2011:
Will Obasanjo Deceive The North Again? - Nigeria
23 March 2010By Saka Raji Audu
Towards the end
of last year, Nigerians had cause to lament about some
unfortunate incidences that attracted both national
and international comments of varying degrees and
dimensions. Prominent of the pathetic situations is
the failing health of the country's President. There
seemed to be general evasiveness from the real
problems at stake by some of those who had the courage
to comment on this tragic incidence.
The health problem of the Nigerian President Umoru
Musa Yar'adua did not start of recent. It happened
even when he was the governor of Katsina State from
the northwest geo-political zone of the country
between 1999 and 2007. Yet, he presided over the State
without much problem. However, his illness was very
much pronounced in 2007 when he was campaigning for
his presidential election. At a time, the rumour had
it that he was 'dead' to the extent that the former
President Olusegun Obasanjo had to openly put up a
telephone call to ask a supposedly 'dead man' if he
was dead. Since that time, President Umoru Yar'adua
had shuttled between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia for
medical attentions, and all these have not made any
meaningful improvement.
One of such journeys was taken on 23rd November 2009
and in recent time; he was forced to return to Nigeria
without any remarkable improvement on his ill-health.
The long absence of Mr. President made some Nigerians
to engage in unguarded talks. Some people wonder if
President Yar'adua is still in this world. Yet, others
have asked him to simply resign his job as President
of Nigeria in view of his incapacitation. Even the
notorious Niger Delta militants whom President
Yar'adua tried desperately to persevere through
amnesty also threatened him to throw in the towel so
that their real man can take over as President.
Perhaps, the militants are not even ready to
sympathise with the ailing President in view of the
billions of naira pumped to them, all in the name of
amnesty.
But in spite of this entire abracadabra about Mr.
President's ill-health, no one has ever wondered why
President Yar'adua was allowed to contest election to
the office of the President of Nigeria in the first
place when those who installed him knew pretty well
that he was not healthy enough to conduct the affairs
of the country. They simply put their primordial
interest before and above the interest of over 150
million population of the country. I think that no
other person but the former President Olusegun
Obasanjo can spell this riddle.
Personally, I do not also think that President
Yar'adua's long absence from Nigeria and his inability
to preside over the affairs of the country have made
any difference because Yar'adua has never been fully
in charge due to his health issue. Still, the clock of
Nigeria has never stopped working. So, those
clamouring for Yar'adua's resignation for Mr. Good
luck to assume power as President of the country
should know that they have not said any thing new and
neither have they impressed any body by saying so.
This is because they are only reiterating why Yar'adua
was installed by Obasanjo and his fellow Nigerian
travelers at all costs, in spite of the glaring
contradiction in May 2007.
In that year, one vividly remembered that some people
had argued, wrongly or rightly that Obasanjo had
intention of retaining power in the South after his 8
years (mis) rule. This agenda was however not possible
since most of his trusted errand boys he had wanted to
bequeath the number one seat of the country were
having credibility question. The former President had
to fall back on a sick man as Umoru MusaYar'adua from
the north that he knew quite well would not be able to
make much difference. Since Yar'adua became President,
he has been battling with his health, giving less
attention to governance, thereby allowing some
kleptomania a field day in the art of governance.
Today, Mr. President's health issue has degenerated to
the point that Yar'adua could not do any thing. At
first, he was said to be nowhere to be found, whether
dead or alive. This sordid situation led to Mr. Good
luck taking over as Acting President because of
Yar'adua's bad luck. Now, Obasanjo and his ilk have
realized their hidden agenda of returning power to the
South willy-nilly. This should serve as another big
lesson to the so called northern elites who could not
think beyond their noses, and for thinking that
Obasanjo could always be trusted against the interest
of his kiths and kin. The northern elites should have
realized the fact that there are many ways of killing
a rat.
Bearing in mind that there is always another time for
clever political manipulators, let the ruling People's
Democratic Party (PDP) of Nigeria manage the situation
up to the next general election in April 2011when
Nigerians should be able to say loudly that they are
no fools since only a fool stumble over the same stone
twice. On the whole, I do not think that Yar'adua will
be able to continue as President of Nigeria. Though it
has always been my wish to wish others well in
whatever situation they find themselves. It is
therefore my fervent prayer that God, in His infinite
mercy allows the best to happen to the ailing
President Umoru Musa Yar'adua wherever he is today,
and bearing in mind too that no man born of woman can
question God's verdict.
