WHY BUHARI reject Obasanjo DOCUMENT

I can’t understand why a man who has failed an examination is now offering tips to another person on how to pass the same examination. This is precisely what former President Olusegun Obasanjo has been doing in the last few weeks for President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari. It reached its climax last week when Obasanjo’s think-tank submitted a report to Buhari, recommending “the way forward for Nigeria.” According to reports, Obasanjo through his think-tank, studied critical areas of the economy and recommended the way forward for Buhari’s administration in leading a new Nigeria.
The Committee studied five key areas of education, power, the economy, security and infrastructure and made recommendations. This is clearly the voice of Jacob but the hand of Esau. It is simply Obasanjo speaking. Again, if we are desirous about building a modern economy, the key members of the Obasanjo think-tank - Professor Akin Mabogunje, Dr. Kalu Idika Kalu and Dr. Christopher Kolade are clearly not people to be trusted with this task. The reason is obvious. I am sure that many forward- looking Nigerians know what I am talking about. We are in a modern era; a digital age. These economists have done very well for Nigeria. They should take a break.
Let me say it straight away, Buhari should please dump this filthy document in a waste basket. This is part of Obasanjo’s ploy to put Buhari under his control. Buhari should say a big NO from the word go, otherwise, this will be the beginning of the end of their romance. The President-elect should go and ask President Goodluck Jonathan about his experience in this regard. Again, morally, Obasanjo and his so called think-tank are not in a position to make recommendations to Buhari. For eight years, Obasanjo as a democratically-elected President had his chance (with his Think-tank) and squandered it. He failed woefully on all these areas he is now trying to advise Buhari on - education, power, the economy, security and infrastructure. Only God knows how many years it would take this country to recover from the pain inflicted by Obasanjo’s eight years of Yahooze administration.
Let’s look at the power crisis. We all know that during Obasabjo’s eight years as President, we were perpetually in darkness. This was after he spent billions of USD on the sector. The financial mess unearthed by the Ndudi Elemelu Power Committee after Obasanjo left office speaks volume. Our refineries were also epileptic during his tenure. He could not tackle the fuel supply crisis.
In the area of infrastructure, roads across the country remained in a mess for eight years. Sometime in 2003, our great statesman declared in Ogun State that he was ashamed of federal roads. He was right, federal roads remained death traps while Obasanjo’s reign lasted, with hundreds of lives lost annually. During one of his road trips, Obasanjo kept running into potholes, which left him dejected. Even the road to his farm in Ota, Ogun State was pothole-ridden. That was after his administration had expended about N350 billion on federal roads. That was also the era when many state governments started working on federal roads because the federal government was not performing.
Obasanjo has no juicy story to tell in the area of education in his eight years. Our universities and other higher institution were left in tatters. University teachers were consistently on strike over decaying infrastructure in their schools. Basic facilities like water and toilets became very difficult to come by in our higher institutions. The quality of their products declined greatly while the certificates issued by these schools were worthless outside Nigeria. Not even one Nigerian university could make the list of top 1000 universities in the world. It was so bad under Obasanjo.
In the area of security, Obasanjo failed woefully. Terrorism, armed robberies, kidnappings and other allied crimes were rampant while his reign lasted. Under Obasanjo, the Police and other security agencies were inept, ill-equipped and ill-motivated. Obasanjo could not protect lives and property. Even the convoy of his daughter, Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello was attacked by armed robbers led by Amani Tijani who came into Nigeria all the way from Benin Republic. In the attack, two children of the same mother, Ade-ife, and Akinola Akindeko were killed by the marauding bandits. Late Amani was a citizen of Niger Republic who resided in Republic of Benin. We are still waiting for Obasanjo to tell us who killed Bola Ige, Marshal Harry, Aminasoari Dikibo and a host of other killings during his administration. So, how can he be offering tips on security?
How well did Obasanjo manage the economy in his eight years to warrant making recommendations to Buhari? For eight years, Nigeria remained an oil-dependent economy. He could not reverse this. He could not revive agriculture as an alternative source of foreign exchange. Industries were dying; many textile firms closed shop. Fuel supply was erratic. Our refineries did not work. Naira continued its free-fall. Obasanjo could not tackle the mass unemployment, with millions of graduates roaming the streets. Federal hospitals were in tatters. So, what has Obasanjo got to offer Buhari?
If I go into the issue of corruption under Obasanjo, I would probably need three editions to do this. The list is endless. The most dramatic was the alleged bribe offered legislators to back his third term project. Some senators were alleged to have collected N50 million each. Then, Hon. Uche Onyeagucha, who was a member of the House of Representatives, in an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation alleged that he was offered a plot of land in Abuja to back the third term bill. “Somebody highly placed in government asked me to sign an endorsement of the third term project and that I would be adequately compensated,” Onyeagucha told the BBC then. Many thought that in the spirit of his anti-corruption, an inquiry would be instituted. Perhaps, this should be followed with the arrest of Onyeagucha, so as to unmask the highly placed government official distributing the bribe. It never happened. So, many can now see that Buhari who had said severally that he would clamp-down on corruption has no business associating with Obasanjo.
