Major-General Tunde Idiagbon 'A legacy worth embracing

Major-General Tunde Idiagbon 'A legacy worth embracing'.

I am Writting about a great leader that share the same view with Buhari. The one and only erudite, inteligent, firm, the man that does what
any living homo sapiens born in  Nigeria has never done, Major-Genera Babatunde  Abdulbaki  Idiagbon.

My episode is long but worth reading.

For his uncompromising stance against indiscipline, incorrigible fight against corruption and dying at a relatively young age under a most mysterious circumstance, Major-General BABATUNDE ABDULBAKI .Tundeâ?? IDIAGBON has become a legend of sorts and some will say, a martyr and true hero. But who was this stern-looking, Ilorin-born General many said never smiled? Was it true he never smiled? No. He did smile, as far as I know he smiled at olusegun Obasanjo's farm and was cought on Camera. He was feared so much both at home and abroad, a lot of Nigerians hate him because he was too displined and principled which
Nigeria found to be too strict,he  wanted them to be more responsible, more disciplined and more useful.


Even soldiers were totally terrified of him. Some others were so petrified at his mere presence that even Babangida, Abacha and his fellow coup plotters could not execute a coup with Idiagbon on Nigerian soil. They had to wait for him to leave the country. That is one of the reason i believed God is God, as disciplined as he was, they were able to deceived him and cajoled him to embark on Hajj, because they clearely aware that with the precence of Idigbon on ground, No one born of woman can plan coup. Idiagbon was too disciplined, too straight and too honest for corrupt individuals. Today, the society has gone to the dogs and it seems Nigerians are somewhat comfortable with or adapting to, the rot in the society. The story has started and it was all
about 30 years ago.

An extremely courageous man, Idiagbon did the unthinkable: what Gowon chould not dare of doing, he came right back to the country even when he knew clearly that his Commander-in-Chief, Buhari had been deposed, and guns, tanks and battle-ready soldiers would be  waiting for him at the airport. Against all advice, he came back to Nigeria (What I could not not even try ), not even an offer of living in a  palatial mansion for life of retirement in comfort by the King of Saudi Arabia, Fahd ibn .

Mr No nonsence Idiagbon was a true General, . A most loyal friend who made many enemies. He said it would be a honour for him to die beside Buhari, his boss, who saved his life during the civil war. A most caring father. Principled soldier. One never to abandon the warfront in the heat of the battle. He loved Nigeria, fought for Nigeria and today, he may become unsung in the same nation he might have paid the ultimate sacrifice for. Like everyone of us, Idiagbon being human as he was he had his flaws and  made his mistakes but that he wanted to make Nigeria a better place is what no one will deny. Not even his sworn enemies. Are you ready
to learn more about this gallant soldier and unsung hero of Nigeria?. Then grab a cup of tea and pulp-corn and read on. The Man of honour, Mr. Integrity, was born in Ilorin, ancient city of Kwara state.

BIRTH AND EARLY DAYS OF MAJOR-GENERAL BABATUNDE IDIAGBO

He was born on the 14th´ of September, 1942 into a very modest Muslim home in Ilorin, Kwara State. His father was Alhaji Hassan Dogo (now of blessed memory) and his mother was Alhaja Ayisatu (Aishat) Iyabeji Hassan Idiagbon.
He attended United School, Ilorin (1950-1952) and later proceeded to Okesuna Senior Primary School, also in Ilorin between the years 1953 and 1957.

