Who’s Afraid Of Obasanjo…?

BISIKAY, London, UK

“Every political career ends, inevitably, in tragedy” – Enoch POWELL

When Dorothy was going on her imaginary juvenile journey of innocence to seek the wizard’s intervention down under in Australia, she had for company the lion who was a coward, the tinman who was heart-less, and the scarecrow who was brainless.

Discussions about the obasanjo years ( of locust), between may 1999 and may 2008, always pitch people between the three above wizard of oz characters. The cowardly fence sitters, the heart-less naysayers and the brainless praise-singers. But, then where are the Dorothys to bring all these together in a much balanced manner? Can we all try to be the unbiased judges of the obasanjo years?

Those who give obasanjo an unmerited measure of credit are dubious and dangerous people as they are inadvertently saying that on balance the man’s goodness outweigh his badness. Ordinarily a leader is supposed to lead. We should not be overwhelmed that obasanjo seemed to have performed any great act of proper leading. (S)he who is afraid of obasanjo should fear no more. Why would anyone still fear ?

Yes, there are the palpable and measurable changes in some areas of the national life and polity:

1. NAFDAC by irrepressible Dora Akunyili

2. Banking consolidation by Chukwuma Soludo

3. Debt relief by Ngozi Okonjo Iweala

4. Abuja restructuralisation by Nasir el Rufai

5. Corruption busting EFCC by Nuhu Ribadu

6. Mobile telephony via the GSM licensing by Cornelius Adebayo

7. And…, what else? What did i miss out? Please help me add more…

But of course, do not forget, obasanjo also left us with the following achievements:

1. Darkness instead of electricity

2. Deathtraps instead of roads

3. Assembly of representa”thieves” and “steal”ators (apologies Prof Sola Adeyeye)

4. Iwuruwuru electoral system

5. Damaged federal system

6. Selective anticorruption

7. Financial recklessness

8. Babaric politics

9. Judicial lawlessness

10.Insecurity

11.Unemployment

12.Wanton destruction of lives and properties

13.Decaying infrastructures

14.Fuel shortages and higher and higher pump prices

15.Assassinations of political associates and opposites. And there may be more…

I thought that obasanjo as the president, a priori, was expected to give the people of nigeria a better country where there is life more abundant, through his 2 terms in office. How have obasanjo’s achievements impacted, directly or indirectly, on the common folks in abaji, abeokuta, abakaliki? He could not even effect a reasonable minimum wage for the poor workers at the end of his the eighth presidential year despite his gargantuan fiscal empowerment.

Given obasanjo’s pedigree, it is wrong to give the man as president any much measure of credit. With his martial and presidential and entrepreneurial background as well as political majority it defies logic that obasanjo was on balance an unmitigated and colossal failure. Any other verdict must be viewed suspiciously. He has no excuses as he had the greatest goodwill and resources, human and financial, than all the previous governments combined!

So, i have spent a better part of the last seven years since the gruesome assasination and unwholesome prosection drama of late Chief Bola Ige on 23 december 2001 on dwelling on the obasanjo’s presidential disasters, one after the other till may 2008. I would hope that this will be my very last write up on the useless man. Writing about obasanjo has now become a real waste of time, no more, no less. I could be doing much better things with my time, anyway.

I have compiled articles, news, views and reviews from various internet sites and edited these into seven different reference books as the chronicles of the Nigerian babaric political sagas that catalogue the bizarre aspects of obasanjo’s tragic presidency. For this privilege i thank all the website owners and their writers for their contributions to this project. The books list is as follows:

The first one: Triumph Of Rule Of Law: The Ladoja “Impeachment” Saga Of Oyo State, Nigeria ( 1,152 pages)

The second one: The Saint, The Ogbanje And The Vagabonds In Power: The Obi-Uba-Ngige Gubernatorial Saga Of Anambra State, Nigeria ( 1, 452 pages)

