By Bukar
Raheem
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo (OBJ) is an
all-rounder in nuances. So, he has etched his personality on Nigeria’s
political space, but too many times in paranoia. On the bright side, OBJ
displays multiple identities such as a triple former Nigerian leader and elder
statesman of international fame; a retired Nigerian Army General of the
combatant breed; a writer, an evangelist, a traditionalist, a farmer. On the
flipside, OBJ is oddly the gadfly in Nigeria’s politics, self-styled omniscient
of Nigeria; an incestuous character and sadist in social circles, to rewind him
mildly.
A country, with a living octogenarian in the mould
and experience of OBJ, should not suffer the pains Nigeria is forced to bear at
the moment because it taps from his positive treasures for nourishment. But the
odd blend of virtues of good and evil in OBJ has usurped the sapience of
tapping from him because his old age sadly stirs up his bad side, more often.
When he wrote former President Goodluck Jonathan, an
open letter, that political son of his knew he was heading for the political
slaughter slab. Jonathan provoked OBJ by daring to classify him, the elder
statesman he knows, a “garage tout.”
But, he may not be too distant from this description. Anyway, OBJ was
provoked and genuinely too.
Today, OBJ praises PMB, with the lower jaws of the
teeth in his mouth. But within the same mouth, crucifies him over problems he
could not solve as Nigeria’s democratic President for eight years. He haughtily
declares that the existing problems need immediate solution, which is reason
for the change as symbolized by Buhari and not “excuses.” So, OBJ keeps
offending Nigerians by postulating that PMB should have solved them in 17
months?
Now and shamelessly, OBJ goes to bed, but keeps
wakefulness or night Virgil, seeking to know the financial status of Nigeria
(his beloved country?) and beats his chest that until he is informed about
Nigeria’s finances, every other step of Buhari’s government is wrong.
So, Buhari deserves the most acerbic of
condemnations from an elder statesman, who has occupied Aso Villa countless
times before him. Why for Christ’s sake would Buhari have the guts of not
venerating his (OBJ) dearest political godsons like former Jigawa state
governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido and the equally prickly former minister of
Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode by exposing them to EFCC scrutiny? But PMB never
initiated the probes on these suspected looters of Nigeria’s wealth.
And in his usual manner of damaging thinking, OBJ
believes every organ of government should be accountable to him, even as he is
out of government. With enormous physical energy, as a soldier, he does not
believe in his waning status or senility and bestrides the polity, claiming
intellectuality, attacking every other person who seats on the presidential
seat in Aso Rock, as doing everything wrong, except him.
But for the eight years he was in the saddle,
Nigerians sighted nothing as democratic dividends. He rather joined the league
of the country’s looters, most conspicuously, with his OBJ library launch, an
occasion government appointees were cajoled or coerced to source money from
their establishments to donate in appreciation of President OBJ. And they did
just that!
Let OBJ
explain to Nigerians how his Library launch openly netted about N5billion when
Nigeria’s Naira had worth much more than its current value today. OBJ once counted GSM, (Global System of
Mobile Communication) as one of his achievements, because a recharge card
seller could get N20 (Twenty Naira) from the sale of N1, 000 unit of recharge
card from any network. But Nigerians are
the minutely, most exploited users of GSM in Africa.
Again, OBJ is so far the only Nigerian privileged to
preside over the affairs of Nigeria for 11 years, the longest any man has ever
served on Nigeria’s topmost job. But Nigeria has no outstanding achievement it
can celebrate in OBJ in the manner South Africans fete Nelson Mandela, even in
death or some other revered African Leaders.
But today, he wishes Buhari purifies the land of the
mess he planted, with his crook-cronies or proxies for 16 years, in just 17
months. And so, in OBJ’s distorted sense, PMB should stop complaining but
provide the change; the crest which he rode to power or else consider himself
(Buhari) a failure.
So, OBJ shamelessly feigns a good man and a
patriotic Nigerian leader, in his blinding conviction that Nigerians believe
his piousness and adulterated wisdom. It explains why the United Nations never
found him fit for the Job of its Chief Scribe.
