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I Regret Not Plotting, Coup - Malu

Daily Champion (Lagos)
NEWS
January 31, 2006
Posted to the web January 31, 2006

By John Shiklam
Kaduna
FORMER Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Victor Malu (rtd), yesterday said
his greatest regret was his failure to overthrow President Olusegun Obasanjo
when he (Malu) was the Army Chief.
He stated this just as the chairman, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Chief
Sunday Awoniyi, challenged President Obasanjo to come out openly and tell
Nigerians if he is truly not interested in the third term to put the matter to
rest.
Awoniyi also urged the Northerners to sink their differences in order to stop
President Obasanjo's third term bid.
Speaking at the meeting of the ACF General Assembly held at Kaduna
International Trade Fair Complex, Gen. Malu, who was miffed by what has been
happening in the North under President Obasanjo's administration, said he would
have derailed the transition programme by overthrowing Obasanjo when he was the
Chief of Army Staff.
"For the past six years, we have Danbaba, Al Muustapha, Gen. Bamaiyi and others
in prison, I didn't know it was possible to keep someone in prison for that
length of time for attempted murder," Gen. Malu stated.
He also recalled the case of Benue State where he comes from and a victim of
the Zaki-Biam incident, saying that if he had not been a loyalist to President
Obasanjo and the fact that he is a strong lover of democracy, he would have
done what he was supposed to do - over throw him.
"Maybe because I was loyal to Obasanjo, I would have done what I was supposed
to do; but I believed in democracy. So, I did not organise to overthrow him.
Because I am a principled, trained officer, I insisted on the principles being
applied. For that, I disagreed with Gen. Obasanjo on certain issues. I told him
that if he thought that he made me Chief of Army Staff as a favour, I think he
should tell me who to hand over to.
"I think it was a blessing that I was kicked out, otherwise I might have
changed my mind from being a democrat to something else. The public does not
know this. We had a lot of disagreements. He is my commander-in-chief. But for
goodness sake, give me the credit having served the army for 34 years.
"If I am not intelligent, I have the experience to count on. It was principally
on the issue of the Americans who were allowed to come in here and fraternize
with us, live in the barracks with us under the pretext of coming to train us
for peacekeeping.

   

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