From John Adams, Minna
The family of the late General Mamman Jiya Vatsa has reacted to the submission by Gen. Ibrahim Babangida in his autobiography book.
IBB wrote in his memoir that the killing of Vatsa was justified because there was enough evidence implicating him in a 1986 coup plot and therefore he had no regret.
But spokesperson of the family and former commissioner for information, culture and tourism in Niger State, Jonathan Vatsa, at a press briefing in Minna, yesterday, described General Babangida as a man that has “lost out in the affairs of honor over the many lies contained in his belated autobiography.”
The former commissioner and cousin to the late General Vatsa said he decided not to react until after reading the book, which he claimed “is full of deceits and distorted facts” adding that IBB’s hatred and envy for the late Vatsa has continued even when he is resting in his grave.
The former commissioner pointed out that the Babangida book cannot serve as a reference material to young and upcoming generations but for criminals.
“A collection of distorted facts called a book written by a man without identity cannot serve as a reference book for the younger generation but a good reference book for criminal minded people.”
The former publicity secretary of the All Progressive Congress (APC) said ordinarily the family would not have joined issues with a man who he said changed his identity just to belong to a certain ethnic group in the country but since he has refused to allow the late General Vatsa rest in peace after killing him, “we will let him know that even in death, General Vatsa is a more honourable man because he has an identity, he came from a home.”
According to him, Babangida admitted in his book that he changed the name Badamosi to Babangida so that people will know he is from the north, stressing that “where did he get the name Badamosi from in the first place, because northerners don’t bear the name Badamosi. That name is synonymous with the South West people. A man who denied his tribe and identity is not fit to live.”
He stated further that the falsehoods in Babangida’s book are clear evidence that he is not a genius the Nigerian media touted him to be.
“Rather, he’s ‘a lilly-livered’ General for annulling the June 12 and failing to retire late General Abacha for fear of being killed by Abacha loyalists in the Army as claimed in his book.
“How can he lie that it was Abacha who annulled June 12 if he was in control as a head of state. He equally admitted that the military was heavily politicised and because of that he couldn’t retire Abacha for fear of being killed by Abacha loyalists in the Army.”
Vatsa believed that those who advised Babangida to write the “bunch of lies and blackmails called autobiography” have further dented his already battered image, stressing that “it was better for him to keep quiet than dishing out chunk of lies and deceit far from the truth about yourself as a human being.
“Unfortunately, the man he accused of annulling the June 12 and all the actors in the June 12 controversy are no longer alive to tell their own story and that is why no serious-minded individual should take the book seriously.
“This is the man that had earlier said he will not write any book because, according to him, there are people he cannot resist abusing and that he wouldn’t want to hurt their children and grandchildren. But what has he done now? This is a lack of emotional instability.
“Even in death, Babangida has refused to allow the late General Vatsa and his family to have peace, he is still troubling the dead man and his entire family. Well, people have seen the end of our brother but Babangida doesn’t know how he will end.
“Our joy is that the reactions of Nigerians after the so-called book presentation shows that the killing of General Vatsa was done out of envy, malice and hatred. It was a case of a man with a root and identity versus someone who has no root and a second name.”
While expressing regret over the number of dignitaries that gathered for the book launch, the APC chieftain in Niger State, pointed out that Nigeria is a huge joke, a country where people who called themselves leaders act before they think, adding that no reasonable Nigerian who is benefiting from the current democratic system which Abiola’s struggled and eventual death brought to Nigeria should have donated towards the revelation of evil done to Nigeria and Nigerians called autobiography.
“This has further confirmed why some Nigerians in their opinions believed that this country is not worth not dying. If not, how can we, as a people, gather to celebrate evil done to a nation by an individual?” he queried.
Vatsa added that the late General Vatsa told the then military tribunal that tried him that the day the Nigerian Army started insulting itself others will join.
“So, by this book, Babangida has insulted himself and others will join,” he submitted.