Unfortunately for him, every Nigerian knows that
beneath OBJ’s harmless countenance and pretensions about loyalty and
patriotism, lies the darkest facade of a heart completely blacker than
charcoal, and extremely difficult to dislodge.
He erects for himself the image of a saint and
perceives any other person around him, especially those in governance as
sinners. But if there is any single misfortune in Nigeria’s leadership, it is
more expressed in OBJ than any other Nigerian leader.
Verily repugnant too, OBJ today positions himself to
speak harshly about a government in power and without a second thought, advises
PMB to deviate from the path of blaming previous administrations and sort out
Nigeria’s economy. But this is democracy
and not any military administration where leaders act with fiat. OBJ is piqued
because his administration (from 1999-2007) is also included in the bunch
Buhari has classified as Nigeria’s failed leadership, which has raped Nigeria.
He said the same thing about Late Umaru Yar’Adua and Jonathan, all presidents
he imposed on Nigeria.
Read OBJ’s emotions in these words; “The blanket
adverse comments or castigation of all democratic administrations from 1999 by
the present administration is uncharitable, fussy and uninstructive.”
To whisper his wasted years in power, OBJ again
adds, “Politics apart, I strongly believe that there is a distinction between
the three previous administrations that it would be unfair to lump them all together.
I understand President Buhari’s frustration on the state of the economy
inherited by him. It was the same reason and situation that brought about the
cry for change, otherwise, there would be no need for change, if it was all nice and rosy.”
This same man (OBJ) backs sale of national assets to
raise money to get Nigeria out of its economic recession because he initiated
the idea of selling NEPA through what they call privatization. To handover this
sensitive national asset to his wife, Late Stella (May her soul rest in peace),
OBJ changed the name from NEPA to PHCN. And eventually sold by Jonathan in
2013, OBJ should ask himself whether Nigerians are experiencing improved power
supply.
That ideas like sale of national assets in any guise
do not work in Nigeria’s context, but coming from OBJ, every Nigerian should
see it as perfect and he advises Buhari to think in this direction. But
vehemently, he opposes in part, the move for a foreign loan because the amount
is too huge.
He frankly appreciates Buhari’s burden or concern
for the suffering masses of Nigeria and the need to alleviate same. But to
acknowledge that PMB would not have to “shit” money to solve Nigeria’s problems
is what this elder statesman would simply not accept, because it would impose,
according to him, 30 years of servitude on Nigeria. If Nigerians had impact
from the $16 billion, he claimed his administration spent on power generation,
national grid would not have been below 2, 500 megawatts (MW) Buhari inherited
and has pushed it to now slightly above 5,000 MW.
OBJ says “No administration can or should be
comfortable with the excruciating pain of debilitating and crushing economy.
Businesses are closing, jobs are being lost and people are suffering.”
But is there anything new? These are problems Buhari
inherited and OBJ himself knows that only PMB believes in the change mantra.
OBJ knows that majority of the people around Buhari like himself are
frustrating this change and humanly, it is not possible for Buhari to be in
every office in Nigeria to have things done accordingly.
In the First Akintola William’s Annual Lecture, OBJ
admits of his frustrations in auditing accounts of the National Assembly,
he confesses is peopled by crooks and “unarmed robbers.”
But he expects that Buhari should perform miracles with the same characters in
place, maliciously checkmating his good plans for Nigeria for their selfish
ends.
OBJ was an abrasive president, who could cause the
abduction of an incumbent governor (Anambra’s Chris Ngige) or order the sack of
his party’s national chairman, (then PDP’s Chief Audu Ogbeh) after a dinner
with him. But Buhari is sincerely a different politician who would not just
float the law to massage his ego.
A Senate made up of characters OBJ has infinitely
kept questioning are the same clan of parliamentarians who have rejected PMB’s
proposal to borrow $29 billion, monies they can vouch for its judicious
applicability with Buhari’s eagle eye.
That’s how wisdom dangles. While OBJ believes that
PMB should borrow money, but not in the magnitude of the $29 billion he is
demanding, Senators of Nigeria see no reason for it. It will do OBJ a great
deal of respite, if he observes more and speaks less under a Buhari Presidency,
who remains a Nigerian leader for the Nigerian masses.
Raheem writes
from Kaduna State.
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