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Tag: Olusegun Obasanjo

  • Things are getting better in Ogun, says Obasanjo

    Things are getting better in Ogun, says Obasanjo

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said “things are getting better” in Ogun State under the Governor Ibikunle Amosun administration.

    Obasanjo spoke at the weekend during the state’s Christmas Carol held at the June 12 Cultural Centre in Kuto, Abeokuta, the state capital.

    He said the administration’s massive road projects and the ongoing construction of model schools had brought landmark improvements to all local government areas.

    Obasanjo said: “Things are getting better everyday in Ogun. When I was talking of roads in Abeokuta, they said I had not been to Ijebu-Ode and Sagamu. On getting to Ijebu-Ode, I saw better bridges than those in Abeokuta. What about the ones in Ilara and Ayetoro?

    “If we have good infrastructure, business will thrive; the economy will improve and that is what you are doing across the state.”

    He expressed satisfaction with the quality of ongoing work on the model schools, saying: “When I passed through the Sango-Abeokuta road, I asked who was building a factory there and was told it was a school that was being built by the government.”

    Obasanjo cited another success of the Amosun administration as the restoration of security in the state, noting that sanity has returned to the M.K.O. Abiola Stadium in Kuto, Abeokuta.

    He said: “I remember those days here in the stadium, which is not far from my house, when all manner of lawlessness thrived, with human casualties recorded on a daily basis. We do not have that challenge anymore because the security of life and property has been given a priority.”

    Former Head of the Interim National Government Chief Ernest Shonekan also hailed the Amosun administration for ensuring peace across the state, saying: “I am happy to be around to witness the manifestation of these changes.”

    Shonekan said Ogun had always been at the forefront of providing leadership direction and bridge-building for the nation’s continued existence, urging everyone to embrace love as a virtue beyond the Christmas season.

    Amosun said all his administration achieved would have been impossible without the people’s support, adding: “We will not rest on our oars in our quest for a better Ogun”.

  • Separate message from the messenger

    Separate message from the messenger

    SIR: The issues raised in the much-talked-about letter written by former president Olusegun Obasanjo to President Goodluck Jonathan were germane but cannot be said to be anything new. First, is it not appropriate according to Obasanjo that we must all do everything to guard, protect and defend our fledgling democracy, nourish it, and prevent bloodshed? Two, that we must move away from advertently or inadvertently dividing the country along weak seams of North-South and Christian-Moslem. Third, that nothing should be done to allow the country to degenerate into economic dormancy, stagnation or retrogression. Should we also claim that we do not rank first on the corruption index of the whole world? It is apparent that strategies exerted to improve the security situation in the country need to be redefined.

    The letter merely re-echoed the problems with Nigeria and the facts why she has remained a toddler after 53 years of independence. It became the latest political bombshell of the year because people whose opinions matter in situations like this lack the will power to speak up. We are in this state of hopelessness because of the inability of previous and successive governments to put in place policies and structures that will better the lives of Nigerians and make it difficult for corruption and other vices to thrive.

    Some trouble makers said the letter was mischievous and an affront which denigrates the office of the president while others aver that it was a necessary push that will propel the president to sit up or at least be on his toes. Most Nigerians stand by the latter. Issues like this should not be trivialised. Obasanjo should not be upbraided for doing the needful. If a former president did not talk, who will?

    It is a wake-up call to all of us and the nucleus was a reminder to those presently at the helm of affairs that Nigeria is on a life-support and possibly drifting to a precipice. This was not because these problems were not in existence before the second coming of Obasanjo until his exit in 2007 but because it came from someone who knew all of these but neglected to tackle them in his time only to bring them as charges against another. Should that suffice to throw away the baby with the bath water?

    The letter should be seen and interpreted in the context of the message and not the messenger. Did the letter touch the very essence of the lingering crisis and predicaments rocking Nigeria as a nation?

    It therefore behoves on President Jonathan to look objectively into the issues raised and act in the best interest of Nigeria and in accordance with the oath of office he took. President Jonathan should as a matter of urgent national importance act now before it is too late. If he does, posterity will remember him for adhering to wise counsel.

     

    • Sunday Onyemaechi Eze

    Samaru, Zaria

  • Cry my beloved country

    Cry my beloved country

    Events of the past couple of weeks in the polity tend to suggest that our dear country Nigeria is closer to the brink than initially thought.

    You all have read by now the infamous open letter of former president Olusegun Obasanjo to his god son and Nigeria’s incumbent president Goodluck Ebele Jonathan on his perception of the state of our nation.

    You must have read or heard also of a secret letter (leaked to the public) to the president by the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi alleging that a whooping 49 billion USD or thereabout of earnings from oil, our major source of revenue, has not been properly accounted for by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC. I don’t want to use the word missing to describe the state of the money as some were inclined to do. You know Sanusi has somehow recanted after a tug of war on figures so to speak with Finance Minister Okonjo-Iweala that the figure is somewhere closer to 10 billion USD.

    The two letters, both on the state of the nation have eventually drawn President Jonathan to his laptop to finally, or is it belatedly, pen a response and give us his own version of the state of our union. All the letters are in public domain, you are at liberty to chose which one to believe.

    In the midst of all these letter writings and dancing naked in the public by our leaders, I had cause to pass through one of our airports and while awaiting my flight to Lagos a certain Asian gentleman, I think he is Indian, was lamenting the state of affairs in this country, saying he has been here since 1983 and has never seen a country go down so quickly the way Nigeria is sliding currently. He wished we could as a nation and people do something urgently to arrest the situation.

    He was not even talking of the political situation (may be he was only being careful as a foreigner), he was worried about what he saw around him right there at the airport, the nonchalance of airline/airport workers to the plight of passengers that were left stranded for hours without explanation by the airlines; the deteriorating state of the airport, poor facilities even after billions of public funds have allegedly been spent to improve; the bare faced corruption going on there, and etc.

    The way he was saying all those things you’ll know he was saying them to effect, passing a message across, perhaps just using the airport situation as a metaphor for the larger problem out there.

    As he spoke my mind went to the Obasanjo letter especially what he said on the state of corruption in Nigeria, the alleged training of snippers by the administration to kill some one thousand or so Nigerians on the Federal Governent watch list, the vindictiveness of the Jonathan presidency against real or perceived enemies, the government’s romance with criminals and a whole lot of allegations contained therein.

    If a foreigner could talk like this, I guessed he must have seen something we as Nigerians are not seeing or chose to ignore.

    After several hours of delay the aircraft finally arrived and we headed back to Lagos safely. But that Indian never left my mind even when I wanted to push him away. And just as I was succeeding in doing this the president’s letter came; his response to Obasanjo. Personally I wasn’t impressed and no apology for that. His supporters can say whatever they want to. I’ll come back to that later.

    I am not a fan of Obasanjo because he is not better than Jonathan. But what I found surprising in his letter was that all those bad things we complained about under Obasanjo are still happening even with Jonathan. Have we not learnt anything? What kind of a nation is this?

    Obasanjo complained about corruption all around Jonathan and GEJ apologists say his mouth is smelling. Yes his mouth might be smelling, but then let’s cover our nose and listen with our ears. Is corruption not at it’s peak now? And what is Jonathan doing about it?