In the year 1958, he launched his career in the military when he was admitted into the Nigerian Military School, NMS,, Zaria. Later, he attended the Pakistan Military Academy, Kakul (PMA Kakul) in Abbottabad, Pakistan from 1962-1965. PMA Kakul is a two-year accredited federal service military academy that provides for officers of the Pakistan Army and allied nations. Upon finishing, he went for a junior commander course at the Nigerian Military Training College, Kaduna in 1966. From there, he went
thus:
Course, Nigerian Army Brigade.
-Command and Staff College, Quetta, Pakistan, 1976.
-National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Jos, 1981.
-International Defence Management Course, Naval Postgraduate School, USA, 1982
-Enlisted as Officer Cadet, 1962
-Commissioned Second Lieutenant, April 1965
-Lieutenant, 1966
-Captain, 1968
-Major, 1970 (at the end of the Nigerian Civil War)
-Lieutenant Colonel, 1974
-Colonel, July 1978
-Brigadier, May 1980
Created using Diary by Droid-Veda LLP May-26-2015
Created using Diary by Droid-Veda LLP May-26-2015
Company Commander, 4 Battalion (August 1965-February 1966)
-Intelligence Officer, 4 Battalion
-General Staff Officer, 3 Intelligence, 1 Sector
-Commanding Officer, 20 Battalion (October 1967-February 1968)
-Commanding Officer, 125 Battalion, 1968-1970
-Brigade Major and Deputy Commander, 33 Brigade (March 1970 â?? March 1971)
-Commander, 29 Brigade (March 1971 â?? December 1972)
General Staff Officer, Grade 1 & later, Principal Staff Officer (PSO), Supreme Headquarters (January 1973 â?? August 1975)

NIGERIAN'S NO-NONSENSE VICE PRESIDENT

As the de facto Vice President of Nigeria, Idiagbon spearheaded some policies that many Nigerians have translated as some of the most extreme and stringent in the nationâ??s history. And they have their reasons. Idiagbon pursued the policy of War Against Indiscipline with a ruthless zeal and determination that will put Turkmenistanâ??s Saparmurat Niyazov to shame. Civil servants must be punctual, arriving work at the strike of the clock and for those who were unfortunate enough to arrive late, they were made to do frog jumps by soldiers wielding´ kobokos´ (horsewhips). He also led by example by being very punctual in office. Not a
few civil servants fainted, some out of sheer exhaustion while others succumbed to the sheer fear and terror of Idiagbonâ??s goons. It did not end there. If you cheated in exams or cut power cables and you were caught, consider yourself corned beef. Under him, the law respected no one. When Fela was caught at the airport with more foreign cash than was stipulated by law.

Market Women was not left out

´  Nigerian market women who did not use the dustbin or refuse dumps were automatically ordered to do frog jumps or received lashes in public. If you also failed to queue up at the bus stops, be ready to face the wrath of Nigerian soldiers. Many were fired from their jobs because they could not recite the Nigerian National Anthem and National Pledge, if our today politicians can copy his style my Country would have become heaven in Africa.

When critics fired at him for jailing corrupt Second Republic politicians, Idiagbon fired back: â??All these´ criminal racketeering and swindling went on while the salaries of local government employees and teachers were left unpaid for months.â??â?? When he was also criticized for the execution of the drug traffickers in April 1985, he told the nation that â??a uniquely Nigeria solution is necessary to curtail the get-rich-quick mania that encourages serious crime.â? During the Alhaji Umaru Dikko affair in which the Buhari-Idiagbon junta unsuccessfully tried to smuggle Dikko out of Britain to come and account for the billions of dollars missing, Idiagbon was angry that the British government foiled the plan (the Nigerian government officially denied involvement) and he stated that Nigeria was not going to ask for restoring relations with Britain, and that if anyone was to ask for forgiveness, it should be Britain. When Britain detained the Nigerian Airways plane sent to bring Dikko with its crew, Idiagbon retaliated by detaining a British Airways passenger plane at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport. The aircraft was on routine flight to London. Another decision that made many to hurl vituperations at him was the expulsion of illegal aliens and immigrants in the country even if Idiagbon repeatedly made it abundantly clear that those who had the valid papers were not disturbed. He clearly tried his best to bring some sanity into the system. On foreign policy, he adopted the pan-African legacy of the Murtala regime and was opposed to the South African apartheid government while also supporting Namibia, which was not yet an independent nation. My next episode will say more about Mr. No nonsence Man.

Kindly re-share , that is the only way you could encourage me. the next episode will be on the next hero