By Fredrick Nwabufo
I was in a meeting when former President
Olusegun Obasanjo’s “letter bomb” rent the “news-sphere”. When I received the
news alert, I hastened my business because I was seized by capricious anxiety
to read the former president’s missive.
I must say, Obasanjo has taken the art of letter-writing to an enchanted
stratosphere. And I admire his preferred means of intervening in Nigeria ’s
socio-political malaise.
In December 2013, Obasanjo wrote an 18-page letter to former President Goodluck
Jonathan excoriating him for incompetence and nepotism. He also advised
Jonathan against binging on the Bacardi of sycophants and self-serving praise
singers.*Obasanjo and Buhari |
As a refresher here is the advice of the former president to Jonathan:“Mr. President, let me plead with you for a few things that will stand you in good stead for the rest of your life. Don’t always consider critics on national issues as enemies. Some of them may be as patriotic and nationalistic as you and me who had been in government. Some of them have as much passion for
Sadly, five years after, Obasanjo is hitting President
Muhammadu Buhari on the noggin for exactly the same reason he flayed Jonathan.
In fact, I consider his letter to Buhari a classical dressing-down more gnawing
than the bitter missive Jonathan had to chew.
In these words, Obasanjo convicted Buhari of the same offense as Jonathan: “The lice of poor performance in government – poverty, insecurity, poor economic management, nepotism, gross dereliction of duty, condonation of misdeed – if not outright encouragement of it, lack of progress and hope for the future, lack of national cohesion and poor management of internal political dynamics and widening inequality – are very much with us today.”
And then the finisher: “But there are three other areas where President Buhari has come out more glaringly than most of us thought we knew about him. One is nepotic deployment bordering on clannishness and inability to bring discipline to bear on errant members of his nepotic court. This has grave consequences on the performance of his government to the detriment of the nation. It would appear that national interest was being sacrificed on the altar of nepotic interest. What does one make of a case like that of Maina: collusion, condonation, ineptitude, incompetence, dereliction of responsibility or kinship and friendship on the part of those who should have taken visible and deterrent disciplinary action? How many similar cases are buried, ignored or covered up and not yet in the glare of the media and the public?”
However, can Obasanjo’s open criticism of Buhari cause him electoral fatality? (Considering that he also advised the president to jettison his second-term bid).
Although Obasanjo is considered a “kingmaker” inNigeria , I doubt he wields
as much influence now as he did before. I believe his importance is
exaggerated. But does his opinion count? Yes, it does. His letter is just
ammunition for many Nigerians who are disillusioned with the Buhari government.
It only has the power to excite and not to influence. And as such, I do not see
it doing any collateral damage to Buhari’s quest.
In conclusion, Obasanjo remains one ofNigeria ’s most successful
leaders. His courageous and selfless interventions must be commended. When
other leaders turn a blind eye to the problems of the country and scurry into
igloos for sake of self-preservation, the former president is ready to take up
the gauntlet.
In these words, Obasanjo convicted Buhari of the same offense as Jonathan: “The lice of poor performance in government – poverty, insecurity, poor economic management, nepotism, gross dereliction of duty, condonation of misdeed – if not outright encouragement of it, lack of progress and hope for the future, lack of national cohesion and poor management of internal political dynamics and widening inequality – are very much with us today.”
And then the finisher: “But there are three other areas where President Buhari has come out more glaringly than most of us thought we knew about him. One is nepotic deployment bordering on clannishness and inability to bring discipline to bear on errant members of his nepotic court. This has grave consequences on the performance of his government to the detriment of the nation. It would appear that national interest was being sacrificed on the altar of nepotic interest. What does one make of a case like that of Maina: collusion, condonation, ineptitude, incompetence, dereliction of responsibility or kinship and friendship on the part of those who should have taken visible and deterrent disciplinary action? How many similar cases are buried, ignored or covered up and not yet in the glare of the media and the public?”
However, can Obasanjo’s open criticism of Buhari cause him electoral fatality? (Considering that he also advised the president to jettison his second-term bid).
Although Obasanjo is considered a “kingmaker” in
In conclusion, Obasanjo remains one of
Fredrick is a journalist.
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