It would be an understatement if one asserts that President Obasanjo's second coming as commander-in-chief and President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is more productive than all of the years in between 1979 and 1999. His Presidency since 1999 has in fact become a blessing; a blessing for all lovers of progress and development of the natural and human resources abound in Nigeria.

The President has become wiser over time--afterall, money can't buy wisdom; experience and intuition equals wisdom--his experience garnered during the first term necessitated his clamour for a second term in 2003. The president realized that in order to make a meaningful change in the polity, he would need to remain in office another term, during which he would be able to put in motion an economic renaissance, which in itself cannot be achieved without correcting a whole lot of associated issues such as a robust policy program; efficient judiciary and modernization and etc. It must be pointed out at this time, that the President failed woefully for not having achieved a modern police force whose primary function is the enforment of law and order as well as the protection of lives and properties. This is in itself, an essential ingredient of economic development. The other area the President has failed, is the inability to find a "short term fixture" to the problems of low and epilectic power supply.  This in my opinion, is due to the inadequate attention and lack of vigor such as obtained in the pursuit of the recently concluded foreign debt-relief. The President has also failed to successfully monitor the activities of men of the para-military organizations such as the customs, immigration and other agencies, such that a visitor who arrives Nigeria's Murtala Airport are still confronted with dubious officials specializing in extortion of "gifts" from arriving/departing passengers. The truth of the cause of many of these problems, is the fact that many Nigerians have come to accept financial corruption, both small and large, as part and parcel of the Nigerian polity. This is such in grandeur that, it has become an abberation if a public official does not demand gratification before performing his/her duties. In fairness to the majority of the people, though, the official monthly take home-pay for an average public official can hardly last a family of two for 2 weeks; talkless of an average Nigerian family of four for one week. The question should always have been asked of how the families' are supposed to survive?

However, having listed some of the inadequacies of the President since 1999, an keen observer of the Nigeria's affairs in the political realm, would have realized that it would only take a person, whom I had labelled in my previous thesis as, a "benevolent dictator," in addition to being an efficient serial achiever whom President Obasanjo's has since become. During his first term in office, President Obasanjo's progressive Ideas and policies were attacked from lots of different directions with most attackers only selfishly and corruptly fighting for their own looting constituencies. A case in point, was when the initial version of the ICPC bill was sent to the NASS, its prescibed punishment for corrupt public official was whittled-down by the legislative branch of government. The legislators, especially in the NASS were mostly concerned about their emoluments than performing their offical oversight function on the other branches of government. The judiciary was not spared by both ingenious lawyering by Nigerian esteemed members of the bar, who are quick to perform various legal manuevers in order to clog the wheel of progress of the administration of justice. The honorable members of the bench were not left out, a few of them were found wanting in their judicial pronouncements. As if the President did not already had his plate full, the members of the press, some who belongs to media houses owned by apolitical entreprenuers; rather than presents news objectively, engaged in a campaign of calumny against  President Obasanjo. Had it not been for his being perceived as an elderstatesman who possessed democratic and credible track records by the International community, would not have achieved any tangible progress. He was and still is being ridiculed for any move he made towards Nigeria's progress. An example is the heap of insults upon insults thrown at the person and office of the Presidency for daring to remained mute on his position vis a vis the so called Third Term Agenda.

The consolidation of power by  President Obasanjo's government was made possible by the victory of 2003, a victory well deserved, because there was no viable and credible opposition during the election, (regardless the verdict of electoral malpractices; the biggest opposition mounted by Gen. Buhari and the ANPP could not have won convincingly in 2003, it is definitely not possible due to the obvious fact that the ANPP is in the minority in 2 of the 3 major regions namely, North, South East/South South and South West). The victory is about to repeat itself in 2007, as long as the major opposition players continue to sleep around with the highest bidders wherever and whichever political party they might be.

Here we are in 2006: Not only has Nigerian politicians and elders remained political prostitutes--exposing their nakedness and getting debased by different looting constituencies--so called new political parties--it was expected of them to have learnt from the elections of 1999 and 2003, that only a credible and viable political party can wrestle the power from the PDP. Yet, they were utterly and stupidly consumed by the so called Third Term Agenda while lining their pockets and crying foul at the same time. Rather than consolidate and alligned along ideological expediencies, our so called elders/politicians are neck-deeped in political party multiplicity. As of the last published estimates, there are 37 political parties which some are founded by the same group of politicans with a minor names substitution here and there--DPP, ANPP, AD, APGA, UNDP, ACD, PPP, etcetc. News reports just came in, that they have just received 4.8 million naira each. Simple arithmetic would reveal that 37 political parties means an average of over 1 political party per each state of the whole 36 states. By the time is 2007 election, the PDP which has a majority of 27 state governors out 36 would win the presidency. Thereafter, would be shouts of rigging followed by, intimidation and violence, hence, all hell would be let loose on the hapless citizenry. Again I plead, would concerned and patriotic Nigerians joined hands together in advising our elders that it's time, for a change from the old ways of political rigmarolling, to the new ways of shared political ideological association, which is the only political party vehicle, guaranteed to move Nigeria's development forward and rapidly into the 21st Century.

