Former Military President, Gen Ibrahim Babangida has revealed that he fought his friends and classmates during the Biafra Nigeria civil war.
He said it was not nice experience even though it was aimed at preventing the country from breaking up.
He made this known in an interview he granted on Saturday to Search FM 92.3 Campus Radio of Federal University of Technology Minna where he prayed that it never happens again.
Asking about his experience during the civil war, he said, “It’s not a very nice experience I must say. First of all, you had people you went to school with, people you trained with, people who were your friends, suddenly as a result of the war you find yourselves facing each other on opposite sides.
“It is not very comfortable but then we had to do it. The purpose was to unite the country, to keep it one not to break it, so that’s the uniquely sad aspect of a civil war and I pray it never happens again”.
The former military president who said he was made troop commander to a squadron during the Nigerian civil war as a Lieutenant, went down memory lane disclosing how he began a career in the military.
“The government of Northern Nigeria at that time there were not a lot of people from the North who were in the military, so it took a deliberate policy to go around and invite the younger generation from secondary schools, government colleges, to come and join the military and that’s what started our career in the military,” he said.
Babangida, as he is fondly called, said if he had not joined the military he would have taken up a career in civil engineering. He also said history would judge his stewardship in leadership but ranked his achievements.
“Just like any other style, you are placed in a leadership position to lead people. You develop a situation where people look up to you to provide certain solutions to their problems or to their fear, whatever it is and you stand out as the person who will be able to do that.
“So, you have to study human beings, you have to read about them and you have to be very compassionate. Sometimes, ruthlessness gets things done but there are a lot of ways you have to develop so that you’ll be able to achieve certain things. Others you plead with, some you coerce and so on and so forth.
“Number one is that I served the country the best I could, it may not be to your satisfaction but to the best that I could; I leave that to history to judge and I related fairly well with the people of the country. I had no problem with them and I got to know the country more as I was well travelled I made friends all over the country and I thought that was one of the greatest achievements, he said.
I think my only good advice for all of you is to try as much as possible to know and understand the country,that you are going to lead this country in the future. You have an opportunity now as young people, get to know the country, study the country, the people and if you are able to do that or to understand that, basically I think that will go along way to prepare you for the eventual leadership of the country.
Babangida, who turned 82 this year, had a piece of advise for the youths aspiring to leadership, urging them to study the country and the people of the country saying it will prepare them for the leadership of the country.
“I think my only good advice for all of you is to try as much as possible to know and understand the country that you are going to lead in the future. You have an opportunity now as young people, get to know the country, study the country, the people and if you are able to do that or to understand that, basically, I think that will go a long way to prepare you for the eventual leadership of the country,” he said.
