Ayegba Israel Ebije
17 November 2009
Minna — Contrary to rumours and messages placed on the internet and some foreign media that the wife of former military president, Hajiya Maryam Babangida was dead, retired General Ibrahim Babangida has said his wife is alive.
His cousin, Datijo Aliyu, former Commissioner for Health in the Abdulkadir Kure administration in Niger State, said Maryam is alive and responding to treatment. Aliyu said the wife of the former military president had earlier travelled to the United States on routine medical check up, adding that she is responding to treatment and that the rumour was the figment of the imagination of those peddling it.
The former commissioner for health said to confirm that the former first lady was alive and well, he spoke with her personally yesterday evening, adding that she sounded well as they spoke. "I have spoken with her and her husband this evening and they all sounded okay, especially Maryam as they expressed surprise at the rumour. I personally don't know where they got the story from but I reliably gathered that the rumour was sent via the internet that she had passed on and I want to categorically state that she is alive and well.
She only went for routine medical check up just before the Ramadan fasting period and is in the USA for rest and nothing more", he said. This would be the second rumour about Maryam. Two months ago, Niger State was agog with speculations that she had died in an intensive care hospital in India. Mariam who has been battling cancer has been travelling out for medical treatment for a couple of years to manage the condition.
Also in a statement in Abuja yesterday, IBB's special assistant, Ibrahim Ismail, said it had become necessary to debunk the rumours because of several calls from well wishers.
"The IBB family wishes to assure Nigerians and well-wishers all over the world that matriach of the family, Hajiya Maryam Babangida is alive and NOT dead," he said.
He thanked those who communicated with the family to ascertain the true position of Hajiya Maryam Babangida.
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Why is this news? Is it even big news that the murderer IBB himself is dead? IBB and co should not be afraid of death unless they are scared of meeting Delegiwa and co face to face. That will definitely happen sooner or later. Is it not a shame that IBB and co and even President Yaradua are still travelling abroad for routine medical check up? IBB could have used the oil wind fall following the Gulf war of 1991 to equip our hospitals but he refused to do so but instead decided to siphone the money abroad. Last year, a barrel of crude oil from the earlier budgetary estimate of $40 sold for $130 per barrel. What did President Yaradua do with this second windfall? Couldn't Yaradua have equiped our hospitals with this surplus money? Shame.Iyke Anaebuo writes from London