!!! As far as am concerned nothing has change you went for medical trip u have ban it, no one should fly first class your cabinet are doing it, you know how much you spent on your on foreign university on your children and all the federal University here are in bad shape? I can't blame you I blame some sycophant elder of south-west you will never home again after this. Now they just need to declared that Nigeria has been islamicmise . He want to help Germany he can't help niger delta I beg we have tired of you. Even had a very rude wife what a tribe???
ReplyDeleteI can see that PMB has unforgiving spirit hmmmm after 31 years, but nawa ooo, Mr. President if u don't forgive the past how will God forgive u?
ReplyDeleteRepentance comes before forgiveness. Those he accused of his removal from the office did not tell us the truth why they removed him from office, instead they praised themselves. They continued to enrich themselves illegally at the expense of the future of Nigerians both born and unborn. If Babangida is erred he must be brought to book no matter how long he has committed the offense. let us remember that Berlusconi, the ex-prime minister of Italy was sentenced recently (2years ago) for tax evasion while in office and not for embezzling public fund. How many of our leaders do pay tax? Lets allow PMb to continue with his anti- corruption war and encourage him and his team to focus on ways of improving and developing the economy too.
DeleteWith all due respect; Does Buhari pay his due tax? Does anyone (apart from the common Employee) pay tax in Nigeria. Is the tax system not as corrupt as the recipients and users of collected taxes?
DeleteWhere are in our current economic backwardness because of that very coup and the perpetrators. History confirms that. Sadly, majority of us are too blind to see.
ReplyDeleteMost of the economic powers in Asia today were poorer than Nigeria, and that period marks the turning points of their greatness.
ReplyDeleteIf it were analog it would have been better. This fulani man is displaying the characteristics of d early man.
ReplyDeleteMr Buharior what are you called, remember your coup against President Shagari came first, please can you tell us first why you removed a democratically elected president before asking another person to explain his own reason to Nigerians. Fool pot calling kettle black.
ReplyDeleteBuhari is an angry man. He will not rest until all his enemies are avenged. May God help Nigeria
ReplyDeleteThe trees that produce the fruits we eat today were not planted today, they have been planted many years back. The poles of our nation's economy have been eaten internally by termites of corrupt leaders but look fresh outside. Blaming Buhari for the present economic recession is an apparent departure from the truth and an ostensible display of sentiment.
ReplyDeleteWe cannot totally dissociate ourselves from the past neither can we forget Ibrahim Babangida who actually legalized corruption in Nigeria.
Our nation's economy has been on sick bed many years ago, if PDP were to win the last election the economy would have by now been totally paralyzed. It is still sick not yet paralyzed. It can still be resuscitated.
Babangida should be brought to book for his unpatriotic and greedy role in masterminding the the economic woe of Nigeria in the name of liberality which is pseudo and selfish in nature.
What Jerry Rawlings did in Ghana should be repeated in Nigeria if there is a way of going about it.
We were deceived that there was a vote for the purchase of arms to deal with Boko Haram behold it was a vote into individual pockets.
How much was crude oil under Jonathan? Was it not above $100? How much is it now? Is it not less than $50? What is the major source of revenue generation in our nation? Is it not oil? How do you expect a jolly economy under this condition?
Which one do you think is faster and easier making better what is good or making good what is bad? Destroying what is good or rebuilding what is destroyed?
Oga buhari took over then by carrying out a coup,so was he overthrown by the same coup...why is be still talking about a coup that happened 31years ago...that's nonsense...
DeleteBuhari removed Sagari because our economy was at the brink of collapse. Which type of democratically elected government are you saying when Akinloye threw champagne when he became a millionaire as the national chairman of defunct NPN then. I had the no nonsense Gani Fawehinmi for the first time said in a television interview that Buhari/Idiagbon was the best government so far. I believe where they erred was the plan to remove the secularity of Nigeria.
ReplyDeleteBABANGIDA IS THE ARCHITECT OF OUR NATION'S ECONOMIC WOE. SAGARI COULDN'T HAVE SALVAGED THE ECONOMIC RECESSION THAT WAS VERY OBVIOUS THEN. IT IS NOT THE ISSUE OF NOT FORGIVING, BUHARI WAS RAISING SALIENT POINT. ECONOMIC PROBLEM OF NIGERIA DID NOT START UNDER BUHARI, IT WAS EATING THE POLES UNDERNEATH UNFORTUNATELY BUHARI CAME TO INHERIT THE WOE.
