Buhari, IBB in War of Words on Who is More Corrupt

Ibrahim Babangida

A war of words is brewing between former Heads of State, Muhammadu Buhari and Ibrahim Babangida, over who ran the economy of the country aground while at the helm of affairs.
Former Head of State and Presidential Candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, in the 2011 general elections, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), dared former Military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (rtd), to expose him if he had facts and insisted that IBB and other leaders played crucial roles in destroying Nigeria’s oil industry.
IBB on his part, threatened to expose Buhari’s shady deals in the oil sector when he functioned as Petroleum Minister and later chairman of the Petroleum Trust Fund, PTF, if Buhari did not shut his mouth?
The former Military President, speaking through his spokesman, Mr. Kassim Afegbua, was responding to Buhari’s comments blaming President Goodluck Jonathan, IBB and  Obasanjo for killing the nation’s oil industry.

Muhammadu Buhari

On IBB specifically, Buhari, who was hosting leaders and members of the CPC, led by the House of Representatives member from Funtua/Dandume Federal Constituency of Katsina State, Dr. Mansur Abdulkadir, on Monday, said the administration of General Ibrahim Babangida was responsible for the high level of corruption and destruction in the petroleum industry.
He added that the corrupt practices in the oil sector during the eras of Babangida, Obasanjo and Jonathan had led to the enslaving of the masses.
Countering, IBB reportedly said: “We are conversant with General Buahri’s so-called holier-than-thou attitude. He was a one-time Minister of Petroleum and we have good records of his tenure as minister.
Secondly, he presided over the Petroleum Trust Fund, PTF, which records we also have. We challenge him to come out with clean hands in those two portfolios. Those, who live in glass houses do not throw stones. General Buhari should be properly guided.”
However, Buhari insisted on his comments and dared IBB to carry out the threat to expose him.
Speaking through Engr. Rotimi Fashakin, the CPC spokesman, Buhari insisted he spoke the truth.
He said: “The truth of the matter is that General Buhari has just stated the obvious and it is what everybody knows about the decadent state of the Nigerian petroleum industry. Nigerians know which regime contributed immensely to the rot in that sector. So we still insist that what General Buhari stated is the truth and if General Babangida says he has facts about General Buhari over the issue, let him bring them out.
“At least Prof Tam David West worked closely with both General Buhari and General Babangida, so Tam David West should be able to tell Nigerians who among both men actually contributed to the decadence state of the oil industry.”
As events unfold, Nigerians are watching to see who blinks first.
—Jamiu Yisa
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