NORTH PAYING FOR ITS 1999 STUPIDITY – GEN BAMAIYI

Former Chief of Army Staff retired Lieutenant- General Ishaya Bamaiyi has blamed northern leaders for the current political woes because they “acted stupidly” by believing that General Olusegun Obasanjo would hand over power to them after his tenure. Bamaiyi, who served in General Sani Abacha’s administration, in an exclusive interview with Daily Trust in his country home in Zuru, Kebbi State, said it was part of the calculation for northern political leaders to seal the deal to ensure power returns to the region that he was put behind bars. He said, “I have been vindicated since I was discharged and acquitted. We are now paying for being stupid, thinking that we are smart. You know the problem is when you think that you are too smart; sometimes you become the greatest fool. That is what has happened to the North. “To me, we have stabbed ourselves and even today when you talk of governance, who are the people being used to destabilise the north, are they not northerners? So, let us think twice and do the right thing.” Bamaiyi said he personally advised northern leaders in 1998 not to bring Obasanjo since he had a military background but that they ignored him. He said, “I said we should not bring a retired general to become the president of this country because what is the difference? It was a military government, so why am I leaving and giving a military man? “And tell me, when Obasanjo came, was there any difference between military rule and Obasanjo’s government? In the first place, he surrounded himself mostly with military men; the minister of defence was military, minister of internal affairs military, the NSA military, SSS military, Chief of Staff Military. Those are the key appointments, so what is the difference between military and civilian rule? “You know more than myself because I was then in prison. The same people that locked me up claim I did not know what was happening.” Bamaiyi said he does not believe the approach of the current administration can solve the insurgency in the county. “Honesty, I must be very frank, I do not think meetings can solve the problem,” he said. “I believe that the governors we have who are supposed to be the chief security officers in their states have a lot to do on this security issue. “You see, when we were kids if you go to a village as a visitor, your presence will be reported that very day to the community leader and you will be scrutinized properly. That has helped because security is everybody’s responsibility. Nobody has a sort of monopoly as far as security is concerned.”