Obasanjo and Jonathan: is it really too late? (II)

“We  must  all remember  that  corruption,  inequity  and  injustice  breed  poverty, unemployment,  conflict,  violence  and  wittingly  or  unwittingly  create terrorists  because  the  opulence  of  the  governor  can  only  lead  to  the leanness of the governed.” It is also obvious that Obasanjo’s prayer for God to grant Jonathan “at least one effective corrective  action  against  high  […]

“We  must  all remember  that  corruption,  inequity  and  injustice  breed  poverty, unemployment,  conflict,  violence  and  wittingly  or  unwittingly  create terrorists  because  the  opulence  of  the  governor  can  only  lead  to  the leanness of the governed.” It is also obvious that Obasanjo’s prayer for God to grant Jonathan “at least one effective corrective  action  against  high  corruption,  which  seems  to  stink  all  around you in your government” hasn’t been answered. Samples abound: corruption charges have suddenly been dropped against Femi Fani-Kayode, Mohammed Sani Abacha and others. Alams has received a presidential pardon for corruption. The votes for EFCC and the third arm of government – the Judiciary – which punishes the corrupt have dwindled. Yet, without the slightest shred of evidence, President Jonathan claimed in his letter that: “I have been strengthening the institutions established to fight corruption.” Regrettably, though the president badly wants our votes to continue in office, he has refused to give a damn about as simple a thing as sharing the worth of his assets with us! Is this government fighting corruption?
Indeed, for Obasanjo and the country, “corruption has reached the level of impunity.” In the last one month, South Africa has intercepted $9.3 and then $5.7m illicitly sent to their country ostensibly to buy arms. The government is so desperate to obtain arms to fight Boko Haram, we are told, that it had to use Pastor Oritsejafor’s private plane to physically carry cash to South Africa, thereby breaking our laws and that country’s. Instead of this government to take responsibility for its illegal and uncivilised approach to arms purchase, it blames and threatens the South Africans for upholding their own laws. Where was Nigeria buying arms before now and how was it doing so?
Obasanjo’s advice regarding the oil and gas sector – “stop oil stealing, encourage investment…….and improve the present poor management of the industry” has also been ignored. No less than the American Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr James Entwistle, has been quoted as saying his air sortie over Nigerian shores has revealed to him that the country’s crude oil is stolen in broad daylight. As long as Diezani Alison-Madueke remains in charge of the Ministry of Petroleum, no one should expect any efficiency or sense of urgency in cleaning up Nigeria’s muddy oil industry. As for divestment by international oil companies (IOCs), this continues unabated.
“I am used to such a situation of denial coming from you”, Obasanjo has said somewhere in his famous letter to Jonathan. Characteristically, in his reply to Obasanjo, the President denied the entire charges filed against him. He denied being over ambitious. He rejected being described as corrupt. He scoffed at being accused of “deceit, deception, dishonesty, incompetence, clannishness, divisiveness and insincerity.” Jonathan’s counterpoint on corruption charge is poignant: “You will recall that your kinsman, the renowned Afro-beat maestro, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, famously sang about it during your first stint as Head of State.” This is surely Abati’s. It is meant to ridicule Obasanjo’s homily on corruption: corruption has been with us since you became a military Head of State.  “You (Obasanjo) may also wish to tell Nigerians the true story of questionable waivers of signature bonuses between 2000 and 2007”, Jonathan charged further.
Elsewhere in his reply, the President launched his own fresh accusations against his former patron. He accused Obasanjo of working to scuttle the 2007 elections by attempting to bomb INEC headquarters “with a petrol tanker loaded with explosives.” He condemned the invasion of Odi. Jonathan also charged that Obasanjo’s administration stood by while he was targeted for assassination. He rejected blame for working against the PDP, telling Obasanjo: “the seeming crisis in the party was instigated by a few senior members of the party, including you.”
Amazingly, the PDP top guns resorted to “begging” Obasanjo for forgiveness when his “threat to national security” (as his letter has been described), has not been conclusively investigated by the National Human rights Commission (NHRC), despite a Presidential directive. The President rubbed it in by telling Obasanjo that “it will be charitable for you to render an apology to Nigerians and me.” Who is apologising or begging whom?
Notably, Obasanjo mentioned “national interest” three times and “interest of Nigeria/the nation” nine times in his missive to Jonathan. The President’s reply contains only two instances: where he denies working “against the interest of the party” and another place where he claims that: “I have always acted in the interest of all Nigerians.”
Undoubtedly, Obasanjo’s second coming is a big disappointment. His 1999 – 2007 legacies are unclear and even if they must endure, such cannot happen under the current cabal. However, Obasanjo knows Nigeria too well and his love for this country is indubitable. For him, “there is neither North-South divide nor Christian-Moslem divide but one Nigeria.” Obasanjo will not support Jonathan’s Presidency beyond 2015 because for him “it will be fatally and morally flawed.”
Yes, it is too late; Obasanjo is going to support Jonathan’s opponent in the 2015 presidential election. Hear him: “Nothing at this stage of my life would prevent me from standing for whatever I consider to be in the best interest of Nigeria – all Nigeria, Africa and  the  world in  that order.”
Or: “But I will not support what I believe is not in the best interest of Nigeria, no matter who  is putting it forward  or who is behind it. Mr President, I have passed the stage of being flattered, intimidated, threatened, frightened, induced or bought.”
And finally: “God is never a supporter of evil and will surely save PDP and Nigeria from the hands of destroyers.”