Posted by By Joe Nwankwo, Abuja on
As the controversy over the killing of former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Major General Mamman Vatsa in connection with the 1986 alleged coup plot by the government of General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida continues to raise dust
As the controversy over the killing of former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Major General Mamman Vatsa in connection with the 1986 alleged coup plot by the government of General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida continues to raise dust, an associate of IBB, Mr. Max Gbanite, has lashed out at Mrs. Safiya Vatsa, saying her obsession with power drove her husband into coup plotting.
Gbanite, who described the cry of the Vatsa family as an attempt to psychologically distract IBB from contesting the 2007 polls, likened Safiya to Lady Macbeth in Shakespeare's classic play, Macbeth.
According to him, "People have said it that Vatsa's wife has always had the ambition of being a First Lady. It was that ambition, like in the case of Lady Macbeth, that consumed Vatsa. Unfortunately, she is behaving as if she is no longer a Muslim."
The IBB for 2007 campaigner also questioned Mrs. Vatsa'a religious beliefs, arguing that 'true Muslims and true Christians leave these things in the hands of God. Let God make the decision. Why blame Gen. Babangida for the decision of the AFRC? It is most unfair."
Speaking further, Gbanite said: " It is also on record that Gen. Vatsa ordered the elimination of his cook for refusing to go with him to Jaji. It is equally on record at the Ministry of Justice, Kaduna State, how Vatsa's first daughter fled this country after the death of a cook when his father was FCT minister. As Vatsa's wife is calling for justice for the death of her husband, the families of these people are also calling for justice.
"I think that what is happening now is the frustrations of a woman whose ambition to become First Lady was scuttled. She had always wanted to be a
First Lady and, having not realized her ambition, she is now blabbing her mouth. This is unfair. She is like the wife of Macbeth whose ambition cost her husband his life."
While sympathising with the wife of the late soldier over the loss of her husband, he however, wondered what she has been doing all these years. 'My heart really goes out to her as someone who has lost a husband. I know how my mother feels having lost my father. However, it would make more sense if Mrs. Vatsa gathered all the widows of soldiers who have been executed since January, 1966 coup to demand that the federal government forgives them by paying them their retirement benefits and other entitlements. This should be done as part of the national reconciliation. But to single herself out is very insensitive. From the facts available to me, Vatsa was not innocent.
" I was hoping that when she said that her husband was innocent of the coup plot, that journalists would have gone to the archives and look at the names of the people that were empanelled to conduct investigations into the coup plot and those that tried the coup plotters. Gen. Togun was the secretary of the panel, someone like the present Emir of Zuru, Major Gen. Sani Sami, was the Chairman of the panel. They investigated the matter and came to the conclusion that two of the Lt. Cols. namely, Mike Iyoshe and Bitiyong confessed to the plot without torture that Vatsa was guilty of the coup."
Gbanite further claimed that Gen. Vatsa actually financed the coup, adding:
"There are other friends of Vatsa that were aware of these facts. It will make
sense for you to interview Gen. Gado Nasko about what he knows about that particular era."
And on the statement by Gen. Domkat Bali that sparked off the controversy, he had this to say: "I would like to believe that Domkat Bali was not fair in his assessment. After all, he was the one that announced the coup to the nation. Bali was a member of the Armed Forces Ruling Council (AFRC) that deliberated on the tribunal's verdict and decided to cast their votes unanimously for this man's execution. It would be nice if the Federal Government led by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo can de-classify the records of all the coups in the country to ascertain how Domkat Bali cast his vote. But for him to come out now and make such a statement, I think that there is a hidden agenda on that."
On the Oputa panel and the opposition's attack on IBB, Gbanitie said:
"Gani will never say anything positive about IBB. Gani and Falana are prejudiced in their comments. I would like them to also look at Mrs. Aguiyi Ironsi, what happened to her? Wasn't the husband murdered? Look at Fajuyi. What happened was due to military laws. If you want to open the book, you open all the books. Let Nigerians know, they would know better. We cannot try cases in the media and that is what Gani and Falana specialize in. Nigerians should be allowed to choose their leader."