Rather than accepting the bitter truth with a view to
avoid the stumbling of same stone twice, Obasanjo with
his joggling tongue told Nigerians at the 7th Trust
Annual Dialogue in Abuja why he was not responsible
and should not be held accountable for the unfortunate
mess the sickness of President Umoru Musa Yar'adua has
caused and is still causing the country.
In his desperate explanation before a large audience
in order to claim innocence and humility over the
issue, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo further exposed his
perfidy and made himself a laughing stock. He said,
"President Umoru Yar'adua should consider taking the
path of honour and the path of morality by resigning
from office in view of his serious health challenges."
Obasanjo stated this on January 22, 2010 while
responding to a question by a man from the audience
who asked him whether he chose Yar'adua as his
successor in 2007 "out of wickedness."
The same Obasanjo who is today talking about honour
and morality had wanted, after his 8 years (mis) rule,
to go for a third term if not for the resistance of
concerned Nigerians. Interrogating the former Governor
of one of the most backward states in the North,
Alhaji Saminu Turaki of Jigawa state by the Economic
and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) in 2008 for
money laundering, Turaki stated openly how he diverted
people's money in the sum of N100M to launch the third
term campaign for Obasanjo. A brief sojourn on
Obasanjo's nemesis will suffice our discourse.
Hitherto, when we had the opportunity to conduct
another Presidential election tagged, the fourth
republic, in 1999, the democratic feature of popular
participation was changed to democratic zoning and
pacification. We were forced to bow to tribal
sentiments and threats of disintegration and
extinction. Though, nobody was afraid of the threat
but we just have to maintain peace and unity for the
country even as it meant looking for a man that had
just been pardoned from the prison as President of the
country.
We then started shopping for the personality that cuts
across all strata of deliberations from the troubled
region. We could not find any one. Suddenly, Chief
Olusegun Aremu Obasanjo, an erstwhile Head of state
who was serving 25years jail term and had already
clocked three years in it struck our desperate mind.
He was unchained, pardoned and released from the
prison by the General Abdulsalam Abubakar led military
administration. This was not the end.
Chief Olusegun Aremu Obasanjo, (OAO) even though I do
not know why the media call him OBJ, quickly baptized
himself of the traumatic psychology of a prisoner and
entered the political train of the country as a born
again. He became a democrat, joined the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) and declared his presidential
ambition. The north and the eastern part of the
country welcomed him. Particularly, during the 1999
Presidential primaries, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd)
perfected the magic wand for the man deserted by his
people.
When the presidential election came, the northerners
were convinced to trust Chief Olusegun Obasanjo for a
President thinking that he was once their ‘boy.’ They
never knew that they were cuddling a python. They
voted for him massively with the hope of using him to
their advantage. But Obasanjo’s constituencies, the
western states also suspected that their son would be
a total sell out and a toy in the hands of those that
had ‘deprived’ them of a President in 1993. At that
time, they were still nursing the wound of the June 12
1993 Presidential election crisis. They voted against
Obasanjo for Olu Falae. This however did not make any
difference. Olusegun defeated Olu Falae on a landslide
victory.
During the acceptance speech of Chief Olusegun
Obasanjo as the President of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria in 1999, he promised to fight corruption head
on and maintained a balance and just democratic
society. He made other impressive statements in his
nation wide broadcast that nearly convinced us that we
have reached the promise land.
No sooner had he resumed office than the ‘baptized’
Obasanjo started to manifest. His tribal region that
did not work for his success matched to Aso rock and
presented agenda for execution. The late Chief Bola
Ige told us all about the Afenifere Agenda before his
unfortunate death. His cabinet composition was tilted
to the west. Secondly, instead of the President to
squarely face how to revive our economic doldrums, he
was planning and executing political revenge mission.
