Charles Kumolu
7 July 2008
interview
We promised to bring him back. He's here again. Omowale Kuye, the octogenarian power house of information on Nigeria's contemporary history and budgetary matters.
The first part was conducted in Ibadan by the trio of Jide Ajani, Ola Ajayi and Dare Fasube. In this second part of our presentation which coincides with the 10th year remebranceof M K O Abiola, winner of the annulled June 12, 1993, presidential elections, Kuye, a close friend of the deceased gives exclusive insights into the last days of Kudirat, Abiola's wife who kept up the struggle to actualize the June 12 mandate.
This interview draws the curtain on our June special which Kuye kick-started with his interview some five weeks ago. Enjoy his views.
Regarding the appointment of Chief Shonekan as the chairman of the Interim National Government,ING, as an insider, how could an Egba man have accepted what belonged to a fellow Egba man?
I think that question should be left to Shonekan himself to answer because he is an Egba man. But if I were him, I will think it was wrong of me to be the chairman of a government where my own kith and kin would have been the President. It's not only Yoruba by definition but he is Yoruba, I am Yoruba, he is an Egba man, I am an Egba man, I would not have taken it. That will make me look so much like a traitor who betrayed my people.
I would not have accepted it. But having said that, I think Shonekan must have been looking for that job. Shonekan came in contact with the government of IBB through IBB's government privatisation. I am telling you this because I am instrumental to his coming into Babangida's government. It's our privatisation programme that brought him and that was when I was the Secretary of (Technical Committee on Commercialisation and Privatisation of Government Companies and Parastatals, TCPC, as we called it in those days.
We didn't call them bureau for public enterprises. I remember how he came into our life then in government, because he was the head of the UAC then. When Gbadebo Bisi Onodiora, a distinguished accountant left the UAC and I appointed him into a committee between government and the parastatals and all that. The committees accepted him because of my recommendation. I knew him when we were young and I know he will do a thorough and good job. Then Shonekan came to me and asked whey I did not appoint him.
He said don't I consider him fit to work for TCPC. I acknowledged his profile and said he has a tremendous responsibility as UAC head. I questioned if he would have the time to do the job because I know what it entails to do the job.
He responded by saying I should test him and see whether he will have the time or not. I recommended him to the TCPC board and when I did that, someone said he will be instrumental to the success of our programmes. He said it means that our programme is catching up. That was when my chairman subscribed to it. So that was when my chairman, late Dr. Hamza Zayyad asked me to write him a letter of appointment.
That was when I wrote him to do the commercialization of NICON insurance for us. That was the beginning of Shonekan getting involved in government. And IBB as a man who identified good brains noted him. And he later made him the chairman of transitional council and subsequently the chairman of ING. That's how he came into it.
But before then I met him at a meeting with Kola Abiola. I think that was the time that they were strategising on how to make him head ING. I didn't know it was what was going behind but I just got into the meeting with them. And I saw him persuading Kola Abiola to get his father not to pursue that mandate. And he prevailed on Kola to get the message delivered to his father.
How did you feel when you noticed that?
I was not happy with it and it prompted me to call Kola not to deliver the message to his father, but if you do let him take his own choice and don't persuade him. He said why? And I gave him my reasons. I said if he did that, anybody who ever named his child Abiola will call him a bastard. I said that because Abiola already has the mandate of Nigerians.
I questioned why such mandate would be slaughtered on a platter of gold or pot of porridge. I was not surprised then when Shonekan was named the head of ING. And from there on things changed. Abacha who has been waiting came in.
Enter Abacha?
Yes! I am telling you that if IBB stayed on then, Abacha would have planned a coup against him. Abacha took advantage of a civilian who lacked the wherewithal. He knew Shonekan lacked the ability and professionalism to resist in the event of coup. He capitalised on that and decided that time had come for him to move and get rid of the man.
He had his scheme which was to make his administration to look like a liberal government. And in doing that he persuaded and convinced Abiola that they could recapture his mandate if he cooperated because he thought he could get his mandate back through that cooperation. That was when Abacha started thinking of how to form his government.
Does it mean that Abacha schemed for ING to have a smooth ride to power. And did you know he was planning a Coup?
Although the ING was there but Abacha did not recognise it. He didn't regard the government of Shonekan. Then I was playing golf in Lagos with the man who was supposed to be Abiola's Vice President Kingibe at Ikoyi club, then we heard that Abacha had gone to Abuja and got a surrender letter from Shonekan.
I know he confronted him and he certainly resigned. Abacha sent for me immediately he returned from Abuja and wanted to make me the Secretary of his government which I rejected. I met Umaru Shinkafi, the marafa of Sokoto, I met my very good relation at Ibadan, Arisekola Alao and Chagouri and Chagouri with Abacha. As I entered Abacha embraced me and took me to his inner room. And he started talking about what he will like to do.
He said he will like to do a surgical operation of the country by re-writing the constitution, sacking all the corrupt judges and all that. I was surprised with that from a man who is spending six months. Then I said, General you said you are spending six months, it will not be enough to do all these. I then advised him that the best thing to do is to call Nwosu to conclude the announcement of the June 12 results and call Abiola to assume the leadership of this country while he, Abacha, will be the Chief of Army Staff.
He said no, that the military will not accept the commandership of Abiola. So that is the problem. He's going to be like a commander who can not command his troops when he is in trouble. So I think some elements in the military then never wanted Abiola. I told him then that I was seventy and didn't have that time any more.
Also I have been so much associated with General Babangida in most of his programmes and policies. So working for Abacha will be misinterpreted that IBB resurfaced through Omowale Kuye. I told him to take absolutely unknown persons to Nigerians and probably known to him, that that will help him achieve his objectives within the time limit he set for himself. He thanked me and I left.
What do you think Abiola felt about all these going-on?
Abiola also displayed doubt on Abacha's sincereity. He told me that he was asked to support Abacha that he will hand over to him. But when it became obvious that Abacha was not going to hand over to him, he decided to declare himself President.
What was your advice to him on this?
I remember telling him then that he should not believe that Abacha was going to leave as promised. I told him what he knows as well that nobody relinquishes power easily. Abiola also realised that the people he trusted who worked with him during the elections were no longer for him. Lateef Jakande took the Works portfolio, Kingibe his Vice was made the external affairs minister.
There were also others who took other appointments. With that it dawned on Abiola that hope was lost. And he needed to act fast. And he took the battle upon himself to do it alone. I am telling you that most of these Abiola associates abandoned him when he needed their support most. When he finished the speech he will make on his declaration day, he brought it to me. I read it and told him the implications of what he wanted to do.
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