IBB’s book launch should have been more sombre as many lives were lost & Nigerian elite may soon normalise deceit—-Atedo Peterside
Atedo Peterside, founder of Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc and Anap Foundation, says the Nigerian elite may “normalise” deceit if they have their way.
He was also of the view that the occasion should have been that of sober reflection, remembrance and recognition of many Nigerians who lost their lives during and after the June 12, 1993 election.
Speaking on Sunday Politics, a programme on Channels TV, Peterside said the Nigerian elite need to speak the truth always and not treat serious matters with levity.
Peterside was reacting to the recently released autobiography titled, ‘A Journey In Service’ by Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB).
The book chronicled the events before and after the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.
In the memoir, Babangida, among several revelations, said he was in Katsina when the annulment of the election, won by MKO Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), was announced by the press secretary of his second-in-command without his knowledge or permission.
He said he later discovered that the forces against the June 12 election were led by Sani Abacha, his chief of defence staff who later became military head of state.
Peterside said Nigeria needs the emergence of elders who will speak the truth and show the younger generation the right path.
“I’m not here to indict anybody but I think if we are not careful, the Nigerian elite would normalise deceit or fraud and things like that. They would normalise all sorts of things. That is why some people have pointed out that enough is enough. Let’s draw the line somewhere. There are some issues you cannot joke with,” Peterside said.
“The other thing I want to explain is that, very recently, we lost two very respected elder statesmen. People who showed examples in terms of standing for the truth repeatedly.
“When you hear something from Chief Ayo Adebanjo, you can take it to the bank. When you hear something from chief Edwin Clark, you can take it to the bank. Two of them passed on very recently. I served at the national conference with both of them. We were together in Abuja in 2014. We were delegates.
“So, we have to be careful because elder statemen like that who helped to set the right values for some of our young stars in terms of standing for something. Always telling the truth and so on.
“We have to make sure that a different group of elders also appear to fill that vacuum — stand for the truth. Tell the same story the same way. Tell the whole truth that would set them free. Because at the end of the day, it is a struggle for the soul of the nation.
“When IBB annulled that election on June 12. That was the first time we had mobile phones. I voted on my street in Victoria Island. We saw the results coming from all over the country except Taraba state. I was in my 30s. I knew what happened. I was among the people that came out after the annulment to say we can’t do this.
“Interestingly, one of the articles I wrote then. I have never heard anybody use that expression. I sat in my house and wrote it because there was no internet. I called it the ghost of June 12. What I was writing then was that June 12 would be like a ghost and it would hunt some people forever.”
Peterside added that the book launch “was the ghost of June 12 hunting some people and it is still hunting them, unfortunately”.