He arrested some perceived enemy and punished them
accordingly. The corruption the then President
Obasanjo so much prepared to fight could not yield any
tangible result. There was corruption in high places,
in the two Chambers, among the governors, among
Directors, Ministers and government officers and
politicians. Corruption was unlimited and it then
appeared that the members of the Independent Corrupt
Practices Commission and even the EFCC could not be of
any help. Most federal roads were death traps and
unemployment was still very much pronounced. Only
those that were extremely lucky and played the ball
well that was not complaining. The value of our
currency continued to depreciate. Obasanjo later told
us after leaving office as President of Nigeria for
eight years that he "was not voted for road
construction."
The popular PTF that was helping the masses in the
aspect of road construction and drug provision was
quashed. The lower and upper houses were not spared of
the political crises and corrupt practices. From
Evanwerem, Okadigbo, Anyim to Na’abba. We could not
tune on our radio, television or open newspapers or
magazine without hearing or seeing one form of trouble
or the other coming from the Aso Rock or the two
chambers during Obasanjo's tenure.
The worst hit of the economic enslavement was the sale
of virtually all government security outfits and
parastatals in the name of privatization. Obasanjo
virtually sold all the government’s properties out.
The Nigeria Airways, NNPC, NITEL, Mints, Media,
Hotels, etc seized to be ours like the Bakassi
Peninsular. Even those that work in private sectors
were not safe. There were inadequate electricity,
scarcity of diesel, black oil and petrol for
generating plant. Even, where these commodities were
available, their high costs were very much
discouraging. The huge tax by government, high
interest rate and high cost of capital, the value
added tax (VAT), the high rate of customs duty, and
taxes from various government agencies and frustration
at the clearing port had effect on wages, salary and
turnover.
Still, we were told of the government’s approval that
every expatriate foreigner that wants to work in
Nigeria would pay between N45, 000 to N50, 000- as
Residence Permit on yearly basis as against the usual
N2, 500- knowing full well that majority of the
private companies that employ Nigerian workforce are
owned by foreigners. The question, is it possible for
these expatriates to pay such huge amount of money
without retrenching or punishing the Nigerian
workforce? This did not concern the Obasanjo
government as long as those that matter make gains out
of the Residence Permit project. We were also told
that the production of this project was contracted to
foreign firm. This is again too bad. In spite of all
these odd, OBJ was busy shuttling between the country
and outside world. His frequent outside journeys could
not even influence the naïve judgment passed in favour
of Cameroon by the International Court of Justice on
Bakassi Peninsular. Our desperation to pacify the
western part of the country with a President at all
costs made us to entrust the country’s number one seat
in the hand of a man that had not yet recovered from
the ugly experience of the prison. All these were part
of the reasons that made the Speaker, House of
Representatives, Ghali Umar Na'abba and his fellow
travelers to plot an impeachment against OBJ.
Upon all these, it beats my imagination how Obasanjo
that allowed all these nonsense to take place could
turn round today to play on honour and morality. What
morality does Obasanjo get to issue dud cheques to
Textile Manufacturers in 2007, just two months to his
exit as President of Nigeria in the name of Textile
Revival fund? What honour Obasanjo has to impose an
ailing man, Yar'adua as his successor on Nigerians
only to tell us spurious story of not being
responsible. Who else knew better of Yar'adua's state
of health than Chief Olusegun Obasanjo? As an
ex-military commander-in-Chief, why is Obasanjo so
scared that he has to jungle fact, knowing full well
that all what he was saying are not the true statement
of fact? He should be bold to take the blame instead
of running from pillar to post in search of where and
how to land on a clean slate that is not clean enough.
Finally, with the review of Obasanjo's shadow of the
past, couple with so many facts against him in the
logjam created by Yar'adua ill-health, I do not think
we need his admonishment any longer, having caused
more harm than good for the country. Thus, his recent
call on the man he imposed on us in spite of the
glaring contradictions is akin to stabbing oneself and
committing suicide. He should therefore stop abusing
our sensibilities and it is time he also chose the
path of honour and morality by keeping quiet to face
his Ota farm please. We have had more than enough
worry from him. As for Yar'adua, let us not be tired
of our prayers that may God choose the best for him
and the country.
Saka Raji Audu writes from Kano and can be
reached on his email:
sakaraj@yahoo.com
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