    In his laughable response he wanted Obasanjo to show him one example of corruption in high places and see what he would do about it. Do you need an Obasanjo to tell you that what is happening in the aviation sector, especially the role of the seemingly untouchable Minister of Aviation Stella Oduah in the BMW bullet-proof car scandal is enough evidence of corruption or attempt to defraud the state? Recall that the Honourable Speaker of the House of Representatives Aminu Tambuwal did say something similar about corruption incorporated in the Villa and the President’s seemingly supportive body language? All Jonathan could say is that he is fighting corruption, but we have not seen the evidence yet, let him start with Stella Oduah, then we’ll know he is in business.

    The damage the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP is doing to the polity with its on going civil war is incalculable and Jonathan as party leader appears incapable of doing anything to stop it. All he could say was to blame Obasanjo and a few others for orchestrating it. Our democracy is in crisis because PDP is in disarray. If there is no crack in the wall of PDP how can an Obasanjo’s lizard enter it? When people say Jonathan is weak, he lacks initiative, this is one of the things that are talking about. How can you open your eyes and allow a behemoth that the PDP had become to collapse on your head, knowing the implication for the country, and all you could do is to blame another person for it? Us this how to be a leader?

    I don’t want to believe Obasanjo’s pepper soup theory of government training a squad of snippers to assassinate government’s opponent, but as a former President and Commander-in-Chief may be he knows what he was talking about. May be we better listen to him. And all Jonathan needs to do to prove Obasanjo wrong is to ensure that no assassination, whether political or otherwise took place under his watch, and if it did take place, the perpetrators are swiftly brought to book. Sadly Obasanjo couldn’t say this for his eight years presidency.

    But in an atmosphere of insecurity, anything could happen, thus Obasanjo’s alarm on the deteriorating security situation in the country, especially in the north east zone should not be brushed aside. Yes the Jonathan government is doing its best to contain if not destroy the Boko Haram insurgency, but the rate of setbacks in recent months suggests either a lowering of guards by the security agencies or an insurgency smarter and better organised than our military. This is not the time to pontificate or lay blame, we should all rally round Jonathan to bring down Boko Haram and restore peace to the north east. The government should also not arrogate to itself the power of knowing it all. If a former Commander-in -Chief is talking about security, please listen to him, even if his mouth is smelling.

    Jonathan talks about the improving state of the economy and the increase in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) flow into the country in contrast to the dire picture painted in Obanjo’s letter. I don’t know what the president was talking about. Economic growth without jobs? The president and his coordinating Minister of the Economy Okonjo-Iweala can be deceiving themselves thinking that all is well; Nigerians are no fools!

    There are so many issues raised in Obasanjo’s letter and the President’s tame response that space will not allow a thorough analysis, but one issue stands out; the President’s personal integrity and credibility. Obasanjo alleged that Jonathan is not a man of his words; sadly, he is not the first person to so allege. Most people around the corridor of power in Abuja will tell you the same thing. You can’t go to the bank with Jonathan’s words. There is even this joke that there are five presidencies in Jonathan presidency and of the five his own is the weakest.

    This could be uncharitable if you ask me, but at the same time most unfortunate if it is true. This is the public perception and the President must do something about it. After all perception they say is close to reality. If Nigerians believe their president is weak and not a man of his words then he can do no good in their eyes no matter how hard he tried.

    People point at his wife as one centre of power; his Chief of Staff, Ministers of Petroleum and Aviation as the other presidencies, and the President has not called them to other even for one day in the face of public complaint against them.

    The President may not see it as so, but these people together with his rabid Minister of Education Nyesom Wike and some of his Ijaw kinsmen are the ones giving him a bad name among Nigerians not Obasanjo. He should leave the former President alone; tackle his message and not the man. After all Iyabo Obasanjo is enough to tackle her father. May God not give us a daughter like Iyabo. Did I hear you say and a father like Olusegun Obasanjo? Na you sabi. I don talk my own.

  • The Mandela files (3): Encounters

    The Mandela files (3): Encounters

    Of the four encounters I was privileged to have with Nelson Mandela, the second was the most revelatory.

    Many of his defining attributes that the entire world has been remarking and celebrating since his death three weeks shone through splendidly in that encounter – his graciousness, the deep emotional reserve he guarded tenaciously the way he must have guarded his face in the boxing ring, and his resoluteness..

    But first, some background.

    General Olusegun Obasanjo had served as co-chair of the Commonwealth Eminent Persons Group that had recommended economic sanctions and other measures that, together with the altered international environment – glasnost, perestroika, and all that – and the black insurrection in South Africa, moved the ruling regime to abandon petty apartheid and to begin seriously to contemplate a future without that pernicious doctrine.

    During the EPG mission, in 1986, he had struck a relationship with Nelson Mandela, then languishing in prison. He had strengthened the relationship when he hosted Mandela and his wife Winnie to a rousing reception at his farm in Otta when they visited Nigeria in May 1990. Some three months later, Obasanjo was headed for South Africa, on a mission “to listen, learn and encourage” the transition then slowly unfolding.

    I had asked to company him on the trip to get the kind of access that an earlier visit did not provide. Also on the trip were his friend and confidant, the engineer and industrialist Obafemi Olopade, Dr Yusuf Maiangwa, since deceased, director of the Africa Leadership Forum, and former Nigerian High Commissioner to Canada, on leave from Ahmadu Bello University, where he was a professor of French, and two security aides.

    The visit could not have started on a less promising note.

    Within an hour of our landing at Jan Smuts International Airport in Johannesburg, on July 25, 1990, well before General Obasanjo could brief Nelson Mandela and the ANC leadership of his mission, state radio had broadcast the news. Something told me that Mandela would at the very least regard this as a misstep, and would not take kindly to it.

    Early on July 26, 1990, the first full day of our visit, official state radio announced that a plot by the South African Communist Party and some elements of the African National Congress to overthrow the government by force had been uncovered. Specifically, it reported that Mac Maharaj, a member of the ANC National Executive, had been arrested in the investigation of the plot.

    To underscore the gravity of the situation, the government had detailed its intelligence chief, the intense and precise Dr Neil Barnard, to brief Obasanjo and his team on their arrival in Pretoria to meet with senior government officials.

    Barnard and other spokespersons were careful to point out that Mandela was not personally involved in the plot, which they characterised as a “betrayal of trust” that could undermine the peace process “before any significant milestone” was reached and, perhaps more ominously, “threaten the fragile peace in the sub-region.”

    As a condition for restoring trust, they demanded that Maharaj and Joe Slovo, leader of the SACP, be dropped from the ANC’s negotiating team.

    This was the unpromising backdrop to our meeting with Mandela at the ANC’s headquarters in downtown Johannesburg later that day – a day on which state radio announced repeatedly and to the ANC’s consternation, that Obasanjo had arrived to listen, learn and encourage.

    We were ushered into Mandela’s cluttered office as senior members of the ANC were dispersing after concluding a strategy meeting at which they issued a defiant rebuttal to the government ‘s claim that the SACP and ANC were plotting to overthrow it

    Preliminaries were less strained than I had expected. Half-way through, a young woman with a battery of cameras entered the room, and as she tip-toed round the conference table to go into an adjoining room, Mandela accosted her.

