Another CNN Interview: Are They Fooling Nigerian President?

 Nigerian president, Olusegun Obasanjo, granted another interview to CNN during his trip to the United States recently. He spoke about his achievements, third term, and Niger Delta.

I think Obasanjo shouldn’t have answered questions about third term, which is becoming repetitive, boring, and irritating. But he did, while he refused to answer a Nigerian journalist on the same topic.

The Interview

Richard: Are you running for 3rd term?

OBJ     : The constitution that we have today does not admit of a third term in office.

Richard: So your answer was yes.

OBJ     : My answer is that constitutionally there’s no provision for that.

Richard: But you have planned to change the constitution?

OBJ     : Not me. I have no means by which I can change the constitution

Richard: Are you ruling out a third term?

OBJ     : I am not ruling out anything. I am just telling you [what is] the position Richard. Richard, we have a constitution today that is clear what it admits, and that is the constitutional position and I will abide by constitution legitimately and constitutionally.

Richard: With all due respect let me read you a letter to the New York paper from somebody, a Nigerian from Massachusetts. (The letter writer accused Mr. President of going the way of Robert Mugabe and co)

OBJ     : What is important Richard is this: we have a national assembly that has responsibility legitimately, constitutionally for making law for our country and for amending the law in our land, including the supreme law which is our constitution. That body has that responsibility and that body must discharge that responsibility legitimately and properly and that is what that body is doing.

Richard: But you got a lot of power. You can manoeuvre things. Can’t you?

OBJ     : (raises his voice) No, I am not a manoeuvrer. I am a democrat Richard. With all due respect and I want to make that I am not a manoeuvrer. I am not a manipulator. I am a democrat. And I want you to accept that. Please…please.

Richard: Understood…But now looking back, what have been some of your successes?

OBJ     :     (smiles) Oh, there’s plenty of it. Nigeria came…when we came in, Nigeria was a pariah state. Nobody wants to touch Nigeria when we came into power seven years ago. Today, Nigeria is em…welcome everywhere. When we came to power almost seven years ago, the foreign reserve of Nigeria was $3.7 billion. Today, it is $37 billion. Ten times more than what it was. The growth of the economy when we came was negative. When you em… take it along with the growth of population is more than 5%. If you leave population out in the last three years, the economy [has] grown by more than 7%. Agriculture which was neglected in the last three years [has] grown by more than 7%.  Last year, it grew more than 8%. Now that is success. And if you don’t see that as success, I will ask you what [success is].

Richard: What is your plan for Niger Delta?

OBJ     : Now before I left for this meeting after the release of the hostages, I set out a meeting for next week where all the stakeholders – Youth leaders, traditional leaders, elected leaders, [and] civil society will meet and will look at what are the genuine grievances and what are the perceived or non-genuine grievances and how they can be addressed.

Richard: We have a little time left. Do you see companies pulling out of the Delta region because of kidnappings, lack of security?

OBJ     : I don’t perceive that. I believe that the people who invest in any country know that there would be certain amount of risk. There’s no investment anywhere that doesn’t have an element of risk in it. And then you then sit down if you are an investor, and work out what is the em…acceptable risk.

Comments

Although Obasanjo is not my type of leader, (and as a citizen I have been discussing my reasons to that effect) yet I have to confess that I feel for the man sometimes. The main reason being that, uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.

 It is not sure that most of us who do criticise Obasanjo can perform better than him if given the chance. Nigeria is a difficult country. Even the most efficient human being might not be able to govern Nigeria well. I think there are many Nigerians – powerful or powerless – that do not want Nigeria to be. And I think this should be food for consumption.

So I watched our president being interrogated by Richard Roth, a CNN reporter, during an exclusive interview Obasanjo had with the Cable News Network recently. I kept asking: who is fooling who? What exactly is the purpose of the interview?        

You will recall that the same Richard Roth had interviewed Obasanjo on the same issue in 2004, and direct questions were answered directly. Therefore, talking about the same issue in 2006 without both men referring to their earlier conversation bothers me a lot. It shows that both the interviewer and the interviewed either have short memory or they both don’t care about the conversation. It brings into question the whole purpose of the interview.

