Lt General Oladipo Diya (retd) says he bears no grudges towards the late Sani Abacha and his family.
Diya was Nigeria’s number two man when the Sani Abacha junta found him guilty of plotting a coup alongside other dissident soldiers in 1997. They were all subsequently sentenced to death by firing squad.
Diya was still in incarceration in 1998 when Abacha died.
Abacha’s successor, Abdulsalami Abubakar, commuted the death sentences to prison sentences and Diya and the rest of the officers charged with treason were thereafter granted amnesty.
“Whatever anybody might have done, by gone is bygone. What is important now is today and the future. Today, I am grateful to God because I retired as a Lieutenant General. How many people can rise to the position of Lt General, to the rank of being a former Vice President, or being a former successful Governor? I give glory to God and I will continue to thank my creator,” Diya said at the inauguration of the General Oladipo Diya Public Speaking Competition for Schools in Ogun State which held at Odogbolu town hall, Odogbolu, Ogun State last weekend.
Diya has also remained quiet on the politics front and he has promised to stay that way.
“It is either you are quiet or you are not partisan in politics. But, there is no human being that is completely out of politics. All you do is that, you remain in the background, you sit and watch and that’s all.
“Now, I prefer to remain in the back seat and watch events from the sideline. When we meet the leaders of our nation, it is not that we just sit down and eat. We deliberate on topical issues.”
Asked whether he should be seen as a card carrying member of all the political parties, Diya said “Yes, you can say that. Like our president says, I am for everybody and I am for nobody.”
Diya also called on Nigerians to be patient with the administration of Muhammadu Buhari. He said it is still early days, yet.
“Everybody should be patient, this government is new, not even up to a year and they are using four years. So let us be patient and anything we have to say, let us find a way to say it quietly and responsibly. That is the purpose of governance.”
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