    “Mandissa, where have you been?” he said. “I haven’t seen you in quite a while.”

    The young woman, a photographer for the ANC, replied that she had been away on an official assignment.

    “I wanted to give you a copy of my new book,” he said. Grabbing a copy of No Easy Walk to Freedom from a desk, he autographed it and handed it to her.

    That was the essential Mandela, the person who always looked out for those who did the grunt work but on whom the klieg lights rarely shone and who never made the headlines and the front pages.

    Then, Mandela turned to Obasanjo and asked him to introduce his team. At the mention of Olopade’s first name, Obafemi, Mandela instantly made a connection with the more famous bearer of that name, Chief Awolowo, who had died some three years earlier. Twenty-seven years in prison, without access to the news media, had not dulled his memory.

    Mandela would debrief Obasanjo and his team several hours later in the house that Winnie built, in the West Orlando neighbourhood of Soweto, while he was in prison – an elegant affair but by no means the most elegant there, and far from opulent.

    “Whom have you been talking with?” he began, notepad before him and pen in hand.

    As Obasanjo told him about what had transpired in our earlier appointments, you saw Mandela the patient listener, the meticulous note-taker and the skilled interrogator all rolled into one.

    When we met him in the Cabinet Room in the Union Buildings in Pretoria — he had jokingly remarked that I was sitting in the chair usually occupied by the Defence Minister, General Magnus Malan — I had asked President Frederik de Klerk to sketch a time frame for the transition.

    Pulling out my notebook, I relayed his response to Mandela.

    “Difficult,” de Klerk had said. That year -1990 – and the next would be crucial and dynamic. “Certainly, no new election would be held under the present (apartheid) constitution. We are in a hurry. We are not playing games. We are not looking at ten or even five years from now . . .”

    “No new election will be held under the present constitution?” Mandela repeated slowly and deliberately.

    “Exactly what he said, sir,” I replied, looking toward Obasanjo for confirmation.

    Obasanjo confirmed that I had correctly reported de Klerk.

    All this was news to Mandela. He had never been told that much by de Klerk, who kept his cards fairly close to his chest, and may indeed have used our visit to telegraph to Mandela and the ANC that he was s person with whom they could do serious business.

    If Mandela was in the least excited by this development that had the markings of a game-changer in South Africa’s tortuous history, he did not show it. The deep, emotional reserve that had been his armour had supervened.

    But the fighter in Mandela broke through the emotional dam when Obasanjo informed him that, because South African Airways was grounded by a strike, he had offered the leader of the rival, hard-line Pan Africanist Congress, Zeph Mothopeng, a ride to Lagos the following day on the Falcon 600 executive jet that military president Ibrahim Babangida had provided for our trip.

    “Ólù,” he said, looking Obasanjo in the face and wagging the index finger of his right hand, “don’t have anything to do with that chap. If you do, you will lose all your friends here in South Africa.”

    He was firm, resolute. He expected no buts and no ifs, and he got none.

    General Obasanjo would call later to tell Mothopeng that his travel plans had changed, as indeed they had. He would not be flying to Lagos the next day after all. Instead, he would fly to Ulundi, in KwaZulu-Natal, for a meeting with the leader of the Inkatha Freedom Party, Mangosuthu Buthelezi, who was seething with resentment that he had been marginalised in the on-going negotiations.

    From there, he would proceed to the Zambian capital Lusaka to brief President Kenneth Kaunda, chair of the Frontline States, on his mission, and the team would spend the night there as Kaunda’s guests.

     

    *Third and final installment of a retrospective on Nelson Mandela. Some of the material here first appeared in my reporting for The Guardian Sunday Magazine (August 5, 1990), titled “Tracking Apartheid’s Changing Face”.

     

     

  • Jonathan replies Obasanjo’s letter

    Jonathan replies Obasanjo’s letter

    December 20th 2013

    His Excellency,

    Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR

    Agbe L’Oba House, Quarry Road,

    Ibara, Abeokuta.

     

    RE: BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE

    I wish to formally acknowledge your letter dated December 2, 2013 and other previous correspondence similar to it.

    You will recall that all the letters were brought to me by hand. Although both of us discussed some of the issues in those letters, I had not, before now, seen the need for any formal reply since, to me, they contained advice from a former President to a serving President. Obviously, you felt differently because in your last letter, you complained about my not acknowledging or replying your previous letters.

     

    It is with the greatest possible reluctance that I now write this reply. I am most uneasy about embarking on this unprecedented and unconventional form of open communication between me and a former leader of our country because I know that there are more acceptable and dignified means of doing so.

     

    But I feel obliged to reply your letter for a number of reasons: one, you formally requested for a reply and not sending you one will be interpreted as ignoring a former President.

     

    Secondly, Nigerians know the role you have played in my political life and given the unfortunate tone of your letter, clearly, the grapes have gone sour.  Therefore, my side of the story also needs to be told.

    The third reason why I must reply you in writing is that your letter is clearly a threat to national security as it may deliberately or inadvertently set the stage for subversion.

     

    The fourth reason for this reply is that you raised very weighty issues, and since the letter has been made public, Nigerians are expressing legitimate concerns. A response from me therefore, becomes very necessary.

     

    The fifth reason is that this letter may appear in biographies and other books which political commentators on Nigeria’s contemporary politics may write. It is only proper for such publications to include my comments on the issues raised in your letter.

     

    Sixthly, you are very unique in terms of the governance of this country. You were a military Head of State for three years and eight months, and an elected President for eight years. That means you have been the Head of Government of Nigeria for about twelve years. This must have, presumably, exposed you to a lot of information. Thus when you make a statement, there is the tendency for people to take it seriously.

     

    The seventh reason is that the timing of your letter coincided with other vicious releases. The Speaker of the House of Representatives spoke of my “body language” encouraging corruption. A letter written to me by the CBN Governor alleging that NNPC, within a period of 19 months did not remit the sum of USD49.8 billion to the federation account, was also deliberately leaked to the public.

     

    The eighth reason is that it appears that your letter was designed to incite Nigerians from other geopolitical zones against me and also calculated to promote ethnic disharmony. Worse still, your letter was designed to instigate members of our Party, the PDP, against me.

     

    The ninth reason is that your letter conveys to me the feeling that landmines have been laid for me. Therefore, Nigerians need to have my response to the issues raised before the mines explode.

     

    The tenth and final reason why my reply is inevitable is that you have written similar letters and made public comments in reference to all former Presidents and Heads of Government starting from Alhaji Shehu Shagari and these have instigated different actions and reactions. The purpose and direction of your letter is distinctly ominous, and before it is too late, my clarifications on the issues need to be placed on record.

     

    Let me now comment on the issues you raised. In commenting I wish to crave your indulgence to compare what is happening now to what took place before.  This, I believe, will enable Nigerians see things in better perspective because we must know where we are coming from so as to appreciate where we now are, and to allow us clearly map out where we are going.

     

    You raised concerns about the security situation in the country. I assure you that I am fully aware of the responsibility of government for ensuring the security of the lives and property of citizens. My Administration is working assiduously to overcome current national security challenges, the seeds of which were sown under previous administrations.  There have been some setbacks; but certainly there have also been great successes in our efforts to overcome terrorism and insurgency.