The third one: Until His Murderers Are Caught, We’re All Like Cicero, Trapped! In The Nest Of Killers: The Bola Ige Assassination Saga (1, 074 pages)

The fourth one: Baba Must Go, Or Else… Baba Will Die!: Chronicle Of Obasanjo’s Failed Third Term Saga ( 1,437 pages)

The fifth one: (The Sequel To The Triumph Of Rule Of Law: The Ladoja Saga) The Tragedy Of The Rule Of Lawlessness Or Jandukudigbolugi: President Of Molete School Of Thuggery The Adedibu Saga ( 1, 308 pages)

The sixth one: Adedebu-Ku!? – Oh, No, Who Bent Obasanjo’s Dry Fish?! Chronicle of The Drama of Adedibu, obasanjo’s Thugfather’s Death ( 1, 210 pages )

Finally, ( and finally finally, I want to insist!), number seven: Daniel In The Daemon’s Den – Chronicle of Ogun State’s Gubernatorial Gladiatorial Saga: 2007 – 2011 ( 1330 pages )

Within these almost one million of pages i believe that we have captured all there is about to be reported about obasanjo’s bad deeds. By the way, these seven saga books will be among the special collections going into the controversial obasanjo presidential library at Abeokuta. These will be our own vey modest contribution to the man’s legacy. I trust UNESCO will love them! (And the UN, EU and AU libraries too)

Yet some writers still give us the obasanjo good guy, fine president nonsenses. Nonesense!

So, by the way how many such chronicles are there about the man’s enormous good deeds? Could we challenge obasanjo and his apologists to compile one, just one, only one, chronicle of 1,000 pages of obasanjo’s good deeds as a person and as a president, to match any one of our compilations of his numerous unpresidential babarisms. Let all the apologists combine their efforts, now.

What we have come to conclude about obasanjo is that the man was an unmitigated disaster, over all. Whichever way you may want to see the man who turned himself into an animal at Aso Rock, his records of good deeds are overwhelmed by those of evil ones. Moreso, the accursed man deliberately chose to be a liability to the nation for he had the capacity and the capability to be a heroic and celebrated leader. Yet, he chose the diabolical path to ignominious legacy. Alas!

I am still at a loss as to finding a totally rational explanation to explain obasanjo’s demonic adventures at aso rock, 1999 to 2007. It is only obasanjo himself alone who may want to attempt to excuse his presidential madness, all other apologists are merely wasting their time. So, maybe, we should look forward to the memoirs to be aptly titled: My Bolekaja Presidency. I can only hope that it would not take forever like Babangida’s much anticipated memoir: How June 12 Ruined My Life, or even Abdul Salam Abubakar’s own memoir: MKO – My Role In His Murder.

I would like to bet anyone that the old mad, bad and sad obasanjo will become a spent force, what with the dramatic death of his dry fish Adedibu, the late governor of the Molete presidential school of thuggery, as well as the cold war between obj and Yar Adua, his anointed incumbent president. He has become wounded and rendered powerless but would still like to delude himself that he still has the means to do damage against his perceived enemies, that is, you and I. So, s/he who is afraid of obasanjo should please fear him no more! But now lets all dare him!!! His presidency has been demystified so far.

Let us all please stop giving this unfortunate man any more undeserved accolades which only goes on to help the ex- this ex-that of a president to assume airs of importance from which he then continues to wreck some havoc on innocent souls, like governor Gbenga Daniel of Ogun State and honourable Dimeji Bankole, the speaker of the house of representatives and president Yar Adua in the ongoing politrical drama around Olumo and Aso rocks. Lets move Nigeria forward, lets put obasanjo in his right place, in the dog house, at the top of the Nigerian hall of shame! Let others learn from his shameful shame

