Patrick Wilmot, a Jamaican who used to teach at Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, has described the events that resulted in his dismissal from the administration of former military President Ibrahim Babangida.
In an interview with Daily Trust, Wilmot stated that he could not afford to live in Nigeria once more, citing violent crimes such as kidnapping and robbery as justifications for his decision.
Speaking about his expulsion, Wilmot—who is now residing in London—said that despite the lack of any concrete evidence connecting him to any such act, it was assumed he was a spy.
You see, Babangida has accepted responsibility. His obsession with wealth and power was the root of his problems. Because I am a Jamaican and am gaining so much attention, the ABU went to Babangida and told him, “You know this man is a danger to your government, so you have to get rid of him.” They were furious. They told him there wouldn’t be any consequences because they controlled the ABU students and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), so if they kicked me out there wouldn’t be any unrest.
“They intended to transport me to Jamaica after I got kicked out, but they had to go through Britain. When they got in touch with the home secretary and British immigration, Prime Minister Thatcher herself advised them to comply with his requests. Allow him to remain in this nation if he so chooses, as taking action against him will have negative effects not only in Nigeria but globally, harming British interests as well.
“Babangida was unaware that I was a well-known individual worldwide, not just a teacher at the ABU. Additionally, Transparency International exposed me to a great deal about the situation in Nigeria and other African nations while I was living in the United Kingdom. I demonstrated how the British banking system and business community were part of the crooked system.
“I feel empathy for Babangida because he was deceived, not anger. He believed himself to be intelligent and wise.
When asked about his perspective on some of Nigeria’s issues, Wilmot pointed the finger at poverty as the main culprit.
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“Poverty is the fundamental issue with Boko Haram, not Islam, and these people are attempting to address poverty through Islam.” Similar to how you misunderstand Judaism, many Jews believe that someone like Netanyahu is not a true Jew. You know, these individuals in Uganda who used to fight and kidnap small children, and so on, are examples of how Christianity can be distorted.
Thus, while groups like Boko Haram and ISIS exploit Islam for their own purposes, poverty is the real issue for Boko Haram in Nigeria. These are folks who, you know, can’t afford to buy brides or even to utilise prostitutes, so they abduct girls from high school. Subsequently, they discover something that they claim is Islamic, but it is unrelated to Islam.
“So you’re just a theorist who examines things and calls it a day, not the kind of dedicated intellectual who uses his mind to improve society?
When people recognise the flaws in society and its nature, they become motivated to bring about change. Poverty is Nigeria’s current issue. Developing an industrial plan, figuring out how to cope with the oil business, building factories, and making cement are ways to combat poverty. You figure out how to fabricate steel and how to streamline your business and finances.
“There are those in Nigeria who profit from manipulating the entire oil sector. They don’t want the refineries to operate; they want to continue importing refined petroleum products. They pilfer from the pipelines 400,000 barrels of oil every day. A culture that is experiencing that kind of thing cannot advance.