For instance, Richard should have started by saying that I know you have spoken your mind on this issue in 2004 but it appears Nigerians do not believe you…

If Richard had forgotten, Obasanjo should have reminded him by saying that Richard, remember we had already settled the matter of 3 rd term in 2004 when I said, “No, I won’t want a third term. It is unconstitutional.”

Instead I watched Nigerian president being subjected to emotional assault, especially when he protested, “No, I am not a manoeuvrer. I am a democrat Richard. With all due respect and I want to make that I am not a manoeuvrer. I am not a manipulator. I am a democrat. And I want you to accept that. Please…please.”

I think Nigerian president deserves more respect than this. It is quite unbelievable to see a "mere" journalist subjecting our stubborn and arrogant president to such torture. And without Aremu flooging him? But that is what you get ouside when you are fond of intimaidating your own people - at home. I am pretty sure our president could have slapped Richard were he a Nigerian journalist. And I am sure Nigerian journalists would be having fun of their lives watching their enemy being defeated by a comrade in far away America.

It was clear that Obasanjo was deeply hurt when Richard said he (Obasanjo) could manoeuvre things. In fact I had thought Obasanjo would walk away, judging from the contempt he has for Nigerian journalists. It was Obasanjo who once wrote in front of “our” Ota Farm the infamous inscription, “Beware of dogs and journalists”. He was even reported to have flogged a journalist. The same Obasanjo had refused to answer a Nigerian journalist who asked him about the political culture of sit tight leaders but granted CNN an exclusive interview – on the same issue.  

Why is Nigerian president behaving like this? How many Nigerians living in Nigeria can he reach through CNN? Will you then accuse me of being Obasanjo hater if I suggest that he cares more about his international image than his love for his people!

Robot  Villager

# 1 Another CNN Interview: Are They Fooling Nigerian President?Nigerian president, Olusegun Obasanjo, granted another interview to CNN during his trip to the United States recently. He spoke about his achievements, third term, and Niger Delta. I think Obasanjo shouldn’t have answered questions about third term, which is becoming repetitive, boring, and irritating. But he did, while he refused to answer a Nigerian journalist on the same top...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 02.04.2006 14:52

gwobezentashi  Villager

# 2 Will you then accuse me of being Obasanjo hater if I suggest that he cares more about his international image than his love for his people! Short answer? No! Posted by gwobezentashi| 02.04.2006 17:19

Naija for life  Villager

# 3 Why is Nigerian president behaving like this? How many Nigerians living in Nigeria can he reach through CNN? Will you then accuse me of being Obasanjo hater if I suggest that he cares more about his international image than his love for his people! No. Mr. Babalola, I will not call you an Obasanjo hater. Nothing wrong with criticizing your president. Posted by Naija for life| 02.04.2006 18:28

Guest

# 4 Hakeem asks..... "Are the Fooling Nigerian President?" No, Obasanjo is the one fooling himself. The only reason he grants interviews to foreigners while shunning fellow journalists in Nigeria (or of Nigerian descent) is simply because of inferiority complex. Mr President, if the Nigerian constitution were to be changed - with our without your involvement or manipulation - would you run for a 3rd term? Why is that question so difficult to answer? Posted by Guest| 02.04.2006 18:47

pappilo  Villager

# 5 There is no such thing as a mere journalist. In proper democratic settings the journalist may ask anybody irrespective of their office or position any reasonable question. Richard Roth is a well respected journalist and is not 'mere' in any way. The BBC constantly harass Tony blair so why cant the big bellied bastard be asked a question that affects our nation. Posted by pappilo| 03.04.2006 05:11

Naija for life  Villager

# 6 pappilo, We are with you. Our comments might not obviously indicate so, but we are. Posted by Naija for life| 03.04.2006 09:20

Odinaka  Villager

# 7 Both Rich and Obj, Rich epecially, obviously suffered from a kind of memory failure on that day. How does one explain the absence of a recourse to 2004? Posted by Odinaka| 04.04.2006 06:13