Posted by By UCHE USIM on
As the polity gets heated up over the alleged third term bid of President Olusegun Obasanjo, former military Head of State, Gen. Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, says he knows how to talk to the president on the issue.
As the polity gets heated up over the alleged third term bid of President Olusegun Obasanjo, former military Head of State, Gen. Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, says he knows how to talk to the president on the issue.
"I'm one of the privileged persons that is easily accessible to the president, I know what I'll tell him. I can talk to him.
I can discuss anything that touches on the government with him. So my views on third term thing will be made known to the authority because I know what it entails to be there. So I'll maintain that tradition," Babangida told newsmen.
The former Head of State, who flew into Lagos in a private Falcon jet enroute Ota farms to see Obasanjo, further told aviation correspondents that there was no need to heighten the problems the third term issue was generating, adding that what counts was need to douse it.
Although past heads of state, like Gen. Mohammadu Buhari and Yakubu Gowon had been critical on the third term issue, Babangida said: "We've been privileged to sit down there as the president or head of state at one time or the other, so we know what the problems are and they must be treated carefully. Our job is to help ease the problem and not to increase the problem for the incumbent. That's why we're elder statesmen."
On his alleged 2007 presidential ambition, Babangida stressed that getting involved in politics was everyone's business and responsibility, adding that "you can't sit at home. So you have to participate in one way or the other at various levels because that is what politics is all about."
On his assessment of the events in 2005, he said the year was characterised by tragic events like air crash and similar disasters, adding that such mishaps were not only limited to Nigeria but the entire world.
He urged all and sundry to work and pray hard for the country to move forward as Nigeria remains one of the greatest nations in Africa and entire world.