Ibrahim Babangida
Ibrahim Babangida
Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, also known as IBB, is a retired Nigerian Army General who was President of Nigeria under military rule. He ruled Nigeria from 27 August 1985, when he overthrew Major General Muhammadu Buhari in a coup, until his departure from office on 27 August 1993, having annulled the elections held on 12 June that year. General Babangida was a key player in most of the military coups in Nigeria. There is evidence of severe human rights abuses during...
NationalityNigerian
ProfessionStatesman
Date of Birth17 August 1941
CountryNigeria
Ibrahim Babangida quotes about
Left to me, the whole purpose of government is for the security of the citizens, like the security of lives and property.
Our approach to economic development must be modern, focused and in tune with the global trend.
For as long as our people are held hostage by controllable socio-economic forces, we cannot afford to be indifferent to the ravages of poverty in all its dimensions and ramifications.
The history of our country is not the history of any other country in the world which is either practicing advanced democracy or struggling to lay the foundation for democracy.
I am not sure that you, the younger generations, will like to go to war that we went through. So, we learn as the mistakes are being committed.
The challenge as we saw in the Nigerian project was to restructure the economy decisively in the direction of a modern free market as an appropriate environment for cultivation of freedom and democracy and the natural emergence of a new social order.
Even now, we make no apologies for the choice we made. The sacrifices we made were selfless. The options we offered were patriotic while the paths we chose were well thought out.
At the same, we need to remain sensitive to the reality that we are still an African society in which the majority of the people and communities live under severe deprivations and afflictions that are no fault of theirs.
There is also work to do in the evolution of a stable family life and values, and in ensuring that the Nigerian family is built on core values that will form the bedrock of the future society. We must showcase the ideals of family life and be models of family values.
Informed by our sad experience of history, we require nothing short of a foundation for lasting democracy.
Each one of us, and, indeed, all those who aspire to national leadership must bring their own visions, views and styles to the business of reforming Nigeria, and the search for solutions.
The reason is that till date, in spite of advances in information technology and strategies of information, the written word in the form of books still remains one of humanity's most enduring legacies.
A society that does not correctly interpret and appreciate its past cannot understand its present fortunes and adversities and can be caught unawares in a fast changing world.
To meet the expectations of the majority of our people, and to open up new vistas of economic opportunity so that the aspirations of Nigerians can stand a fair chance of being fulfilled in a lifetime, there must be a truly committed leadership in a democratic Nigeria.