     

    Those who continue to down-play our successes in this regard, amongst whom you must now be numbered, appear to have conveniently forgotten the depths to which security in our country had plunged before now.

     

    At a stage, almost the entire North-East of Nigeria was under siege by insurgents. Bombings of churches and public buildings in the North and the federal capital became an almost weekly occurrence. Our entire national security apparatus seemed nonplussed and unable to come to grips with the new threat posed by the berthing of terrorism on our shores.

     

    But my administration has since brought that very unacceptable situation under significant control. We have overhauled our entire national security architecture, improved intelligence gathering, training, funding, logistical support to our armed forces and security agencies, and security collaboration with friendly countries with very visible and positive results.

     

    The scope and impact of terrorist operations have been significantly reduced and efforts are underway to restore full normalcy to the most affected North Eastern region and initiate a post-crisis development agenda, including a special intervention programme to boost the region’s socio-economic progress.

     

    In doing all this, we have kept our doors open for dialogue with the insurgents and their supporters through efforts such as the work of the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and the Peaceful Resolution of the Security Challenges in the North-East. You also know that the Governor of Borno State provided the items you mentioned to me as carrots. Having done all this and more, it is interesting that you still accuse me of not acting on your hardly original recommendation that the carrot and stick option be deployed to solve the Boko Haram problem.

     

    Your suggestion that we are pursuing a “war against violence without understanding the root causes of the violence and applying solutions to deal with all the underlying factors” is definitely misplaced because from the onset of this administration, we have been implementing a multifaceted strategy against militancy, insurgency and terrorism that includes poverty alleviation, economic development, education and social reforms.

     

    Even though basic education is the constitutional responsibility of States, my administration has, as part of its efforts to address ignorance and poor education which have been identified as two of the factors responsible for making some of our youth easily available for use as cannon fodder by insurgents and terrorists, committed huge funds to the provision of modern basic education schools for the Almajiri in several Northern States. The Federal Government under my leadership has also set up nine additional universities in the Northern States and three in the Southern States in keeping with my belief that proper education is the surest way of emancipating and empowering our people.

     

    More uncharitable persons may even see a touch of sanctimoniousness in your new belief in the carrot and stick approach to overcoming militancy and insurgency. You have always referred to how you hit Odi in Bayelsa State to curb militancy in the Niger Delta.  If the invasion of Odi by the Army was the stick, I did not see the corresponding carrot.  I was the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State then, and as I have always told you, the invasion of Odi did not solve any militancy problem but, to some extent, escalated it. If it had solved it, late President Yar’Adua would not have had to come up with the amnesty program. And while some elements of the problem may still be there, in general, the situation is reasonably better.

     

    In terms of general insecurity in the country and particularly the crisis in the Niger Delta, 2007 was one of the worst periods in our history. You will recall three incidents that happened in 2007 which seemed to have been orchestrated to achieve sinister objectives.  Here in Abuja, a petrol tanker loaded with explosives was to be rammed into the INEC building. But luckily for the country, an electric pole stopped the tanker from hitting the INEC building.  It is clear that this incident was meant to exploit the general sense of insecurity in the nation at the time to achieve the aim of stopping the 2007 elections.  It is instructive that you, on a number of occasions, alluded to this fact.

     

    When that incident failed, an armed group invaded Yenagoa one evening with the intent to assassinate me.  Luckily for me, they could not.  They again attacked and bombed my country home on a night when I was expected in the village. Fortunately, as God would have it, I did not make the trip.

     

    I recall that immediately after both incidents, I got calls expressing the concern of Abuja.  But Baba, you know that despite the apparent concern of Abuja, no single arrest was ever made. I was then the Governor of Bayelsa State and the PDP Vice-Presidential candidate. The security people ordinarily should have unraveled the assassination attempt on me.

     

    You also raised the issues of kidnapping, piracy and armed robbery. These are issues all Nigerians, including me are very concerned about. While we will continue to do our utmost best to reduce all forms of criminality to the barest minimum in our country, it is just as well to remind you that the first major case of kidnapping for ransom took place around 2006. And the Boko Haram crisis dates back to 2002. Goodluck Jonathan was not the President of the country then. Also, armed robbery started in this country immediately after the civil war and since then, it has been a problem to all succeeding governments.  For a former Head of Government, who should know better, to present these problems as if they were creations of the Jonathan Administration is most uncharitable.

     

    Having said that, let me remind you of some of the things we have done to curb violent crime in the country. We have reorganized the Nigerian Police Force and appointed a more dynamic leadership to oversee its affairs. We have also improved its manpower levels as well as funding, training and logistical support.

     

    We have also increased the surveillance capabilities of the Police and provided its air-wing with thrice the number of helicopters it had before the inception of the present administration. The National Civil Defence and Security Corps has been armed to make it a much more effective ally of the police and other security agencies in the war against violent crime. At both domestic and international levels, we are doing everything possible to curb the proliferation of the small arms and light weapons with which armed robberies, kidnappings and piracy are perpetrated. We have also enhanced security at our borders to curb cross-border crimes.

     

    We are aggressively addressing the challenge of crude oil theft in collaboration with the state Governors. In addition, the Federal Government has engaged the British and US governments for their support in the tracking of the proceeds from the purchase of stolen crude. Similarly, a regional Gulf of Guinea security strategy has been initiated to curb crude oil theft and piracy.

     

    Perhaps the most invidious accusation in your letter is the allegation that I have placed over one thousand Nigerians on a political watch list, and that I am training snipers and other militia to assassinate people. Baba, I don’t know where you got that from but you do me grave injustice in not only lending credence to such baseless rumours, but also publicizing it. You mentioned God seventeen times in your letter. Can you as a Christian hold the Bible and say that you truly believe this allegation?

     

    The allegation of training snipers to assassinate political opponents is particularly incomprehensible to me. Since I started my political career as a Deputy Governor, I have never been associated with any form of political violence. I have been a President for over three years now, with a lot of challenges and opposition mainly from the high and mighty. There have certainly been cases of political assassination since the advent of our Fourth Republic, but as you well know, none of them occurred under my leadership.

     

    Regarding the over one thousand people you say are on a political watch list, I urge you to kindly tell Nigerians who they are and what agencies of government are “watching” them. Your allegation that I am using security operatives to harass people is also baseless. Nigerians are waiting for your evidence of proof. That was an accusation made against previous administrations, including yours, but it is certainly not my style and will never be. Again, if you insist on the spurious claim that some of your relatives and friends are being harassed, I urge you to name them and tell Nigerians what agencies of my administration are harassing them.

     

    I also find it difficult to believe that you will accuse me of assisting murderers, or assigning a presidential delegation to welcome a murderer. This is a most unconscionable and untrue allegation. It is incumbent on me to remind you that I am fully conscious of the dictates of my responsibilities to God and our dear nation. It is my hope that devious elements will not take advantage of your baseless allegation to engage in brazen and wanton assassination of high profile politicians as before, hiding under the alibi your “open letter” has provided for them.

     

    Nevertheless, I have directed the security agencies and requested the National Human Rights Commission to carry out a thorough investigation of these criminal allegations and make their findings public.

