President Olusegun Obasanjo has taken Nigeria as low as she has ever gone. This will surprise foreign “friends” of Nigeria who may believe the myth that Obasanjo has been fighting to end corruption in the country and to bring democracy to its citizens. Nigerians know better.

President Obasanjo has had the opportunity to rule Nigeria for three years (1976-79) as an unelected military dictator and later for two terms of eight years as a retired general/civilian (1999-2007). People don’t exactly remember what Obasanjo did in his first civilian incarnation. His second coming, however, was a different matter. He unfolded a gigantic scheme for staying in power beyond his tenure. He set up agencies with long titles like the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent National Electoral Commission. It soon became clear, however, that these devices were not intended to curb the crimes they enumerated but to go after people who disagree with the President, especially on his desire to extend his tenure.

Perhaps the strangest of these events took place in my own state, Anambra, where a governor was kidnapped by a criminal gang who claimed that they had “fixed” the election and earned the right to receive the state budgetary allocation. Whatever the merit of this bizarre story the governor refused to turn over the allocation to these thieves and began to spend it on building roads and bridges which nobody had done in decades. He began to pay pension to retired civil servants who had not been paid in years. Anambra state was transformed overnight. No where else in Nigeria had such a change happened. Governor Ngige became the people’s governor.

One would have thought that our anti-corruption president, Chief Obasanjo, would have embraced Governor Ngige as a fellow fighter against corruption. But no. The fellows demanding the state revenue were Obasanjo’s friends who in anger set about burning down and destroying state property while the Police stood at a distance, watching.

I have told this story again although we all know it. I am retelling it because as it goes with Anambra, so will it go with Nigeria.

As Nigeria gets ready for the election of Governors, Anambra State is in a quandary. President Obasanjo’s hatchet man for elections is determined that only one candidate will be allowed to run in the state and has gone ahead to disqualify everybody else so that the President’s favourite man will be alone in the field. If this plan goes through, it would amount to nothing less than the disenfranchisement of the people of Anambra State.

I must congratulate the Judiciary on the tough battle many of its members are waging for the soul of Nigeria. The Senate came ever so close to snatching Nigeria out of the fire, and then…  That was a historic moment lost. What a pity!

Chinua Achebe
Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, USA
March 31, 2007

Forwarded by Omoyele Sowore 

Robot  # 1 | 01.04.2007 23:00

THE CLOUDS ARE GATHERING ...Read the full article.

STTOPP  # 2 | 01.04.2007 23:32

All i know is there are talkers and there are doers, doers will leave their foot print on the walk way of life, talker will only hear their own echos. STTOPP

chebus  # 3 | 01.04.2007 23:40

It will be interesting to read all the JJC OBJ internet SSS commentaries :razz:

owiz22  # 4 | 01.04.2007 23:45

Prof Achebe is undoubtedly one of the finest scholars and most sound intelectuals Nigeria has ever produced. His views are always concrete and well thought of, and for this i respect this man. But i cannot understand why prof Achebe will give his full support to a character like Chriss Ngige. Yes he might have been a victim of political thugery but i seriously doubt if that makes him the "peoples governor" or a savior of the depressed. This article seems more pro Ngige than anti- Government policy, and that to an extent removes the venom that it was supose to inject. It is important to note that Dr Ngige never won the elections in the first place, and it was through his aliance with questionable characters that he was able to enter the government house. When the boy was not able to properly deliver to his master, the master decided to dispose of him. I guess Dr Ngige was just a weaker tyrant than his master and could not handle the situation when "things fell apart"

