By Wole Mosadomi
Former military President, Ibrahim  Babangida, Wednesday, explained why he did not attend the 50th independent anniversary of the country in Abuja on October 1, saying he did not believe in the whole concept and that the expenditure was too much.

Gen. Babangida also said it was wrong for anybody to link him with the Abuja bomb blasts which claimed the lives of 12 Nigerians and injured 42 others on Independence Day.

Babangida said that he did not attend the Abuja event because ‘I did not believe in the whole concept and the expenditure that accompanied it.

‘I don’t believe in the whole concept lined up for the anniversary, the expenditure was too much’ he said, adding that ‘there are more imaginative and more effective way of celebrating Nigeria at 50 and the large expenditure should have gone into universities and other projects’.

In his first official reaction to the bomb incident  he declared that “It is idiotic to associate me with something that will threaten the unity of Nigeria especially on a symbolic day like that”.

He told newsmen at his Minna uphill residence after receiving a bus donated to his campaign organisation by the Nigeria in Diaspora Northern America and Europe that “I fought a war and I know how I fought to make sure Nigeria is one, I am still carrying the strap line up till today. I don’t want anybody to carry it. I cannot do anything to threaten the unity of Nigeria, nobody should  associate me with such a terrible thing”.

The former Military President also said that his Campaign Director, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, who was questioned by security agents in connection with the incident couldn’t have had any hand in it.

“You cannot associate him with something like that, he cannot do something against Nigeria.”

Gen. Babangida said people cast their imaginative minds on Dokpesi because, “Nigerians have fertile minds, his arrest is borne out of the imaginative and fertile minds of Nigerians”, adding, however, that “it is the price he is paying as a politician”.

Babangida  blamed the nation’s security agencies for not stopping the incident despite being alerted, saying “nobody has disputed that government was given notice by the bombers, government was informed.

You don’t need more than 24 hours to remedy it if you are informed, 2 days are more than enough time for reaction which is vital to security”, adding that “I am not blaming anybody but there is a lapse”, he said.

Former military President had appreciated the gesture of the Nigerians in Diaspora and assured that he was determined to remain in the race till it was logically concluded.