Prof. Aluko, Abacha and OBJ’s hypocrisy
As part of his evil efforts to destroy every positive legacy of the late Abacha, former President Obasanjo’s wasted no time in scrapping the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), which started remarkably well by tackling the country’s decaying infrastructure. Despite the fact that the conditions of roads, hospitals, school and other areas of social service were […]
As part of his evil efforts to destroy every positive legacy of the late Abacha, former President Obasanjo’s wasted no time in scrapping the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), which started remarkably well by tackling the country’s decaying infrastructure. Despite the fact that the conditions of roads, hospitals, school and other areas of social service were showing impressive signs of improvement through the PTF intervention, former President Obasanjo shamelessly disbanded the Fund.
Consequently, Nigeria is paying the price of that stupid and ill-conceived decision. It is common knowledge that corruption and graft are responsible for the failure of petroleum subsidy proceeds to make positive impact on ordinary Nigerians. With PTF dead, subsidy withdrawal proceeds fell back into the hands of corrupt bureaucracy and greedy politicians. In 2001 alone, N350 billion was allocated to the Federal Ministry of Works but the conditions of federal roads got rapidly worse since after the scrapping of the Petroleum Trust Fund established by the late General Sani Abacha administration.
In a recent newspaper interview, the former chairman of the National Economic Intelligence Committee under the late Gen. Abacha administration, Professor Sam Aluko noted that the former Obasanjo administration lacks any credibility or moral basis to condemn the regime of Gen. Abacha.
According to Professor Aluko, the former President Obasanjo administration, despite its democratic pretentions and do-gooder posturing, introduced harsher economic policies and imposed them on Nigerians. He argued, for example, that the Abacha administration increased a litre of petrol from N14 to N17 and established the PTF to channel the proceeds of subsidy withdrawal into critical social service areas. And the results of this initiative remain resounding eleven years after Abacha’s death.
However, Professor Aluko noted that, despite the fact that the former Obasanjo administration increased a litre of petrol from N17 to N70, there was nothing to show for the proceeds of subsidy withdrawal. Instead, the Professor of Economics regretted that corruption and lack of due process became the order of the day under Obasanjo, despite the fact that the former President is a board member of Transparency International!
Despite the vilification of Abacha’s memory by Obasanjo, Professor Aluko cited examples of why Abacha was more prudent and amenable to sound advice. A former Minister of Works under Abacha had won an approval for the importation of bitumen at 550 million dollars. However, his attention was drawn to the fact that the Kaduna refinery could produce the same bitumen at 50 million dollars.
According to Professor Aluko, Abacha was furious and immediately cancelled the original approval he gave his minister and sacked him from office. When Abacha’s wife was made the chairman and accounting officer of the former Family Economic Advancement Programme (FEAP), Gen. Abacha was reminded of the implications of the First Lady signing cheques when she was not a public office holder. Professor Aluko, who advised against it, said Abacha wasted no time in reversing the arrangement and a Director General was appointed instead for the programme.
The all-revealing interview granted by Professor Aluko has exposed the hypocrisy of Obasanjo. Unlike Obasanjo, Abacha was amenable to correction or advice even when it was against the interest of someone close to him, provided the imperative of due process was the compelling consideration. In fact, the Petroleum Trust Fund largely succeeded because Abacha allowed its leadership a free hand to operate. In contrast, no cabinet members would have the temerity to advice Obasanjo against an irrational course he set his mind.
It is an open secret that the demolition of toll gates by the former Obasanjo administration was one of the senseless decisions it ever took. He was running Nigeria according to his whims and caprices. It didn’t matter to him the cost at which the toll gates were constructed and towards the end of his tenure, he was contemplating the idea of reconstructing the toll gates.
Gen. Obasnajo turned his advisers to eunuchs and told them openly on live television that he was not bound by their advice. Gen. Abacha, however, was a good listener who was ready to take advice even if it might affect his ego, provided it was in the public’s interest. Obasanjo frustrated the railway modernization projects initiated by Abacha. Shamelessly, towards the end of his tenure, after so much progress was lost, the same Obasanjo re-awarded the rail contracts at a more staggering cost.
His sheer antipathy towards Gen. Abacha didn’t allow him realize the wisdom of sustaining good projects and policies, even if they were initiated by his perceived enemy. Professor Aluko persuasively exposed the hypocrisy of Obasanjo and revealed the fact that Abacha had a better record of performance than his implacable enemy (Obasanjo). Who can deny that corruption had attained the worst level under the very nose of the self-righteous former Obasanjo administration? Despite the boring sing-song of deregulation in Nigeria, Professor Aluko quoted the Venezuelan Ambassador to Nigeria, complaining that in his home country, it takes only N400 to fill the fuel tank of a car but in Nigeria you need N, 3000 to do so. While Nigeria cannot successfully run the four existing refineries, he said, Venezuela is increasing her refineries to sixteen. Though Nigeria is the sixth largest oil producer, it is ironically one of the biggest importers of refined petroleum. Such is the sorry legacy of Obasanjo’s so-called economic reforms. Yet he was shamelessly vilifying the late Gen. Abacha.
Abdulkarim writes from No. 29, Late Brigadier Ibrahim Taiwo Road, Ilorin, Kwara State