I almost toppled Obasanjo, he declared in 2003
By Chinelo Obogo
As the body of the late former Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Victor Malu, arrived Nigeria yesterday, from Cairo, Egypt, what he told The Sun reverberates.
In an exclusive interview in 2003, conducted by now Managing Director of The Sun Publishing Limited, Eric Osagie, Malu had revealed how he would have toppled the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
The former army chief had expressed his frustration with Obasanjo, especially for destroying his village and maltreating his kinsmen, including his aged mother.
During the interview, which was conducted shortly before the 2003 presidential election, which, incidentally, was President Muhammadu Buhari’s first outing as a presidential candidate, Malu’s voice rose sharply when he was asked if he would vote for Obasanjo, as he said, ‘No.”
He explained: “As a Christian, I would rather vote for someone whom I know is a Muslim than someone who only becomes born-again during election period or an atheist who is using God’s name to canvass for votes. Obasanjo is not a Christian. Why is he suddenly born-again during elections? In 1999, he became born-again because he wanted votes. What has happened in the four years he has become president? Has his actions reflected that of a man who says he is born-again?
“I am not against President Obasanjo because he removed me as Chief of Army Staff. No, no, no. Let me tell you the truth: if Obasanjo knew me he would probably not have made me Chief of Army Staff, because Obasanjo wants people who will never argue with him; who will just smile at him; he is the commander-in-chief, etc. He believes he has all the knowledge in this world, because, first, he was a General in the Nigerian Army, whether deservedly or not, having served for only 18 years. Then, he was a Head of State in this country, something he inherited, got by some chance, when Murtala Muhammed died. And because of fear for his life, he handed over to Shagari, and the whole world began to acclaim him: the first military man to hand over power to a civilian government etc. But what many people didn’t know was that Obasanjo wasn’t handing over because he was convinced about that.
“He was afraid for his life. Whether the election of 1978 was conclusive or inconclusive, he would have still handed over, because he wanted to just get out and stay alive. It was not because he was so convinced about democracy. I know what am talking about because I was in service. When the twelve two-third issue was on, Obasanjo wanted to quit, because, as far as he was concerned, that was delaying him; they were wasting his time. He wanted to hand over as quickly as possible, and get out!
“No, I am not saying all these because I’m angry. Why should I be angry? In fact, if anybody should be grateful to Obasanjo, I should be, because he gave me the chance to command the Nigerian Army. But that is not to say I should become a slave to him. If you talk of my being Chief of Army Staff, I have commanded troops from 10 West African countries successfully before I became Chief or Army Staff. So, there was nothing to be proud of in my being made Chief of Army Staff. But it was something good because I had always criticised the Nigerian Army, that they were not doing things the way they should be done, and I thought I had the opportunity of transforming the Nigerian Army into that sort of army that I had always dreamt about –the type that made me to voluntarily leave whatever I was doing to go into the army. So, in that respect, I should be more grateful to him than anybody else, that he gave me that opportunity.”
Malu was, however, quick to add: “Unfortunately, he made me Chief of Army staff on one side and strangulated the services, to the extent that, between June and December 1999, we were preaching to soldiers – we came in mid-December, and we didn’t have a budget; but we had a budget, which was debated upon, argued until year 2000. We didn’t get anything until the end of October when the Senate Committee on Defence came to Lagos to find out how we had performed, and I told them we had not received any money from anybody. So, if you want to know how the defence budget was spent, go back to Abuja; the minister of defence is there; ask him whether any money had been released to the army. It was when they went back to Abuja that somebody hurriedly sent a cheque of N287million out of a budget of N4.3billion, within less than 50 days to the end of the financial year. How were we expected to spend that money?
“So, in summary, we didn’t get money from June of 1999 to December; from January of 2000 to December of 2000. For the year 2001, there was even a provision from the government that there would be a budget assessment report at the end of every quarter, just to be sure that money was spent as it was released. And we were very excited about it, that for that year at least we were going to get money. We prepared our budget, defended it successfully. The budget was approved by the Senate. We started waiting for the budget, from January to 31st of March, which was the first quarter; we did not receive any money. In fact, a team came to assess the performance of the budget, and we said we had not received any money.”
On why he kicked against the controversial pact with the American army, the former army chief, said: “I have said, there was nothing for them to come and teach us. Obasanjo was in favour of the silly agreement with the Americans, because, as you know, he believes that the Americans made it possible for him to become president and, therefore, he is answerable to them than to the Nigerian people. That is the biggest mistake he keeps making. The Americans just wanted to come and spy on us; something they couldn’t do during Abacha regime.”
On his grouse with Obasanjo, Malu, again, said: “Obasanjo’s government destroyed my village and maltreated my kinsmen, including my aged mother. In fact, that is the only area where I have a personal grudge with Obasanjo. I served Obasanjo very loyally, no matter whatever anybody says. Obasanjo wasn’t the most popular president. His own kinsmen, the Yoruba, refused to vote for him. But the people who overwhelmingly voted for him, he abandoned. Some of them became his worst enemies. People even wanted Obasanjo out. So, when people were coming to criticise the government and talk about changing the government, I said: ‘Look, if you want to change this government, change it at the ballot box, and not through any military intervention.’ A lot of people wanted us to change the government. They did not come directly to ask us that we should overthrow the government, but made comments to indicate that a military government was better than what was happening in this government. And it is the truth.”
of one thing or the other; that the state of the armed forces was so bad at the time we came in was merely, because in the previous military governments, nobody wanted to build up an armed forces that was strong enough to rot away as it is now.
But this is a democracy that we believe in, and we thought we should support it and ensure it succeeds.’
“(But) instead, they are destroying the army and other institutions. They are using the army for a wrong mission. The army did not only maltreat my kinsmen; soldiers were sent to my village to kill my uncle. As a matter of fact, when they were there, the intention was to kill as many people as possible. They killed my uncle, his two wives, shot him, burnt him in the house; they systematically invaded my father’s house, burnt it to the ground; descended on my own house and razed it. And when I phoned Obasanjo to tell him about what happened –in fact, that was the morning I just arrived from London after I got the report of the invasion – he told me, and these are his words: ‘Victor, don’t take it personal.’ What is that supposed to mean? You went to my village; you killed my people; you destroyed my property; and you said I should not take it personal? I should wait until I was killed? Tell me what I am supposed to take personal?”