     

    That corruption is an issue in Nigeria is indisputable.  It has been with us for many years. You will recall that your kinsman, the renowned afro-beat maestro, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti famously sang about it during your first stint as Head of State. Sonny Okosun also sang about corruption. And as you may recall, a number of Army Generals were to be retired because of corruption before the Dimka coup.  Also, the late General Murtala Mohammed himself wanted to retire some top people in his cabinet on corruption-related issues before he was assassinated.  Even in this Fourth Republic, the Siemens and Halliburton scandals are well known.

     

    The seed of corruption in this country was planted a long time ago, but we are doing all that we can to drastically reduce its debilitating effects on national development and progress. I have been strengthening the institutions established to fight corruption. I will not shield any government official or private individual involved in corruption, but I must follow due process in all that I do. And whenever clear cases of corruption or fraud have been established, my administration has always taken prompt action in keeping with the dictates of extant laws and procedures. You cannot claim to be unaware of the fact that several highly placed persons in our country, including sons of some of our party leaders are currently facing trial for their involvement in the celebrated subsidy scam affair. I can hardly be blamed if the wheels of justice still grind very slowly in our country, but we are doing our best to support and encourage the judiciary to quicken the pace of adjudication in cases of corruption.

     

    Baba, I am amazed that with all the knowledge garnered from your many years at the highest level of governance in our country, you could still believe the spurious allegation contained in a letter written to me by the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and surreptitiously obtained by you, alleging that USD49.8 billion, a sum equal to our entire national budget for two years, is “unaccounted for” by the NNPC. Since, as President, you also served for many years as Minister of Petroleum Resources, you very well know the workings of the corporation. It is therefore intriguing that you have made such an assertion. You made a lot of insinuations about oil theft, shady dealings at the NNPC and the NNPC not remitting the full proceeds of oil sales to the of CBN. Now that the main source of the allegations which you rehashed has publicly stated that he was “misconstrued”, perhaps you will find it in your heart to apologize for misleading unwary Nigerians and impugning the integrity of my administration on that score.

     

    Your claim of “Atlantic Oil loading about 130, 000 barrels sold by Shell and managed on behalf of NPDC with no sale proceeds paid into the NPDC account” is also disjointed and baseless because no such arrangement as you described exists between Atlantic Oil and the Nigeria Petroleum Development Company. NPDC currently produces about 138, 000 barrels of oil per day from over 7 producing assets. The Crude Oil Marketing Division (COMD) of the NNPC markets all of this production on behalf of NPDC with proceeds paid into NPDC account.

     

    I am really shocked that with all avenues open to you as a former Head of State for the verification of any information you have received about state affairs, you chose to go public with allegations of “high corruption” without offering a shred of supporting evidence. One of your political “sons” similarly alleged recently that he told me of a minister who received a bribe of $250 Million from an oil company and I did nothing about it. He may have been playing from a shared script, but we have not heard from him again since he was challenged to name the minister involved and provide the evidence   to back his claim.  I urge you, in the same vein, to furnish me with the names, facts and figures of a single verifiable case of the “high corruption” which you say stinks all around my administration and see whether the corrective action you advocate does not follow promptly. And while you are at it, you may also wish to tell Nigerians the true story of questionable waivers of signature bonuses between 2000 and 2007.

     

    While, by the Grace of God Almighty, I am the first President from a minority group, I am never unmindful of the fact that I was elected leader of the whole of Nigeria and I have always acted in the best interest of all Nigerians. You referred to the divisive actions and inflammatory utterances of some individuals from the South-South and asserted that I have done nothing to call them to order or distance myself from their ethnic chauvinism. Again that is very untrue. I am as committed to the unity of this country as any patriot can be and I have publicly declared on many occasions that no person who threatens other Nigerians or parts of the country is acting on my behalf.

     

    It is very regrettable that in your letter, you seem to place sole responsibility for the ongoing intrigues and tensions in the PDP at my doorstep, and going on from that position, you direct all your appeals for a resolution at me. Baba, let us all be truthful to ourselves, God and posterity. At the heart of all the current troubles in our party and the larger polity is the unbridled jostling and positioning for personal or group advantage ahead of the 2015 general elections. The “bitterness, anger, mistrust, fear and deep suspicion” you wrote about all flow from this singular factor.

     

    It is indeed very unfortunate that the seeming crisis in the party was instigated by a few senior members of the party, including you. But, as leader of the party, I will continue to do my best to unite it so that we can move forward with strength and unity of purpose. The PDP has always recovered from previous crises with renewed vigour and vitality. I am very optimistic that that will be the case again this time. The PDP will overcome any temporary setback, remain a strong party and even grow stronger.

     

    Instigating people to cause problems and disaffection within the party is something that you are certainly familiar with. You will recall that founding fathers of the Party were frustrated out of the Party at a time.  Late Chief Sunday Awoniyi was pushed out, Late Chief Solomon Lar left and later came back, Chief Audu Ogbeh and Chief Tom Ikimi also left. Chief Okwesilieze Nwodo left and later came back. In 2005/2006, link-men were sent to take over party structures from PDP Governors in an unveiled attempt to undermine the state governors. In spite of that, the Governors did not leave the Party because nobody instigated and encouraged them to do so.

     

    The charge that I was involved in anti-party activities in governorship elections in Edo, Ondo, Lagos, and Anambra States is also very unfortunate. I relate with all Governors irrespective of political party affiliation but I have not worked against the interest of the PDP.  What I have not done is to influence the electoral process to favour our Party. You were definitely never so inclined, since you openly boasted in your letter of how you supported Alhaji Shehu Shagari against Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chief Nnamdi Azikiwe and others in the 1979 presidential elections while serving as a military Head of State. You and I clearly differ in this regard, because as the President of Nigeria, I believe it is my duty and responsibility to create a level playing field for all parties and all candidates.

     

    Recalling how the PDP lost in states where we were very strong in 2003 and 2007 such as Edo, Ondo, Imo, Bauchi, Anambra, and Borno, longstanding members of our great party with good memory will also consider the charge of anti-party activities you made against me as misdirected and hugely hypocritical. It certainly was not Goodluck Jonathan’s “personal ambition or selfish interest” that caused the PDP to lose the governorship of Ogun State and all its senatorial seats in the last general elections.

     

    You quoted me as saying that I have not told anybody that I will seek another term in office in 2015. You and your ambitious acolytes within the party have clearly decided to act on your conclusion that “only a fool will believe that statement” and embark on a virulent campaign to harass me out of an undeclared candidature for the 2015 presidential elections so as to pave the way for a successor anointed by you.

     

    You will recall that you serially advised me that we should refrain from discussing the 2015 general elections for now so as not to distract elected public officials from urgent task of governance. While you have apparently moved away from that position, I am still of the considered opinion that it would have been best for us to do all that is necessary to refrain from heating up the polity at this time. Accordingly, I have already informed Nigerians that I will only speak on whether or not I will seek a second term when it is time for such declarations. Your claims about discussions I had with you, Governor Gabriel Suswam and others are wrong, but in keeping with my declared stance, I will reserve further comments until the appropriate time.