However, there is only one thing that still baffles me about obasanjo: why did he as a baddie, hand over to Yar Adua, and not, as previously predicted, to Odili who could be seen as a super baddie. He single handedly imposed his successor, and might as well have imposed someone else, who could have been just anybody including his notorious thugfather, Mr Adedibu, (who, allah be praised, is now of satanically blessed memory!). It could be assumed that as much as Iwu, the so called INEC man, had been captured by obasanjo he could equally have been compelled to deliver an Andy Uba or Ahmad Ali ( mun go ) presidential landslide or earthquake or tsunami or volcanic eruption, for that matter. And Nigerians would have been mesmerised to doing nothing about the felonious tragedy. After all obasanjo has got away with the number three position stolen for Mr David Mark. What have any of us done about it? Could it then be that somehow, paradoxically, obasanjo might have meant well for Nigeria, after all? Or it could be the man has a hidden agenda, of his own? Like wanting an instalmentally dying man to contest the election and get the election scuttled so that he might stay on or wanting a poor performer whose dismal record may make the obasanjo presidency seem much better than it really was, bla, bla, bla… otherwise it could be that the man was simply crazy!

Those who write to hail obasanjo are therefore the real enemies of progress in Nigeria: shame on you!

Let me conclude this piece, just as I did my last piece on Adedibu in may shortly before he went off to become translated eternally, that may obasanjo repent and apologise to all Nigerians for the forgiveness of all his atrocities, in and out of Aso rock. He can not continue in his evil ways forever, as his time will, willy nilly, soon come to an inevitable, ignoble, terrible end…

(PS: To all who read this article and those who may be responding, please accept my apologies for troubling you with a rather useless subject and object of reference, unless you are one his mugus.)

BisiKay, PhD. London, UK

drbisikay@yahoo.com

He is the author of: Why Managers Can’t Lead And Leaders Can’t Manage ( www.lulu.com )

Robot  # 1 | 11.01.2009 20:54

Discussions about the obasanjo years ( of locust), between may 1999 and may 2008, always pitch people between the three above wizard of oz characters. The cowardly fence sitters, the heart-less naysayers and the brainless praise-singers.But, then where are the Dorothys to bring all these together in a much balanced manner? Can we all try to be the unbiased judges of the obasanjo years? ...Read the full article.

Ofunwa Villager  # 2 | 12.01.2009 04:50

I think the eighth compilation should read something like, The he-goat and the crab that ate its' own head..Obasanjo's ungodly mission in Gbenga's bedroom

sinetique  # 3 | 12.01.2009 08:23

Erm..., what can I say? I was begining to think that something must be wrong with me to be raving mad at this Aremu guy. Everyone else I have discussed with, unlike me, seemed to have something good to say about him. Thank you sir for saving me from a visit to a psychiatrist. I am actually normal not to see anything good about this daemon. Aremu Obasanjo made Abacha to look like 'Mother Theresa', of blessed memory. I have this horrible thought that God must detest Nigeria so much to create such a monster amongst the bible-believing, God-loving Nigerians. What is our sin? My prayer is that may we not have the misfortune of having another Aremu Obasanjo in a position of power again. Amen!

charles4u  # 4 | 12.01.2009 09:04

=sinetique;311791> My prayer is that may we not have the misfortune of having another Aremu Obasanjo in a position of power again. Amen! Amen ooooooooooo and infact not even to have anybody thats like OBJ in any way, We want a different blood. BTW...all this prayers wey we don dey prayer, were dem dey go cus e be like say reply no dey come oo. Abi our letter no deliver to the right address ?

bobocarl  # 5 | 12.01.2009 12:18

make una leave Baba alone oh the man has done his best.