Yoba Akinjola  # 5 | 02.04.2007 00:05

=STTOPP;165279>All i know is there are talkers and there are doers, doers will leave their foot print on the walk way of life, talker will only hear their own echos. STTOPP Of course, this is true, that there are doers and talkers. Hitler, Augusto Pinochet, Mussolini, and Idi Amin were all doers, not talkers. Similarly, you King is a doer, who gave you roads, electricity, water, education, peace, and order. What else is new on NVS, that the members of other tribes are talkers while yours are ‘truly’ doers through your King. Hence whoever criticizes your King criticizes your tribe, and is a tribalist. Did you refute one statement made by Achebe? NO, because you do not have to, since your contributions here are from gods and must not be questioned or deleted. Here you are, yapping about nothing, thinking that you are the gods of heavenly Queen's English while your kindred die in droves for lack of order and food. Truly, only persons with time and energy can engage you in your useless English. Unfortunately for you, I have the time and the energy. It has been done in the past, one against your army of goons. I will do it again, right here, any time.

NWA-DIKE!  # 6 | 02.04.2007 01:18

So Precise And Concise And Right On Target But Ngigi Who Is Part Of This Corupt And Evil Empire Don't Deserve You'r Pity Prof........... Aluta

felix  # 7 | 02.04.2007 01:40

"I have told this story again although we all know it. I am retelling it because as it goes with Anambra, so will it go with Nigeria. "Achebe What goes around, comes around,...it is a matter of time...everybody will hear "inwi":D

akuluouno  # 8 | 02.04.2007 02:42

But for the example of Ngige, I think the whole article is in he manner of the Prof, very prophetic for Nigeria. :confused:

Mikky jaga  # 9 | 02.04.2007 03:09

"People don’t exactly remember what Obasanjo did in his first civilian incarnation." Thank God I remember what OBJ did!! He was busy junketting round the world (like Ajala travel all over the world) while Gani was busy loosing count of how many times the president was out of the country. On the little matter of Ngige, I think the prof was not concerned with how the man got to power, but what he did when he found himself on the hot seat. He had the options of choosing to either turn the treasury over to the treasury looters, who incidentally were his benefactors on his way to power, or to use the power for public good. He choose to do the latter. I believe that makes him a hero of sorts in the mould of the legendary Robin Hood. We should, however not miss the point the prof is making, which is that OBJ also had a choice to choose whether to support a man who was willing to sacrifice his life to resist the corrupt hyenas ready to devour Anambra State or throw his weight behind the very corrupt people he himself is supposed to be fighting. Unfortunately, OBJ decided to pitch his tent with the latter. I think the prof was clear in his write up.

felix  # 10 | 02.04.2007 03:35

=Mikky jaga;165296>"People don’t exactly remember what Obasanjo did in his first civilian incarnation." Thank God I remember what OBJ did!! He was busy junketting round the world (like Ajala travel all over the world) while Gani was busy loosing count of how many times the president was out of the country. On the little matter of Ngige, I think the prof was not concerned with how the man got to power, but what he did when he found himself on the hot seat. He had the options of choosing to either turn the treasury over to the treasury looters, who incidentally were his benefactors on his way to power, or to use the power for public good. He choose to do the latter. I believe that makes him a hero of sorts in the mould of the legendary Robin Hood. We should, however not miss the point the prof is making, which is that OBJ also had a choice to choose whether to support a man who was willing to sacrifice his life to resist the corrupt hyenas ready to devour Anambra State or throw his weight behind the very corrupt people he himself is supposed to be fighting. Unfortunately, OBJ decided to pitch his tent with the latter. I think the prof was clear in his write up.QUOTE> "GBAM!"..(apologies tatafo).....That is the logic....Ngige could have played along with the so called godfathers and subsequently looted the state blind like other governors are doing today...If he played along,there is a chance that today he will still be the governor of Anambra State......., but because he did not loot his state blind, Chris of the Uba clan provided the evidence that nailed him in the tribunals...The rest as they say is history.....The big question is; why did Obasanjo support those who burnt down a whole state as they tried to "re-abduct" a governor whose only sin was that he refused to turn the traesury of Anambra State over to them???......Or was that part of the fight against corruption???:icon_ques

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