     

    Your allegation that I asked half a dozen African Presidents to speak to you about my alleged ambition for 2015, is also untrue.  I have never requested any African President to discuss with you on my behalf.  In our discussion, I mentioned to you that four Presidents told me that they were concerned about the political situation in Nigeria and intended to talk to you about it.  So far, only three of them have confirmed to me that they have had any discussion with you. If I made such a request, why would I deny it?

     

    The issue of Buruji Kashamu is one of those lies that should not be associated with a former President.  The allegation that I am imposing Kashamu on the South-West is most unfortunate and regrettable.  I do not even impose Party officials in my home state of Bayelsa and there is no zone in this country where I have imposed officials.  So why would I do so in the South West?  Baba, in the light of Buruji’s detailed public response to your “open letter”, it will be charitable for you to render an apology to Nigerians and I.

     

    On the issue of investors being scared to come to Nigeria, economic dormancy, and stagnation, I will just refer you to FDI statistics from 2000 to 2013. Within the last three years, Nigeria has emerged as the preferred destination for investments in Africa, driven by successful government policies to attract foreign investors. For the second year running, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Investments (UNCTAD) has ranked Nigeria as the number one destination for investments in Africa, and as having the fourth highest returns in the world.

     

    Today, Nigeria is holding 18 percent of all foreign investments in Africa and 60 percent of all foreign investments in the ECOWAS Sub-Region. Kindly note also that in the seven years between 2000 and 2007 when you were President, Nigeria attracted a total of $24.9 Billion in FDI.  As a result of our efforts which you disparage, the country has seen an FDI inflow of $25.7 Billion in just three years which is more than double the FDI that has gone to the second highest African destination. We have also maintained an annual national economic growth rate of close to seven per cent since the inception of this administration. What then, is the justification for your allegation of scared investors and economic dormancy?

     

    Although it was not emphasized in your letter of December 2, 2013, you also conveyed, in previous correspondence, the impression that you were ignorant of the very notable achievements of my administration in the area of foreign relations. It is on record that under my leadership, Nigeria has played a key role in resolving the conflicts in Niger, Cote d’Ivoire, Mali, Guinea Bissau and others.

     

    The unproductive rivalry that existed between Nigeria and some ECOWAS countries has also been ended under my watch and Nigeria now has better relations with all the ECOWAS countries.  At the African Union, we now have a Commissioner at the AU Commission after being without one for so long. We were in the United Nations Security Council for the 2010/2011 Session and we have been voted in again for the 2014/2015 Session. From independence to 2010, we were in the U.N. Security Council only three times but from 2010 to 2015, we will be there two times.

    This did not happen by chance.  My Administration worked hard for it and we continue to maintain the best possible relations with all centres of global political and economic power. I find it hard therefore, to believe your assertions of untoward concern in the international community over the state of governance in Nigeria

     

    With respect to the Brass and Olokola LNG projects, you may have forgotten that though you started these projects, Final Investment Decisions were never reached.  For your information, NNPC has not withdrawn from either the Olokola or the Brass LNG projects.

     

    On the Rivers State Water Project, you were misled by your informant. The Federal Government under my watch has never directed or instructed the Africa Development Bank to put on hold any project to be executed in Rivers state or any other State within the Federation. The Rivers Water Project was not originally in the borrowing plan but it was included in April 2013 and appraised in May. Negotiations are ongoing with the AfDB.  I have no doubt that you are familiar with the entire process that prefaces the signing of a Subsidiary Loan Agreement as in this instance.

     

    Let me assure you and all Nigerians that I do not engage in negative political actions and will never, as President, oppress the people of a State or deprive them of much needed public services as a result of political disagreement

    I have noted your comments on the proposed National Conference. Contrary to the insinuation in your letter, the proposed conference is aimed at bringing Nigerians together to resolve contentious national issues in a formal setting. This is a sure way of promoting greater national consensus and unity, and not a recipe for “disunity, confusion and chaos” as you alleged in your letter.

     

    Having twice held the high office of President, Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I trust that you will understand that I cannot possibly find the time to offer a line-by-line response to all the accusations and allegations made in your letter while dealing with other pressing demands of office and more urgent affairs of state.

     

    I have tried, however, to respond to only the most serious of the charges which question my sincerity, personal honour, and commitment to the oath which I have sworn, to always uphold and protect the interests of all Nigerians, and promote their well-being.

     

    In closing, let me state that you have done me grave injustice with your public letter in which you wrongfully accused me of deceit, deception, dishonesty, incompetence, clannishness, divisiveness and insincerity, amongst other ills.

     

    I have not, myself, ever claimed to be all-knowing or infallible, but I have never taken Nigeria or Nigerians for granted as you implied, and I will continue to do my utmost to steer our ship of state towards the brighter future to which we all aspire.

     

    Please accept the assurances of my highest consideration and warm regards.

     

    GOODLUCK  EBELE JONATHAN

  • Danjuma faults Obasanjo on letter to Jonathan

    Danjuma faults Obasanjo on letter to Jonathan

    A former Minister of Defence, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma, has faulted ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo’s letter to President Goodluck Jonathan.

    He said it was better to join issues one-on-one with the President instead of writing a letter.

    He said Nigeria is undergoing a dangerous political period which imposes a responsibility on leaders to be cautious on what they say.

    Danjuma made his position known on Friday night at the 6th edition of the Abuja Praise Festival, which he hosted at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.

    He said: “I wish to align with what Gen. Yakubu Gowon has said. These are difficult times and I urge leaders to be careful with their utterances, especially in the public.

    “When people ask me what I think of the letter, I said I don’t have to talk on the pages of newspapers. I have unimpeded access to the president. If I have anything to say to him, I would meet him directly.”

    Danjuma’s comments on Obasanjo’s letter were greeted with a loud applause.

    The former Minister added: “We should always pursue peace as believers because without peace, we cannot fulfill our destiny.

    “We as leaders must continue to have peace with men and with God.”

    A former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, who was the Special Guest of Honour at the event, also advised Nigerian leaders to be wary of comments that could compromise the peace of the nation

    He demanded caution from all in public speeches because “the times are indeed testy.”

    He said: “ Peace is a very important factor for growth. So, we must not be distracted. And we must not be tired of suing for peace. We must watch our utterances as leaders whether past or present.”

  • Deji’s death, a huge loss to Yoruba race-Obasanjo

    Deji’s death, a huge loss to Yoruba race-Obasanjo

    FORMER President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has described the death of the paramount ruler of Akure Kingdom, Oba Adebiyi Adesida, as a great loss to the Yoruba race.

    Obasanjo’s visit came 21 days after the late monarch joined his ancestors. The former president is a close friend of the late Oba Adesida.

    At the palace of the late traditional ruler in Akure where he condoled with the widow, Olori Mojisola Adesida, and members of the Adesida family, Obasanjo, who was accompanied by some chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, said the reign of Oba Adesida was memorable and eventful.

    While commiserating with the family of the late monarch, Obasanjo prayed to God to grant his family the fortitude to bear the loss.

    The former PDP Board of Trustees Chairman said Oba

    Adesida would be remembered for his uncommon zeal for the development of Akure.

    Responding on behalf of the family of the late traditional ruler, Raymond Adesida thanked the former president for the visit.

    The former president later paid a condolence visit to the palace of the Asamo of Akure where he also commiserated with the people of Akure.

