Ex-President Obasanjo: an alarmist on the March again!, by Kola Amzat

Across the globe, past leaders of governments are always circumspect and restrained when it comes to their views and perceptions on the affairs of their countries.

Even, when there are compelling issues of urgent national importance, they seamlessly walk in to the corridor of power to interface and engage the incumbent leader confidentially.  

Their justification is often anchored on the respect and honor for the present occupier of the office and more importantly, to protect the sanctity and sacredness of their territorial integrity.

To some reasonable extent, the situation is almost the same in Nigeria except for ex-president, Olusegun Obasanjo who has for decades appointed himself as GENERAL OVERSEER over the nation affairs, despite the fact that his tenure practically came to a close in 2007. 

In the last 17 years, the retired general has always sit on the necks of incumbent presidents irrespective of their party affiliation.

Late head of states, Musa Yar’Adua had his tenure constantly disrupted and interrupted by the Owu High Chief. Of course, Nigerians were oblivious of how Obasanjo terrorized former president, Goodluck Jonathan throughout, before curtains was drawn on Jonathan tenure in 2015, simply because the Otuoke born ex-president bluntly refused to pander to him particularly in the early part of his tenure.

Meanwhile, it was series of UNSOLICITED and UNDESIRABLE letters writing purportedly on the affairs of the nation from the same “self-appointed father” of the nation to immediate past president, Muhammud Buhari during the reign of Daura born ex-general.

Nigerians were therefore not taken aback by the series of sporadic attacks of the former president on Tinubu administration with the recent one camouflaged in a very inciting, potentially destructive and toxic pronouncement that “Nigeria is sitting on the keg of a gun powder”, an acidic statement deliberated designed to achieve an nefarious agenda.

At least, the “general overseer” has made this same pronouncement a couple of times tactically and strategically for the purpose of inciting the public against the government, and more mischievously to cast doubts and aspersions on the present government.

The culmination of the pronouncement was the former president assertion that all the successive presidents after him had failed to consolidate the “purported glorious achievements” that his administration recorded in all facets. 

This writer would therefore like to enquire about what achievements the ex-president was referring to.

May be, it’s an auspicious time to open Pandora box with a view chronicling the events that characterized his government-politically, economically and, in terms of infrastructures.

Politically, the Obasanjo regime remained the only government in the nation democratic annals that dismantled and destroyed the fabric of the nation democratic institution, with respect to democratic ethos, principles, traditions and orders.

During 2003 general elections and in the quest to establish political bloc in his Geo-political base, his rigging machine swept all the South West ACN governors from office, except Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the then Lagos governor, who valiantly fought and bluntly resisted the federal power and might.

It’s instructive that this was the GENESIS of an enduring political tussle between Obasanjo and the incumbent president.

The former president opted for this strange and obnoxious victory following the accusation in the political sphere that he had no political base. 

The same president continually breached the DOCTRINE OF SEPARATION OF POWERS” by invading the national assembly with CONTEMPT and offensive IMPUNITY with a view to imposing his loyalists, faithful and those who were ready to pander to his whims and caprices, particularly, as a senate president.

His eight year regime recorded five (5) senate presidents, the highest in annals of any democratic government around the world. 

But, for providence who came to his rescue to escape only by WHISKERS the well-orchestrated impeachment attempts that endured for several months, by the late Speaker, House of Reps, Ghali Naaba, Obasanjo would have ended in office as impeached president.

After that 4 years reign as speaker, Naaba never smell the prescient of national assembly again, as Obasanjo went to his Kano federal constituents to block him and rail-road his quest for coming back.      

Meanwhile, till date, no one could categorically confirm why late Diepreye Alamisiegba, the then governor of Bayelsa state was subjected to so much ridicule, contempt and disgrace so much that the then Governor-General of Niger Delta Region had to disguise as a woman in order to escape to another country from the clutches of the ex-president.

Till date, the news in the public domain was that the late Bayelsa governor was deploying the platform of governor general of the zone to defend the cause of the geo-political zone, an assertion the ex-president detested.

No Nigerian could also confirm in clear terms why Rotimi Amaechi triumph in PDP’s gubernatorial primary in 2007 was declared a ‘K’ leg by former president, a development that created a long-term political impasse in Rivers State.

Of course, Nigerians vividly recall the travail of Lagos state with the federal government, with years of withholding state federal allocations simply because Bola Tinubu administration created 37 LCDAs out of the existing 20 LGCs, an awesome developmental initiative that has produced several cities within the state

We equally recollect that the ex-president was declaring “state of emergency” in states with reckless abandon, even for the issues that could have been conveniently and seamlessly resolved with political dialogues.   

On humanitarian level, Obasanjo administration completely levelled Odi community and rendered that enclave ruined, also on issues that dialogue could have resolved amicably.

May be the former president is still not conscious of the fact that, it’s incumbent on him as the then democratic elected president of the country to claim responsibility for the recklessness and unpatriotic disposal of all national monuments, historical heritage and all other assets across the nation by Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) largely to Atiku Abubakar and other very few privileged Nigerians.

That development alone deprived the country hundreds of billions of Naira that could have accrued to Federation Accounts, and which the country could have effortlessly channel for infrastructural initiatives and developmental purposes across the country.   

Nigerians need to enquire from the ex-president from what sources the fund deployed to construct the gigantic and very expansive Obasanjo Library in Abeokuta came from? No other monument in that sector can rival that huge complex in Nigeria, even, nay Africa! Is it not from extortion from the corporate giants that were favored with huge contracts approval?

On Infrastructural development, the ex-president ensured that he abandoned all-important Lagos/Ibadan expressway for the period his tenure lasted. It was Buhari administration that almost completed the project with Babatunde Raji Fashola as executioner-in-chief, before the Tinubu regime now take control to round up the construction work.

The ex-president practically neglected Ota/Abeokuta and even, Sagamu/ Abeokuta, as well as Benn/Ore roads.

Could South West and even, South East geo-political zones function without aforementioned roads, commercially and otherwise.

Nigerians equally vividly recollect that during his first term in office (1999-2003), the ex-president abdicated his role and responsibility as the elected president for Atiku Abubakar by chosen to globetrot under the guise of restoring Nigeria back into the midst of international community, following the pariah status of the country consequent upon the military regime.

The million dollar question here is: Would it have taken four (4) years to restore the country back to glory especially with democratic governance already in place, which was the key demand of the international community?

The above ugly development almost run the country aground with Atiku Abubakar seizing the rein of governance and started deploying power and authority in favor of coterie of friends, business associates, as well as very few in political sphere, especially few Niger Delta governors who eventually demanded that he should be made president instead of Obasanjo, during the PDP’s second term

Such is the damage of immeasurable and incalculable proportion that ex-president inflicted on this country and citizenry psyche during his reign (1999-2007), politically, infrastructural wise, socio-economically.

So, what are his justifications for claiming that successive administration refused to consolidate his achievements in office?

What does he want them to build upon?

This question could only be answered by Owu High Chief, himself.

Finally, this writer passionately appeal to ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo to leave this president alone to run his programs and execute his policies as he had promised Nigerian people; after-all, Bola Tinubu remains the only one answerable and accountable to Nigeria on his stewardship.

Ex-president MUST stop crying more than bereaved. He’s not the ONLY one who love Nigeria. We also do!

Kola AMZAT (FCA, FCIB)

Lagos based Financial & Management Consultants,

09077509348.