Auspicious time Obasanjo gets concerned with life after death, by Kola Amzat
At 87+, ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo remains one of the prodigiously blessed Nigerians, dead or alive.
He has enjoyed manifold and mindboggling blessings in all facets in the same country he’s chosen to be continually maligned and ridiculed at every given opportunity.
By sheer act of provident, he was the Nigerian Army Commander who the rebellious Biafran soldiers handed over the “mantle of surrender” in Asaba, a historic and symbolic event that drew curtains on the acrimonious, very destructive and disruptive Nigeria civil war.
He also had the privilege of been the first military ruler that handed over to a democratically elected government. This happened in 1979 when he passed over the baton of nation leadership to Sheu Shagari of National Party of Nigeria (NPN).
He mysteriously resurfaced at the corridor of power after he got released by the military government led by Abdulsalam Abubakar, to lead the nation as the first democratic leader at the commencement of the 4th Republic in 1999.
He governed the nation for eight years (1999-2007).
Nigerians vividly recall that shortly after he left office, he missed out only by whiskers to been elected as Secretary General of United Nations, an exalted office that would have cemented his stature as global personality.
But instead of the Owu high chief to solemnly reflect on all these unusual achievements, continually glorify and thankful to Almighty God, he simply misconstrued them as situating him on superior platform to every other Nigerians, so much that the accomplishments continually emboldened him with false sense of impression to appropriate Nigeria as his personal fiefdom, for which he could engage in anything un-towards, including making reckless and inflammatory pronouncements on very sensitive matters concerning the nation at every given opportunity.
Nigerians should enquire from the ex-president Obasanjo: How many times has he attended National Council of States since curtains drawn on his tenure in 1999?
As obtainable across the world, all past leaders are grouped in the eminent category of statesmen, a body that collectively serve as repository of knowledge & ideas for the incumbent.
Nigeria past leaders are not exception to this, as Yakubu Gowon, Ibrahim Babangida, Muhammud Buhari, Abdulsalam Abubakar and Goodluck Jonathan dutifully and patriotically play this role from time to time.
Only the retired general, Olusegun Obasanjo who had long opted out of this eminent class, always preferring to unduly critique all policy and programs of successive governments after him.
Nigerians recall vividly that despite the fact that he was the godfather that foisted ailing Umar Yar’Adua on the nation, he nonetheless subjected that government to intense scrutiny until the demise of the Katsina born leader.
He practically stood on the neck of ex-president Goodluck Jonathan throughout his tenure of about 6 years, as the ex-Bayelsa governor bluntly refused to pander onto him.
He invented a new model of critiquing government policies and programs through loads of letter writing during the regime of immediate past president, Muhammud Buhari.
Of course, the taciturn Daura born general practically ignored him for the eight he’s in saddle.
Meanwhile, after the present government has chosen to ignore him and his antics in the last 18 months, he’d opted to deploy the platform of Yale University in faraway, America to embarrass, as well as cast doubts and aspersions on competence and ability of President Tinubu to provide effective leadership and fight corruption, making very spurious and unsubstantiated corruption allegations within government through his despicable presentation.
Obasanjo as a former military and civilian leader should have known better that his provocative allegations contained in his presentation particularly at this very sensitive and critical time was just enough to incite the citizenry against the government, a development capable of precipitating uproar, pandemonium and violence across the country.
Would Obasanjo had tolerated this recklessness and spurious allegations during his regime?
Meanwhile, Nigerians could vividly recall that his regime of 1999-2007 was characterized with corruption of colossal dimension.
Under his watch, Atiku Abubakar appropriated significant proportion of national assets running into several billions of dollars, both home and abroad to himself and his cronies through the instrumentality of Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE).
Of course, the same era witnessed $16 billion meant for rehabilitation and repositioning of power sector that practically got appropriated into private accounts of top officials of the then PDP government.
Obasanjo era witnessed unprecedented massive attacks of democratic institutions.
In South/West alone, 5 seating governors mandate were stolen in one fell soup.
The ex-president made declaration of emergency rule a political habit.
We also recall vividly how he levelled Odi community and another community in the South/East region on a matter that could have been treated otherwise by a much-more informed president.
Even though the Owu high chief seems to have gotten away with the litany of above recklessness against Nigerian nation, citizenry and humanity, the crux of this Piece remains that at 87+, the retired general must acknowledge that he is on the very last lap of his sojourn on earth and should therefore be concerned with legacy to be bequeathed while he’s no more.
How does he wants to be remembered? As someone who stupendously profited from the nation, that he’s now working religiously and studiously to pull down?
As a leader who had awesome opportunity to change the direction and cause of the nation with respect to genuine economic growth and infrastructural developments capable of launching Nigeria into the midst of world great, but, chose to pursue vainglory and very pedestrian issues?
As a leader who ceaselessly and recklessly attack the successive leaders for nothing, other than selfishness and attracting undue favour?
The ball is his court to play. May he plays it well and may Almighty God grants him grace to change his way before death comes knocking!
Kola AMZAT (FCA, FCIB)
Lagos based Financial & Management Consultants,
09077509348.
