Former President Olusegun Obasanjo
Polscope by Eddy Odivwri
For over ten days now the polity has been suffused with the verbiage of
the letter written by former President Olusegun Obasanjo to President
Goodluck Jonathan. The latter has been under pressure to respond to the
issues Obasanjo raised in his letter. And for a while, it seemed the
silence from the presidency implied consent, or that the President was
too dazed by the vitriolic content of the letter to respond.
But yesterday, the President broke his worrisome silence, when he
called a press conference and read out a lengthy reply to the Ota
farmer. To be fair to President Jonathan, he tried to clear the fog on
some of the issues, but not without throwing some jabs here and there at
the former president.
I captured some, yes, some of the details in the response of the President. He started like this:
“His Excellency Chief Olusegun Okikiola Matthew Obasanjo, former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
You must have wondered if I did not know what to reply you after you
published what has become your latest act of infamy, in the name of a
letter titled “Before it is Too Late” which you wrote to me.
Sir, I must confess that your letter took me unawares. As a respected
Statesman, I did not expect this unbecoming means of communicating with
me, if the essence was not to play to the gallery.
The other confession I must make is that some of the issues and
accusations you made against me, were complete news to me. I have long
set up committees to investigate the accusations and the reports are
already coming in.
Before I deal on the specifics of your letter, permit me to say that,
Sir, you must purge yourself of the overflowing messianic complex you
have always operated in. Yes, I had said that after God and my parents,
you are the next most important person in my life. But that did not mean
you are my God or the provider of my oxygen. When goats are sold, the
owner releases the rope. But you have chosen to hold on to the rope most
tenaciously. That is the problem.
Indeed, we would have ignored you completely after your dear daughter,
Dr Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, helped to put most of the issue in the right
political perspectives in her own letter to you. But we needed to do
this for the records.
I am somewhat disappointed that you are lamenting my performance in
government. His Excellency, I am sure we would have moved at a faster
pace if the right foundation was laid while you were in charge.
As for the issue of whether or not I will seek re-election in 2015, I
am bemused that you are making a huge drama out of this even when you
know I am constitutionally permitted to seek re-election. I cannot
remember the incidents of my said promise not to seek re-election. But
even if I did sir, am I not entitled to change of mind on any issue
depending on the currency of information available to me? I do not
expect you to be basing your conclusions, at your level, on the
so-called fantasy of Body language.
And pray, were we not all witnesses of how you tried to manipulate the
National Assembly to offer you the illegal third term chance? Senator
Ken Nnamani is still alive.
It is pure mischief powered by uncharitable inclinations to accuse me
of “double game’ in the support of gubernatorial candidates in some
states. I personally participated in the campaigns of all our
candidates. If they lost the elections, I cannot be blamed for that, as I
am resolved to distance myself from manipulating electoral outcomes as
it used to be in the past… you know what I mean
You made me look like the prince of corruption because of the ancient
malaise of crude oil theft. Sir, it did not start with me. I have tried
to combat it. There are many committees and task forces in place to
check the roguery. Besides, it is even exaggerated under me. Did you not
hear that the garrulous CBN governor, who raised the false alarm of
missing $49.8 Billion has eaten the humble pie by recanting?
But sir, with all sense of modesty, this does not compare with the
degree of sleaze that characterized the PTDF scam between you and your
former Vice, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. We did not forget. We have reformed
the EFCC to be an indiscriminate fierce attack dog, unlike when it was
reduced to a weapon against enemies.
As for the crisis in the PDP, we know of supposed elders who have been
fraternizing with the renegade governors, the reason they were
recalcitrant and irreconciliable. You can only force a horse to the
river, you cannot force it to drink water. These renegade governors
simply refused to drink water at the bank of reconciliation.
I am a Knight of the Anglican Church. I have never plotted to shed
blood for any reason. No I have never. Therefore, the phantom alarm of
training of killers are nothing but a tale from the mountains. Only the
naïve are taken in by them. God will judge such accusers harshly.
By the Grace of Almighty God, I will finish well and strong. My good
people of Nigeria are behind me, contrary to what you may wish to think.
I have told the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Jama’atu
Nasril Islam (JNI) to ensure that they announce national fasting of
forty days and forty nights to thwart all the plans of the enemies of
Nigeria, no matter who they are.
That they must declare that no weapon fashioned against Nigeria, be it from Boko Haram or whoever, will prosper.
Finally, let me assure you that the transformation agenda of my
government has been attracting international investors and in no time,
the entire nation will soon become one large construction and industrial
yard. We shall all be witnesses.
Please accept my best assurances of …”
Just as the President finished reading the letter to pressmen, his
spokesman, Dr Rueben Abati , looking agitated with creases on his
forehead, stepped out to co-ordinate the question and answer session, as
over a dozen hands were already up, desirous to fire follow-up
questions at Mr President.
Abati was just announcing the modality of the question and answer
session, when the loud blast of a heavy duty truck woke me from my deep
sleep, as my house is by the roadside. As I sprung up, I was looking for
President Jonathan, asking breathlessly, “where is he, where is the
president?”, and my children began to ask if I was alright. It was only
then I realized I have been dreaming. Hmmmmm.
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