I am ending this piece with the statement of a former member of National Assembly, Senator Rowland Owie on the Obasanjo think-tank’s document. Owie, who was a Chief Whip of the Senate declared: “That Obasanjo Think-tank report will soon become a document of blackmail for the President-elect, Buhari because Obasanjo will tell the world that the solutions he prescribed for fixing Nigeria were ignored. How can OBJ be preparing a blueprint for Buhari? A Bini parable says ‘how can an impotent man get medicine for his brother who suffers weak erection’? Wonders will never end! How can OBJ who wasted eight years in government pursuing perceived enemies, and tried to ruin the legislative and judiciary arms of government in Nigeria; destroyed Aladja Steel, Itakpe Steel, Ajaokuta Steel, NITEL, just to mention a few FGN parastatals as a result of his incompetence now begin to advice Buhari? The legacies left behind by OBJ are hate, divisiveness, Zaki-Ibiam and Odi destruction.” This is a food for thought.
Nice Seeing Willie Obiano Taking Charge
This idea of ex-governors controlling their successors has to stop. It is a shame that in some states where these ex-governors succeeded in installing their cronies, they still run the show from their houses. Some of the new governors even report to these ex-governors daily in their homes, before resuming in their offices. These governor-emeritus, as they love to be called approve list of commissioners and other aides for these chicken governors. They simply play god. There are some states where incumbent governors take their monthly allocations to ex-governors who then decide how the money would be spent. On paper, they are the governors of their states, but in real terms, they are simply “house boys.” Some of these “chicken governors” are always running to the airports to receive their predecessors whenever they return home from Abuja. Many will still remember what happened last year when APC chieftains went to Kwara State to lobby Governor Abdulfatar Ahmed to dump PDP and for APC. I was shocked by his response. The Kwara governor told the APC team that that he could not take that decision alone and directed the team to his godfather, Bukola Saraki in Abuja. I have been so happy in the last few months seeing Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State leading the war against these godfathers. Former governor Peter Obi wants to remain in control of the states. He expects Obiano to take instructions from him. He expects him to behave like another “house boy.” Obi even planted his men in Obiano’s cabinet to watch over him. At the initial stage, Obiano obeyed his godfather in appreciation for installing him as governor. But he has suddenly realized his foolishness. It is a thing joy to see Obiano resisting this slavery. Governor Anambra is already asserting himself. He is now proving to be a real man. I was so happy on Monday when Obiano kicked out the five commissioners that were brought on board by Obi from his cabinet.
IGP Arase, Please Take over the Case of Rapist ASP Mafoya
For those who have not been following the story, ASP John Mafoya is the Head of Station of Osiele Police Post in Abeokuta, Ogun State. He was recently accused of raping two undergraduates of the Federal College of Education, Abeokuta while they were in his custody. The parents of the students simply identified as Oluwaseun and Folashade petitioned the police. A source said a police corporal on duty on the day the incidents happened also reported the case to the police authorities. The Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Valentine Chukwu has ordered the immediate arrest and detention of Mafoya. But many are worried that the case is moving at a snail speed. Arase needs to step in to ensure that justice is done.
What’s Ibrahim Lamorde Up to?
Two erstwhile officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission - Michael Nzekwe and Juliet Ibekaku – have been in court for some time now, challenging their retrenchment in questionable circumstances by the EFCC. But what I find intriguing in this unfolding drama is the role of Ibrahim Lamorde, the boss of the anti-graft agency. While the case in running, Lamorde was said to have authorized the publication a disclaimer in newspapers. In the disclaimer, the EFCC stated that Nzekwe and Ibekaku were no longer staff of the anti-graft commission and should be disregarded should they parade themselves as officers of EFCC. Haba, Lamorde, these guys are asking the court to reverse their “unconstitutional removal on the grounds that it bordered on witch hunt and illegality”. So, why can’t you wait for the court’s decision before this fresh onslaught? For me, this action amounts to ignoring and insulting the court of law. As clearly stated by Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, Lamorde’s action “Smacks of total lack of respect for the competent court of law and indeed a sign of bad fate that the Ibrahim Lamorde-led EFCC has used funds of the commission to sponsor publications in the media to tarnish the integrity of the Nigerian court system by jumping the gun in pronouncing a fait accompli against the duo of Michael Nzekwe and Juliet Ibekaku when their litigation are yet to be determined.