    At the end of his visit, Obasanjo declined to comment on national issues when he was by journalists.

  • Jonathan under pressure to reply Obasanjo’s letter

    Jonathan under pressure to reply Obasanjo’s letter

    NLC, Lagos Assembly, PDM urge lawmakers to probe allegations

    President Goodluck Jonathan remained under pressure yesterday to respond to former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s letter on the state of the nation.

    Obasanjo, in an 18-page December 2 letter, levelled some allegations against Dr Jonathan and his administration, which he said was derailing.

    He also urged the President to respond to allegations that he had been training snipers and a killer squad ahead of the 2015 elections.

    Obasanjo said Jonathan had no moral right to contest in 2015, having promised to spend only one term when he was being nominated in 2011.

    But the Presidency has asked the former president to prove the existence of a killer squad or keep quiet.

    Besides, Jonathan is said to be planning to respond to the allegations.

    To the Nigeria Labour Congress (NCL), Jonathan should respond now to the “weighty allegations”.

    Acting General Secretary Chris Uyot said the President should respond to the critical issues raised by Obasanjo, which, according to him, border on national security and the management of the nation’s economy.

    Uyot also urged the ruling Peoples Democratic Party to ensure that the raging internal crisis in the party does not engulf the country.

    The labour leader argued that since Obasanjo wrote the letter, in which he expressed his view and made allegations on serious issues, Nigerians had been waiting for Jonathan’s response.

    He said: “The issues raised are weighty enough for the President to respond to. One of the issues borders on national security while another borders on the management of the economy.

    “As far as we are concerned, Obasanjo wrote a letter to the President and made those allegations, and Nigerians want the President to respond to this letter. The NLC would respond to the controversy at the appropriate time.”

    Obasanjo had accused Jonathan of taking actions inimical to the well being of the nation in an 18-page letter dated December 2, 2013 with the title ‘before it is too late.’

    The former President, who accused Jonathan of committing anti-party activities against the ruling PDP because of his political ambition, also accused him of training snipers and putting 1,000 politicians under watch.

    The main opposition All Progressive Congress (APC) has asked the National Assembly to impeach Jonathan. The Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) called yesterday on the National Assembly to investigate the letter.

    A statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDM, Ahmadu Rufai Abubakar, said the issues raised in the letter were troubling and unfortunate.

    Obasanjo had, among others, alleged non remittance of over $7 billion crude oil proceeds to the Federation Account by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

    “These are grave and weighty allegations indeed. We read, with deep disappointment, the President’s response or, better still, his non-response to these allegations, through his media aide.

    “The decision of the President to ignore these allegations, for now, is quite troubling and unfortunate.

    “It is totally inexplicable and unacceptable that the leader of our nation can assume that the nation can wait until such a time he feels the need to explain these grave allegations, some of which border on treason.

    “By his decision not to respond to these allegations immediately, the President is keeping Nigeria and Nigerians in unnecessary and dangerous suspense,” the statement added.

    The party insisted that Nigerians had a right to know the truth about the allegations raised in the letter, stressing that the President owed the people an explanation.

    The PDM added: “It is not a matter of choice, it is a matter of duty for the President to respond immediately, failing which his government loses the legitimacy to continue to govern and he loses the moral right to continue to lead the country.

    “We view this decision by the President to defer a timely response seriously. We feel it is an abdication of duty and responsibility and it undermines the integrity of the office he occupies. It threatens the unity, peace and political stability of the nation.

    “In view of the above, the PDM calls on the National Assembly to discharge its duty and responsibility to the nation by compelling the President to offer an immediate response to the allegations levelled against him in the letter.

    “We call on the National Assembly to fully and painstakingly investigate these allegations, by asking the President to fully explain himself and absolve himself of them, failing which it should commence impeachment proceedings against him.”

    The Lagos State House of Assembly at plenary also said the National Assembly should investigate the allegations without delay.

    The session, which was presided over by Deputy Speaker Taiwo Kolawole, made the call following a motion raised by a member, Mr. Bisi Yusuf, under “matter of urgent public importance”.

    The House called on Obasanjo to forward his letter to the National Assembly as a petition.

    The House said the National Assembly is constitutionally empowered to carry out such a probe,which it should do to save the country from collapse”

    Yusuf described the content of Obasanjo’s letter as “worrisome”. He said Jonathan should respond to the various allegations and should honourably resign his position if the allegations were found to be true.

    Contributing to the debate, a member, Yinka Ogundimu, said the allegations against Jonathan, coming from Obasanjo, could not be dismissed, but should be considered weighty.

    Many other members spoke in a smiliar manner.

    Deputy Speaker Kolawole said: “I want to plead with Obasanjo to send that letter to the National Assembly as a petition that will be investigated.”

    The Northwest Solidarity Forum (NSF) has described the silence of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors on the letter as worrisome.

    In the statement titled: “Obasanjo’s letter: Where are the PDP governors?” the Forum said it was concerned about the content of the 18-page letter “which borders on issues of governance and exposes details of such other issues which should not have been meant for the public space”.

    The statement reads: “While the Forum is still pondering the motivation behind the declassification of the letter by Chief Obasanjo, it is quite surprising that none of the governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has deemed it necessary to intervene in the matter through measured comments that will engender reconciliation.

    “The silence in the camp of the PDP governors is worrisome to us.

    The statement added: “At this point, the PDP governors who believe in the survival of the Federal Government and the PDP cannot afford to sit on the fence or keep mute.

    “The salvation of our democracy, the political careers and future of the governors should give them a sense of urgency and commitment to the task of working together to pursue peace and success for the Federal Government and the ruling party now and during the 2015 general elections.”

    The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) faction led by Plateau State Governor Jonah Jang described the letter as part of the growth process of the nation and an integral part of democracy.

    In a statement in Abuja from the media office of the Forum, signed by Kassim Yakubu, the Jang-led NGF noted that they were committed to the success of democratic rule in Nigeria and that democracy remains the most viable form of government for the development of Nigeria.

    “A look at the progress made in the states within a little over a decade of democratic rule cannot compare to the many decades of other forms of governments of the past”, adding that “the success of democratic rule is made possible by the participatory nature of the system of government which he says is presently working for Nigeria.”

    As our democracy grows, it is our belief that more and more quality candidates will continue to emerge and this will translate to better governance on behalf of the people.”

    Calling on Nigerians to continue to participate in the democratic process as there is no other form of government that can guarantee the level of choice and participation that comes with democracy, Jang stressed that Nigerians should see the recent surge in political activities as integral to any democratic society.

    “There will always be both positive and negative issues thrown out there just as we are experiencing now with those heating up the polity unnecessarily. Nigerians should however remain steadfast in their confidence in democracy and see all these as part of the growth process as a nation,” the statement added.

  • PDM urges National Assembly to probe Obasanjo’s letter

    PDM urges National Assembly to probe Obasanjo’s letter

    The Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) has urged the National Assembly to probe the allegations in the letter by ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo to President Goodluck Jonathan.

    In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Ahmadu Rufai Abubakar, the party said the allegations were too grievous to be ignored.

