4th January, 2012
The issue of fuel subsidy removal has pitched former military dictator, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, IBB, against loyalists of President Goodluck Jonathan over IBB’s comment that the removal was ill-timed.
Babangida was quoted in national dailies yesterday as saying: “On the issue of fuel subsidy removal, it is my opinion that it is ill-timed.â€
But in a swift reaction published in a page advertorial in national dailies today by Jonathan loyalists’ group called Economy and Democracy Watch, the group listed some actions of the former military president while in office and queried if the introduction of the Structural Adjustment Programme, SAP, was timely.
It pointed out that in 1989 the IBB administration introduced two price regimes for fuel users. But within two months the government cancelled the price differential and settled for the higher price.
Jonathan’s loyalists also recalled the alleged mismanagement of $12 billion oil windfall fund by the IBB administration, stressing that the money should have been utilised to build three 100 barrel per day refineries for Nigeria.
The group recounted the hasty killing of General Mamman Vatsa in 1986.
The Economy and Democracy Watch said billions of naira was spent on IBB’s endless transition programme and yet the presidential primaries of the two parties, the SDP won by the late General Shehu Yar’Adua and that of NRC won by Mallam Adamu Cinoma, was annulled by IBB’s administration.
It also recalled the annulment of the 12 June, 1993 presidential election and asked if the action was timely.
The Jonathan loyalists claimed that IBB commented on the menace of Boko Haram only yesterday and demanded if such comment was timely.
Since IBB came out to contest for the 2011 presidential ticket of the ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP, with Jonathan and others; and lost first to Atiku who was eventually defeated by Jonathan, the former military ruler had never hidden his hatred for the Jonathan presidency.