Nigeria: Unity of Nation Most Important to Me - IBB

17 August 2011
interview

AS we waited to interview General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, the most talked about person to have ever ruled Nigeria, the serenity of the Hilltop Mansion, Minna, was interrupted only by the steady humming of the air-conditioner in the waiting room. The simplicity of the place belies the myths that have been woven round the place. Once before him, the first shocker was from aides who said we had only 15 minutes. The General wanted the ground rules set.

"No political questions," he said.We agreed, provided he decided which questions were political. Again he was reminded there were other engagements, but he asked us to continue. His generosity with his time continued after, as he took us round the office, explaining other sides of the story of his life with pictures (which we copied) he took with friends and family. IBB, as he more popularly known, spoke with a carefulness that reflected his unwillingness to discuss politics beyond a certain depth...

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