tonsoyo  # 6 | 12.01.2009 12:57

According to you: "Discussions about the obasanjo years ( of locust), between may 1999 and may 2008, always pitch people between the three above wizard of oz characters. The cowardly fence sitters, the heart-less naysayers and the brainless praise-singers" Since you are one of the numerous discussants of the Obasanjo's years as you later admitted, then you must either be a cowardly "fence sitter, heart-less naysayer or a brainless praise-singer" I did not say so you admitted that much. Now to the issues. I am one of the admirers of Uncle Bola, for his death alone I cannot forgive Obasanjo for his complicity, even if he was not the one that killed him. But then, I have developed my intellect enough not to let my emotion triumph over my reason for my personal spiritual well-being. These are the problems you have with Obasanjo: 1. Darkness instead of electricity - I did not realize that we used to have uninterrupted power supply before 1999. Do not for get that Uncle Bola was also in charge of that Ministry for years without result . 2. Deathtraps instead of roads - I guess Obasanjo inherited gold paved highways. 3. Assembly of representa”thieves” and “steal”ators (apologies Prof Sola Adeyeye) - Good Obasanjo must be blamed for the acts of every single legislathief that was in the National Assemly during his tenure. Listen to yourself. 4. Iwuruwuru electoral system - Accepted 5. Damaged federal system - There was never a federal system in Nigeria, have you heard of a guy named Aguiyi Ironsi? 6. Selective anticorruption - Good, somebody was willing to take on corruption even if selectively. 7. Financial recklessness - Waow, Who paid Nigeria's mounting debt, Shagari I guess,who left our external reserves with over 200% of what he met there? Abacha I guess. 8. Babaric politics - I agree, he is as barbaric as his politics . 9. Judicial lawlessness - I beg your pardon? maybe you mean Executive lawlessness, then I concur. 10.Insecurity - How secure are we before Obasanjo? 11.Unemployment - Oh yeah, but I know that the Communication industry alone employed over a million people during his tenure. 12.Wanton destruction of lives and properties - I do not know about this, care to elaborate? 13.Decaying infrastructures - I agree 14.Fuel shortages and higher and higher pump prices - Oh yeah, what was the situation before he took over in 1999. My memory is of people sleeping in Gas station just to secure 20 liters of fuel at exhorbitant prices. I remember the queue disappeared the very month he took over. 15.Assassinations of political associates and opposites. I do not know if he alone should be blamed for this, it has been a culture in Nigeria since IBB to eliminate opposition Sorry I am yet to see how your Dorothy has brought these together in a balanced manner. You have only manage to display passionate hatred for the man - You must belong to the group of heartless nay-sayer of your own description.

NWANZA  # 7 | 12.01.2009 17:10

=Robot;311642>Discussions about the obasanjo years ( of locust), between may 1999 and may 2008, always pitch people between the three above wizard of oz characters. The cowardly fence sitters, the heart-less naysayers and the brainless praise-singers.But, then where are the Dorothys to bring all these together in a much balanced manner? Can we all try to be the unbiased judges of the obasanjo years? Those who give obasanjo an unmerited measure of credit are dubious and dangerous people as they are inadvertently saying that on balance the man’s goodness outweigh his badness. Ordinarily a leader is supposed to lead. We should not be overwhelmed that obasanjo seemed to have performed any great act of proper leading. (S)he who is afraid of obasanjo should fear no more. Why would anyone still fear ? QUOTE> WAIT-O-BROTHERS & SISTERS - the coast is not yet cleared well/well to return Naija from exile. OBJ na big-big masqurade we de carry big cane, and no telling weda him go whip you or kill you quench. Those who give Obasanjo credit should report to Nigeria now/now - once we see them prosper and blossom, we go follow/follow like ducks-in-one-row! Me want only good road to reach my papa house - biko. They never build International Airport for Southeast - 1st option. But I got bribe money ready for police & armed robbers - to let me pass go, from Lagos to Enugu. Maybe they serviced my HONDA generator for electric light, and bore-hole water for shower my gray hair - abeg oga please have mercy. Me still de fear Obasanjo, IBB, Buhari, and now Umaru!

chibuzor  # 8 | 14.01.2009 13:09

''I would hope that this will be my very last write up on the useless man.'' Makes me happy when obj and the word useless is used in the same sentence. USELESS MAN.