ReplyDeleteOga, pls use ur brain when you speak! In 1982/83, Shagari couldnt have salvaged the economic recession that was obvious. Does that sound sanely? If a company/economy is having recessional problems, Do you call a MILITARY MAN to salvage the economy? Is he best trained for such problems or for security problems for which PMB has excelled in the North East. That is his area of competence and not Economic Issues. so sir, you may consider rechewing your comments
DeleteThere is no magic to save Nigeria's economy from recession. When we had opportunities, such as the windfall during Gulf War, we squandered it; High crude price in the world market, the excess crude account was looted by our leaders. All leaders and past leaders should share the blame. I do not foresee anyone among all these flaunted leaders that can deliver this nation from the economic woes we found ourselves. The only solution is to exercise patience and allow APC to do its bit, get out in 2019 and try another party. We Nigerians should be alive to our responsibility by not stooping so low by selling our votes at paltry price. We are not always interested in whoever represents us in our constituency. When politicians call a village meeting in our constituencies, most us will not attend because there is no time. We continue to complain and do nothing. If we are expecting GOD to come down and help us, we are all joking because we are not His only creatures. Our future lies in our hands. When Late Chief Gani Fawehinmi, Baba Tai Solarin, Beko Ransome Kuti of the blessed memories call out Nigeria to protest against inept leadership that time, we always shy away but we kept on complaining. It has not changed in today's Nigeria. We are to be blamed because our future is in our hands.
ReplyDeleteYou guys dey attack buhari at every turn. lets pretend that he no be our leader - all you black man haters following in the foot step of your slave trading ancestors, name one person from your family(nigerian) with a better resume. ignorant
ReplyDeleteYou FOOLS AND BASTARD said he should move on. Can you build a sound economy with corruption as the main tools. Economy can never improve with corruption, not at all. GO ON MR PRESIDENT. Three things you promised is are that you will tackle corruption, insecurity and build economy. Those three things you are on the right track sir. Let those PDP boys continue to run their mouth here, it does not move me and majority of Nigerians. Economy that JEG built for 6years and he could not you now want PMB to follow same pattern no way. If you are youth we give you opportunity to move to Cotonou or Lome or South Sudan. Good luck to you.
ReplyDeleteCan people be more objective non sentimental when you send in comments on any issue. A common maxim says "He who seeks Equity must come with clean hands"> As for me, Buhari has NO MORAL GROUNDS to be casting stones at IBB for a coup de tat....when he rose to prominence as a result of a coup against a Democratically Elected Government (Shehu Shagari's govt) of which he was meant to protect and uphold. What do you call that? War against Corruption? There is(was) an operational Rule of Law...of which he never respected. Pls PMB, dont bore us with your past PERSONAL ISSUES. If you really want us to applaud events of the past... Let us know why Death Punishment was the best penalty for Drug related offences, tell us why you toppled an elected Govt and yet today you are hell bent on protecting a system you destroyed, why you chose IBB (in ur words...corrupt) as a very personal aide and top Govt official in ur Couped Govt? and why havent you had the source of Tinubu's, IBB and Amaechi's welath investigated by the EFCC. Pls answer these quizzes which trouble us and we will have you heralded for more terms.
ReplyDeleteClueless Government of No direction. Next time any party Candidate either Local. State and President is called to the debate to buttress their intention and refused to show up... expect things like this. God will surely help us through.
ReplyDeleteThese coup plotters should have been in jail till now, in a sane society, including Buhari..
ReplyDeleteI am not of the opinion that PMB should not go after anyone that is corrupt. But my take is that instead of engaging the person in a media squabble, he should present whatever evidence he has and bring them to book. He is now the president. Let him probe IBB; period.
ReplyDeleteThis is not the right time for issues of this nature.Boko haram is killing in you home town, Avengers blowing pipes , economy going to recession, ppl are hungry, businese folding up,...You are telling the story of what happened even when some grandparents ve not been born.Ppl dat voted you in are dying
ReplyDeleteThose Nigerians who supported this trash are sick! How does this accusation improve the economy? Was he voted to revenge the past? Again, has he forgotten he forcefully terminated a democratic government? What you don't want people to do to you, don't do to others. It's simple and logical. This government appears confused and doesn't know what to do than to divert attention of the people from their incompetence.
ReplyDeleteI believe another coup is imminent and this time around, there will be no handcuffs. He will be rolled out naked and blind from the office. He's a walking dead!
ReplyDelete