What I would have done differently if I had the chance – IBB speaks

– Former head of state, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), has said what he would have done differently if he had the chance

– He also reiterated his attitude towards issues as Nigerians think he is an “evil genius”

– IBB explained his actions while he was the President were due to his position at the time

Former head of state, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, has said he should have made the National Assembly optional and part time when he had the chance.

Babangida said this while speaking with journalists at his residence in Minna, Niger state on Tuesday.

He said that the reason for his position was because of a need to cut down the cost of governance.

“During my public life, there were several decisions we took  as military officers or as  political officers. When I was a dictator that if given another chance, I would do differently. For example, in 1989, we proposed that the National Assembly should be optional, that is part time.

READ ALSO: Ibrahim Babangida returns to Nigeria amidst death rumours

“I still believe that if I had the opportunity, I would make the national assembly part time. I believe in that very strongly and is parts of efforts to cut down the cost of governance in Nigeria,” he said.

However, the former head of state also said that he was not an evil genius that many people consider him to be and Nigerians should learn to love one another.

“I am not the evil genius that quite a lot of people consider me that I am. I have had a very excellent background and training.We have to love one another however, I can understand the feeling people have towards me.

“By the virtue of the job I was doing, I was bound to be misconstrued and my actions misinterpreted as evil. I consider what people say as an opinion as long as I am not what you think I was, I feel satisfied‎,” he said.

Meanwhile, Olusegun Obasanjo, former president, had on different occasions accused the nation’s legislature of massive corruption.

There is no doubt that the national assembly has come under intense criticism lately. Some of these issues include the 2016 budget padding.

Abdulmumin Jibrin, the former House committee chairman on appropriations blew the whistle on his colleagues over budget padding allegations.

READ ALSO: IBB should not leave us now – Niger state governor

He accused the Yakubu Dogara, the Speaker of the House of representatives of going home with N25 million monthly, for which he never gave any account, while also adding that a five-man cabal consisting of two governors and three former House members was constituted by the Speaker, to shield him against possible prosecution.

Meanwhile, Senate president Bukola Saraki has also been undergoing trial for over 13 counts of corruption bordering on falsification of assets while he was the governor of Kwara state among other controversies.

Therefore the National Assembly due to some of these issues have been ridiculed and back lashed by Nigerians for the past few months.

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