    The statement reads: “We read with consternation and disbelief the letter addressed to President Goodluck Jonathan by former president Olusegun Obasanjo, which was released to the media last week. “The allegations contained in the letter are earth-shaking and troubling…

    “We read, with deep disappointment, the President’s response or, better still, his non-response to these allegations, through his media aide. The decision of the President to ignore these allegations, for now, is quite troubling and unfortunate. More than that, it is totally inexplicable and unacceptable that the leader of our nation can assume that the nation can wait until such a time he feels the need to explain these grave allegations.

    “By his decision not to respond to these allegations immediately, the President is keeping Nigeria and Nigerians in unnecessary and dangerous suspense. Nigerians have a right to know the truth, especially those impacting on his job as president, immediately, not when the President chooses to respond. It is not a matter of choice, it is a matter of duty for the President to respond immediately, failing which his government loses the legitimacy to continue to govern and he loses the moral right to continue to lead the country.

    “We view this decision by the President to defer a timely response seriously. We feel it is an abdication of duty and responsibility and it undermines the integrity of the office he occupies. It threatens the unity, peace and political stability of the nation.

    “The Peoples Democratic Movement calls on the National Assembly to compel the President to offer an immediate response.

    “We call on the National Assembly to probe these allegations by asking the President to explain himself, failing which it should impeach him.

    “We have noticed a familiar pattern of response from the Presidency since the letter was placed in the public domain.”

    Instead of addressing the issues, which the letter raised, the person of former President Obasanjo has come under virulent media attack. Conflating the message with the messenger will not make the message go away. This tactic belongs, in this instance, to the realm of political theatre and constitutes an assault on the intelligence of Nigerians, who can only be assuaged by a cogent response to the issues, not politicising them.

    “There is a time and place for politics and a time and place for statesmanship. The President is well advised to understand the difference. We call on the President to rise up to the occasion and not hide behind the thin wall of ambiguity and suspense.

  • Before it is too late?

    Before it is too late?

    Hate him or love him, there is something about the Olusegun Obasanjo persona that manages to evoke mixed passions both in the polity and in every one of us. A classic study in ethical and moral abdication, his story, emblematises the ugly face of the nation’s leadership regression. For a man whose entire public life had the ever tending hands of benevolent gods doing the cracking of his proverbial palm kernels for him, those who endlessly accuse him of opportunism merely acknowledge the gracelessness that has dogged his entire life.

    So much for the naked dance of the self-appointed diviner of fate!

    The issue of course is the ex-President’s inelegantly worded 18-page ‘advisory’ to the estranged godson dated December 2 – that is few days before the December 5 passing of the great Nelson Mandela. Although it seems highly improbable that the timing of its ‘leakage’ had anything to do with an attempt to burnish the shrunken stature of a man who once rubbed shoulders with global statesmen as a member of Commonwealth Eminent Persons Group, even at that, there are those who would swear that Obasanjo actually chose the timing of the release of the ‘satanic verses’ as his own revenge on a world that has long expunged his name from its roll of statesmen!

    I must say that one of the difficult, unenviable choices of being a Nigerian is being called upon to pick between the graceless, unforgiving, hypocritical and the outright lawless godfather and his utterly incompetent, vacillating and corrupt clone!

    I have been asked the question nearly a dozen times – what do I make of Obasanjo’s letter to President Goodluck Jonathan?

    My ready answer is –it is vintage Obasanjo with its signature self-serving patriotic pretensions and alarming prognostications. Simply because he created Jonathan in his image and after his likeness, he seeks to remain the jealous god to whom the man must defer whether in the running of the party or the conduct of his government! It’s part of living in the illusion of being the ultimate shuttle diplomat – consulted by Presidents and kings – to do what he does best – dousing the fires created by the many marionettes on the continent!

    Such make-believe larger than life image of Obasanjo obviously plays to type. It is part of the myth woven round the man now pejoratively call Baba. Recently, I watched Baba spar with ex-CNN man, the Kenyan-born Jeff Koinage on You-Tube. I struggled to reconcile the image of a once celebrated professional with the practiced actor fawning before our own OBJ at some downtown conference in East Africa! And how the man loved the comical spectacle!

    Why is OBJ angry with GEJ? Is it for surpassing his administration’s records in serial abuses of our laws and institutions? And talk of fidelity to party; didn’t Obasanjo blaze the trail in party infidelity when he supported Ikedi Ohakim, the PPA candidate against Ararume, the candidate of his party? What about the serial impunities in Ekiti, Plateau and Bayelsa? And the corruption? The third term subversion, etc.

    Nigerians, it must be said truly know who their troubler-in-chief is.

    Now, let’s turn to the sanctimonious Jonathan presidency. I wish there was something left of that intangible called ‘sympathy’ for an administration that has done all in its power to mismanage virtually all aspects of our lives in a little over three years since it took charge. From a broad pan-Nigerian mandate of 2011, what we have now is a presidency diminished both in moral authority and in grandeur. In this, Obasanjo was neither original nor expressed anything outside what other Nigerians have come to perceive as the gracelessness of our Ijaw brothers in appropriating this Presidency as theirs. And how they rub it in!

    Under Obasanjo, at least you knew who was in charge; today what we have is a laissez faire presidency – a party of all comers. Imagine an administration presiding over the daily theft of 20 percent of its main revenue source – crude oil? It would hardly be uncharitable to qualify it as an administration only in name.

    In saner climes, that is a cause for war! What do we have instead? Brigands calling the shots leaving state actors to squabble over the dregs in the pot. And this is supposed to be a country with a standing army, navy and air force. Welcome to GEJ’s gangland republic.

    That was what Obasanjo inferred with his allegory of the thief being invited to guard the house. Only the presidency can afford to pretend not to know who the thieves are; or the house being ravaged. We know. We know what the supposed minders have done with our lives. It’s etched on the faces of the ordinary man on the Main Street.

    It is of course that graft in high places of course stinks to high heavens. The scale of impunity beggars believe. Ever heard of corruption-complaint administration? There is putrefaction everywhere; the NNPC is an island unto itself; or so it has always been. The accounts, we are told by those who should know, are for their eyes only. Only in Nigeria would the variation on existing contract quadruple the initial contract sum. If in doubt, ask Works Ministry; the smart operators in the powerful ministry have just enough tools to convince, confuse and confound anyone!

    I need to talk about the little matter of the aviation ministry. Yes, Stella Oduah of the Stellagate fame is still in charge. You ask; how come? Our President of course thinks corruption is overblown; that it is more of a perception thing.

    Now, we have since learnt how easy it is to purchase two bullet-proof vehicles outside the strictures of appropriation process in clear violation of the procurement laws; that is of course permissible so long as you have the ears of the President. Never mind that those who should approve the expenditure have long denied that they gave no approval for anything of the sort. With the chief of state settling for an administrative panel rather than haul the alleged felons before the courts, the case appears closed.

    I don’t think Nigerians can suffer the indulgence of ignoring Saint Obasanjo. That would be fatal. An erstwhile commander-in-chief obviously knows the implication of raising hell over the 1000 names said to be on political watch list and an alleged recruitment of hit squads for whatever agenda. It goes beyond wishing that the worst would not happen. It calls for action on the part of the National Assembly as the elected representatives of the people. As the Yorubas would say – the log that poses a threat to the eye is better taken off from a safe distance. Hardly a time to cast lots between godfather and godson.