With the way former President and former Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has been rabidly going for the jugular of some persons in recent times, Knucklehead is tempted to ask: what exactly does the ‘Ebora of Owu’ desire of his party leader, President Goodluck Jonathan? It is amusing really that Obasanjo, of all persons, could be the one selling the good governance carrot to a man he played a key role in foisting on the nation,, having certified him prim, fit and proper for the highest office in the land! Some have said the gloating and ranting could just be the early signs of a brewing and potentially dangerous disagreement between a political godfather and a son who craves for space to be his own man. Others have linked it to the dramatic horse-trading and intrigues that usually herald the fiery political season as we inch towards 2015.
Whatever the case, there is no hiding the fact that Mr. Obasanjo is throwing dirty punches and ferociously baying for blood. Over what? For now, the picture is quite hazy. Yet, we need to understand him with specific reference to the insight he has brought into the matter concerning how well Jonathan has fared as Nigeria’s leader. Like I once wrote, we need to probe deeper when a man who once risked whatever was left of his pedigree to swoon all over Jonathan suddenly transforms into the most notable critic of that same person. There lies the irony in the famed romance between Obasanjo and Jonathan.
Before, the criticism was measured and subtle. Now, the gloves are off. It appears this ex chief enforcer of all manner of whimsical rules during his tenure as Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party, cares less about settling differences through the party’s dubious ‘family affair’ mechanism. He is well at home with throwing stones from the glass house. In the last few weeks, Obasanjo has barely fallen short of explicitly describing Jonathan as a failure. Here, I do not merely speak of his body language but also his unabashed description of how the one he so much trusted has derailed, plunging Nigeria into a harvest of unmitigated misery. If those words had been uttered by a member of the opposition, the President’s camp would have been quick to dismiss such as the ranting of an ant (apologies to the late Dr. Chuba Okadigbo). But coming from a man that hardly forgives even a best friend’s infractions no matter how insignificant, I guess Jonathan would have to do more than not giving a damn to the damning verdict of a man that plotted his way into Aso Rock!
Asked in a recent Cable News Network (CNN) interview if the President had done enough to tame the Boko Haram insurgence, Obasanjo quipped: “To deal with a group like that, you need carrot and stick. The carrot is finding out how to reach out to them. When you try to reach out to them and they are not amenable to being reached out to, you have to use the stick.”
Castigating Jonathan for “just using the stick” in an effort to track down members of a sect that has doubled its sponsorship both locally and from “other organisations from abroad”, Obasanjo dropped another bombshell—the rate of corruption under the Jonathan government is jaw-dropping and not much is being done to tackle it. Ouch! That was about the third time in three weeks that the retired Army General would be hitting the nation’s current Number One citizen below the belt or, properly put, whacking him under his fedora.
But before Obasanjo runs away with the prize, we need to ask questions. When, for example, did Obasanjo come to the realisation that adopting the carrot and stick method does not necessarily translate into a weak Presidency? Could it be after the callous massacre in Odi in November 20, 1999 where a whole community was wiped out on his order, over allegation that 12 policemen were murdered by a gang near the Ijaw town? Or could it be in October 2001 when irate soldiers invaded Zaki Biam, Benue State, and turned it into a killing field? Has he suddenly forgotten that the reprisal attack left over 200 people dead in a killing spree that spared no civilians, be they young or old? Even in his political battles both within and outside the PDP, how many of those perceived enemies did Obasanjo taunt with the carrot only to smash their heads on the concrete floor? Let him ponder over these questions.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, hit the nail on the head when he hinted that Obasanjo could be suffering from some sort of amnesia. Or was it not the same man who, few months back, tutored Jonathan on the need to apply the Odi/Zaki Biam method in tackling the Boko Haram terrorists? Why then the sudden appearance of the carrot in his discourse? Just this piece of advice: next time he takes the step to whip Jonathan into line, Obasanjo should be mindful of that aspect of criticism that he could hardly stand as a sitting President—constructive criticism!
Of course, he might be the perfect example of the kettle calling the pot black. Yet, you can hardly fault Obasanjo’s summation that: “Boko Haram undermines security, and anything that undermines security undermines development, undermines education, undermines health, undermines agriculture and food, nutrition and security.”
Having made that salient point, we need to return to where the shoes actually began to pinch us. At the heart of Nigeria’s seeming intractable problems is the monster called corruption. And we ought to be concerned if no less a personality than Obasanjo says it has become worse under the nose of the current man at the helm. It is that bad that even prominent Nigerians have linked the Boko Haram menace to a sickening corruption that continues to breed the poorest of the poor as a majority segment of the Nigerian population with its stunningly affluent elite minority. It is a reality that obviously does not sit well with those in government circles. That’s the crude fact!
I have no doubt that we are a rich country with the largest population of the poor. After over 50 years of nationhood and 99 years of amalgamation by Lord Lugard, Nigeria can hardly boast of a robust health institution for its citizens. Its elite, politicians and oil magnates spend billions of dollars on medical tourism, acquisition of private jets and such other ultra-luxurious fancies annually. Today, three state chief executives are receiving treatment abroad while what ails them is shrouded in secrecy. Another one was said to have recently returned from a hip replacement surgery in Germany. Many others are in India for one medical examination or the other. It is rare to come across a top executive in the country that does not go for ‘routine’ medical check-up abroad. Not even Obasanjo! Not Dame Patience Jonathan either!
Question is: if our healthcare system suffers this terminal illness, why should anyone expect the country’s affairs to be in good shape? The crying truth is that Boko Haram is a recent phenomenon, which has introduced a dangerous dimension to a general malaise that undermines the nation—unmitigated corruption. And if Jonathan must save Nigeria from falling head on into deeper crisis as it is wont to, he must resist the temptation to join the ranting train. He should sit his bum down and find a way through the web of failures. Need I add that he should save us that publicity stunt which tends to suggest that most Nigerians eat beter quality food than he does. In fact, he needs to eat well in order to have the energy that the tasks before him demand. The darts being directed at his Presidency, we must tell him, can only stick if he keeps on nibbling at his fingers while the nation bleeds to death! Or does he want Obasanjo to have the last laugh like he had always done in the past?