The truth must be told: majority of the "Third Term Agenda" antagonists' are the ones who are scared to death of their past catching up to them should there be an President Obasanjo's government beyond 2007. We read in the news of the evil but necessary political horse-trading, which pervaded the last PDP presidential convention. Wherein, the Vice-President was reported to have been prevailed upon to unseat his boss and incumbent, President Obasanjo. As observed and reported, had it not been an assurance and some other promises made to the Vice President by the President and his handlers, we would not be where we are today. This theory is solely based on two facts: 1) It was common knowledge that some states governors were already profiled by the ICPC bordering on corruption as far as 2001, but rather than being denied an opportunity to run for office the second term, they had already prepared to support their presumed protector from prosecution in the person of the Vice President. 2) We recently witnessed the majical ways by which the governorship tenure's clause included in the proposed constitutional amendments were appearing and disappearing. We in addition read in the news, how some of the governors were demanding that the constitutional immunity clause should be left alone in their favor. Thank God, the PDP did not agreed to this, It would have been depressing for lovers of Nigeria by now, because it was almost certain that the so called Third Term Agenda would have sailed through both at the NASS as well as 2/3 of the 36 states.

Still on political moves of the president: The recent cabinet reshuffle by President Obasanjo is by all account, a political master stroke. It was obvious that since the beginning of this administration, the president is not only the C-in-C, he is also the defacto ministers of both petroleum and foreign affairs. President Obasanjo's frequent sojourn overseas only reveal his desire to integrate Nigeria's economy into the now achieved emerging markets status--comparable to the economies of Brazil, India and a handful of other nations. Prior to 1999, Nigeria is by all measure, a failed state, "waiting to exhale" into chaos.

Onward, it would be refreshing to see the President Obasanjo mostly settled down from overseas travels, while concentrating his efforts on domestic affairs; 2007 election and the completion of various capital intensive projects which his administration has embarked upon. The new Foreign Affairs Minister, is not only eminently qualified, she is the most suitable, politically and otherwise. Her wealth of experience and status in the international community is an added advantage. After the failure of the "Third Term Agenda," and the need to reassure the international finance communities, that Nigeria is on course with its internal and external financial re-organization, there is no other person more qualified to hold both the foreign affairs ministry and headship of the president's economic team than Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. She would also head the committee saddled with the affairs of ceding of Bakassi Penisula to Cameroun, deliberately in my opinion, because Dr. Okonjo-Iweala comes from within the zone as the Island in question.

Mrs. Obiageli Ezekwesili, who is now in charge of Education is another well thought out plan. Who can deny that Dr. Okonjo-Iweala's deputy, Mrs. Nenadi Usman is the most qualified for the office of Minister of Finance. Her 3 years, so far acquired experience, in the same ministry puts her in good stead. Already, some interviewed stakeholders' have spoken in her favor. It would be nice for the President to re-deploy Dr. Dora Akinyuli as Health Minister while another patriotic Nigerian should be found for her replacement at NAFDAC. It would have been nice to have Chairman Nuhu Ribadu as the Minister of Police Affairs (in the interim), he is one of them, who is well qualified to change their fortune for the better, or even best.

Further, the President should radically effect changes at the both the custom and immigration services, by appointing determined and achieving senior members of the respective agencies as the head. It would even be a lot nicer, if the president can, as a matter of National Emergency, propose the amount of $1 Billion dollars from the foreign reserve as an immediate funding for police force refurbishment. The already proposed 100 billion naira, still being begged for from the business communities, should be additional spending for the police force upgrade. Should the numerous proposed but jettisoned constitutional amendments cannot be revisited, these other ones namely,-- 1) Creation of additional state for the South East zone, 2) 25% Derivation funds for the oil producing communities, 3) Ceiling on the duration for electoral legal disputes. 4) Removal of the Immunity Clause for state Chief Executives, 5) Financial Independence for INEC as proposed in the amendments, and others the stakeholders can agree upon,-- should be urgently discussed and approved by the National Assembly, ditto, state assemblies and final assent by the President before the next administration begins on May 29, 2007.

With utmost humility, I implore Allah, the almighty, to continue to guide and protect all of the patriotic Nigerians who are daily, striving to make Nigeria great and proud.

God Bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Adebayo Animashaun, the writer, is an keen observer of Nigeria political affairs.

Robot  # 1 | 23.06.2006 16:15

It would be an understatement if one asserts that President Obasanjo's second co...Read the full article.

Abraxas  # 2 | 24.06.2006 13:19

Hi, Ogbẹni Adebayo Animashaun! Welcome to the club of official OBJ praise singers, die-hard Baba Iyabo sycophants, and obasanjocentric Aso Rock arsehole hair lickers. Please forward your current account details to the Director of Accounts, Aso Rock Villa, Asokoro, Abuja Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria, with maximum despatch, so as to enable the presidency effect prompt payment of your “little chop money”, directly into your bank account. Muchas gracias