Railway controversy and Obasanjo’s mischief

However, the election of former President Obasanjo in 1999 signalled the beginning of the problems that could subsequently stall the progress of the railway modernization system in Nigeria . While the rest of the world is introducing faster and more convenient railway systems, Nigeria has been using old-fashioned railway system. It was in response to […]

However, the election of former President Obasanjo in 1999 signalled the beginning of the problems that could subsequently stall the progress of the railway modernization system in Nigeria . While the rest of the world is introducing faster and more convenient railway systems, Nigeria has been using old-fashioned railway system. It was in response to this challenge that the late Gen. Sani Abacha administration initiated the policy of modernizing our railway system.

The contract, which was awarded to the Chinese Civil Engineering construction company, was the first ever major efforts to modernize our railway system. Unfortunately, Nigerian leaders have a notorious tendency to undermine projects initiated by previous regimes.  In fact, the former Obasanjo Administration was the worst example of destroying good projects to satisfy private motives.

Gen. Obasanjo’s whims and caprices became an official policy and consequently, the railway modernization projects became victims of such trivial politics.  Consumed by envy and personal malice, Obasanjo was determined to undermine any good projects started by the late Gen. Sani Abacha.  Even a hardened cynic cannot convincingly deny the relevance of the project to Nigeria ’s effort to improve her transport system.

Therefore, as soon as Obasanjo took over, the railway project, the Petroleum Trust Fund, and the dredging of the River Niger became the major casualties of destruction. Let us not forget that these projects were frustrated not because they were not desirable but because Obasanjo didn’t want to give credit to the late Gen. Sani Abacha. In his frenzied zeal to get back at Abacha even in death, former President Obasanjo didn’t care sacrificing public interest to please private malice.

He made allegations of corruption and inflation of contract against the railway projects as part of his efforts to vilify the memory of Gen Abacha.  At that time, the contracts for railway projects were awarded at 3 billion dollars.  But Obasanjo felt the contacts were inflated and stopped the projects. Shamelessly, towards the end of his tenure, realizing that he had no concrete legacy to beat Abacha’s better record, Obasanjo decided to re-award the railway contracts at a more staggering cost.  The re-awarded cost of the railway projects was put at 7 billion dollars.  Despite that, however, the projects stalled because of the insincerity of the former Obsanjo administration.

President Yar’adua had no choice but to also continue these projects, including the dredging of the River Niger, to enhance the country’s surface transportation systems.  Despites grudges about the cost of these projects, which was caused by the mischief of his predecessor, President Yar’adua had to consider the higher public interest in re-launching these good projects started by the late General Sani Abacha.  But for the maliciousness of Obasanjo, most of these projects could have made remarkable progress and put to the advantage of Nigerians.

It is sad to reflect on the fact that personal whims and caprices of our leaders are allowed to undermine public interest.  Former President Obasanjo passes off as a statesman but the sheer mischief and triviality of his actions in office put a question mark this exaggerated and ascribed stature.  But with the passage of time, Nigerians were able to draw a clear distinction between noise making and actual performance.  In five years, the late General Abacha had achieved what Obasanjo could not in eight years, despite the huge oil revenues that came to his self-righteous administration.

At the end of it, however, the public interest was the victim of Obsanjo’s whims and caprices.  The good projects he undermined didn’t belong to Abacha but Nigerians.   Although Obasanjo publicly declared that nothing embarrasses him, Nigerians will still hold him in silent derision for his failures, which he excused on the fact that he was elected to rescue Nigeria from disintegration rather than providing social services.  Such excuse was the most insulting any leader could ever give.

Ibn Kachalla wrote in from No.26, late Brigadier Musa Usman Road, Biu, Borno State