Donate money realised from book launch to orphanages — Abiola’s ex-aide tells Babangida
Dr. Wale Fasakin, the Personal Assistant to the winner of the 1993 presidential election, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola, has urged Gen Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida to donate all the money realized from his book launch to schools and orphanages across the country.
Speaking in a telephone interview with journalists in Ilorin on Monday, Fasakin joined many Nigerians in condemning Babangida’s book launch, describing the event as “Nigeria’s newest comedy of errors.”
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He particularly emphasized that the former Head of State’s apology and admission had just opened a new chapter in the history of the June 12 (Hope ’93) struggle.
According to him, “The apology of the former Head of State, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, will open a new chapter in the history of June 12,” adding, “But how relevant that would be to the present day Nigeria is subject to public reaction on the subject matter.”
Describing the apology as overdue, Fasakin said: “General Babangida’s apology will be a useless gesture to the family of Chief MKO Abiola and hundreds of people who lost their lives in the struggle to actualise June 12.”
Rather than the rhetoric of a mere apology, Fasakin wanted IBB to make a public apology to Abiola’s family and the families of Nigerians who died or became negatively affected by the June 12 struggle.
“He (IBB) should donate all the money he realised from the book launch to schools and orphanages in the country.
He recalled that he was privy to the treachery woven by Babangida to lure Chief Abiola into the presidential race only to betray his one-time friend when he(MKO) needed him most.
He said: “For the avoidance of doubt, the good people of Nigeria and the whole world still remember that Babangida lured his good friend Chief MKO Abiola to context the 1993 election that led to his incarceration and death.”
Abiola’s former aide queried: “Why has it taken General Babangida this long to open up on the said annulment of June 1993? He must, as well, put up the courage to tell the whole world what his supposed good friend has done to warrant that kind of treatment. It was a stark betrayal of trust.
“I believe the General knows that as he knows, too, he is still hiding a lot of information the whole world will like to know about, part of which is: who killed Chief MKO Abiola and who were others behind the annulment of the fairest, most credible and epochal election in the history of Nigeria?” He stressed.
However, he appreciated former President Muhammadu Buhari for conferring Chief Abiola the posthumous honour of GCFR, saying, “ At least, someone thought straight on the subject matter.”
He expressed hope that President Bola Ahamed Tinubu, who was so much involved in the struggle to actualise June 12, would do justice to the mystery surrounding the death of the late Abiola.
“President Bola Tinubu is now in a position to take General Babangida to task behind the curtain after the public drama of the launch of a library that no human being will want to visit,” he wished.
According to him: “Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu put his life on the line for the struggle to actualise June 12, which may be one of the reasons for his slogan: ‘Renewed Hope’; that is, Hope ’93 renewed.”
He urged President Tinubu to posthumously declare Chief MKO Abiola the president-elect of the 1993 election.
“Nigerians want President Tinubu to change June 12 from Democracy Day to MKO Abiola Day; accord Abiola the privileges of the status of a president, one of which should be naming a federal structure in his name,” he pleaded.
He noted that Abiola had sacrificed his blood to give Nigerians a rare type of democracy not known to the black race ever.
