However, if a soldier’s genuine love for her country inspires her to usurp power, then she should surrender her life immediately after the mission has been accomplished. Soldiers like that would have acted according to the established rules that promulgate death penalty for coup plotting. Such a soldier would have won the hearts of the citizens, for she would have demonstrated her purpose by such bold and noble act. Anything sorts of this would qualify her as an opportunist and a hypocrite.

Dead hero for where!

No Nigerian soldier – dead or alive – is worth referring to as a patriot. Think about Nigeria and its “unknown zombie”. And prove me right if I dey lie. We are a people whose lives… mirror the character in question. We hail him when he rides or swims in his ill-gotten wealth. We even admire him whenever he builds palaces or have farms that are sophisticated. We kneel and praise him whenever he collects #25 million presidential nomination PDP form. The ordinary folks indirectly inspire this kind of people to feel important…

On the second thought however, here is a man with experience in governance having been the Head of State from 1976 to 1979 after which he ceremoniously handed over to Alhaji Sheu Shagari for the commencement of a civilian regime. We praised him for a noble act, for Africans are known for sit-tight fad. Like many I had thought this khaki boy voluntary paved way for a civilian administration until he conceived another baby called third term in his new Agbada uniform.

“At his age!” the citizens cried.

That single event provoked me. Now I believe Olusegun Obasanjo was forced to hand over power in 1979 contrary to what we believed! Now it is clear to me he had no choice then. He was probably afraid he might be assassinated like Murtala Mohammed, his comrade. Only God knows where they picked him up after the tension had cooled off.

I still consider him a brave farmer nonetheless.

Though I was very sad and angry for his sudden come back, I respected people’s choice. People’s choice? The people must have been cajoled, or bathed in Oguro (palm-wine) when the voting was going on. Anyway, I swallowed my bitterness. On his behalf I cried to heaven for knowledge and wisdom to become him. “Guide this man,” I had prayed, “to lead his people from the wilderness to the land promised”.

I should have known better. I should have remembered Ali Must Go era when students were killed under the command of one General 007. I should have tarried a little before starting to fast on this man’s behalf. I should have blocked his chances of ruling again. But if I had done that how could we eventually know him? Obasanjo has gradually shown us what he stands for within the last seven years of his reign – obsession with Nigeria.

And I started reasoning like those who know more than I do. I craved indulgence in going with the flow. Here is a man of destiny. Here is the man who won the civil war for Nigeria. Here is a man who started Operation Feed the Nation (OFN). Here is a man who “voluntarily” left power, an act alien to African rulers. Here is a soldier-farmer who is god among men. Here is another Daniel who went to the lion cave and emerged unhurt. This is an allegory for Obasanjo’s survival from Abacha’s gulag where the lunatic had condemned him to death – for planning coup.

In retrospect, I wonder if we should have done more. Perhaps Sani Abacha knew what we did not know about Aremu. We may have started seeing why the lunatic caged a man of destiny. It would have been a joy to many but he survived.  I am yet to understand this aspect.

Here is a born again Christian who knows the implication of blasphemy, fornication, hypocrisy, dishonesty, double standard, and pride. Here is a man who would become humble, put his near death experience to benefit his people. Here is the man. “Here is our Messiah, our Mosses.”

Off we went to the street. We sang, danced, paved and wet the street with water in our eyes. Our lives don better. But you never know with a wounded soldier. How I wish I had the knowledge then, even courage to tell Nigerians that the war hero/villain would eventually result to blasphemy, hypocrisy, pride and double standard – in order to begin a kind of revolution.

Was it not he who once appealed to his fellow politheifians that they should not make politics a do or die affair. I ask: who is meticulously working towards that path? He is fond of using religion and morality to keep the poor in their place. He is a stubborn fellow and full of pride. He is fighting corruption whilst he is being implicated in shady deals, most especially that controversial private library fund. One could as well add the recent case of his errand buddy, Andy Uba, who was indicted for using presidential jet to lauder money into the United States.

Of course he has since defended himself through his American based lawyer, saying the attempt to link him with Andy Uba money palava was a reckless mission to soil his good name. What prevented him from calling press conference? I don’t care attitude? Taking a very serious issue lightly is part of the reasons why we named him OBJoke. Obasanjo should have presented evidence rather than mere defending. It pains when a self-proclaimed corruption fighter makes jokes of situations that yoke him together with corruption.

Today his “negative methodology” has generated controversy among Nigerians. Some argued that the series of illegal impeachments currently making wave around the country is good for democracy. They believe such illegal act is needed in order to sanitize corruption and check abuse of executive power. Drastic crimes need drastic solution, they posit.

Notable among this school of thought is none other than Gani Fawehinmi, the radical Human Right’s lawyer, who surprisingly supports the replacement of Ekiti State governor, Ayo Fayose, with that of a retired army general, Tunji Olurin as administrator. Gani also back the impeachment of Joshua Dariye, ex- governor of Plateau State. I am confused.

It is probably out of this conviction that had made Gani to turn down Rasheed Ladoja’s request as a client. The legal luminary simply has intense hatred for looters. Well,

However, Femi Falana, Wole Soyinka and others frown at guerilla tactics being employed by this man to deal with issues of corruption and impeachment. Those in this group passionately believe that we are in deeper trouble if we have to result to illegality before we can remove wayward governors or other public officials. I think this group faces conflict of ideology. First, they also believe that PDP, the ruling party rigged most of the elections in 2003. So why should the law of the land protect these criminals? Okay, I understand we must presume innocence until we have evidence of guilt.

Yet there is danger here. For Obasanjo to violate the constitution while fighting corruption is as grave as corruption itself. The man is unpredictable. He may use such illegality against us in the future. This is the reason why I support due process. A bread and butter question is this: why is it so difficult to remove a corrupt governor without resulting to illegality? I mean we should simply remove the immunity clause. Why are they confusing us?

I would have “worshipped” him over his clampdown on certain governors or corrupt individuals had he not attempted third term. Or had he not associated himself with people who “soiled” his name. In fact, his Gestapo manoeuvre after losing baby third term neatly dressed him as a wounded soldier. With his long hands behind every impeachment in the land, how are we sure this man would not cause trouble to manipulate Nigeria 2007? Or have you forgotten the catch phrase: the best candidate may not win election?

No, he will not result so low as to annul or cancel “election”. 

Obasanjo’s a la mode – emergency rule – is developing in Oyo State as each day wax. His friend, Lamidi Adedibu – a man he’d soon dump – once vowed that Rasheed Adedoja would not assume former position in spite of Appeal Court’s ruling. Even the body language of Alao-Akala, present governor, suggests he too is ready to die in office. In the midst of this imbroglio, Obasanjo would then extend his tentacle to bring a retired soldier as administrator. He has already done it in Plateau and Ekiti States respectively. He was about to do it in Anambra but with Ojukwu’s quick intervention. This is the reason why many of us have lost faith in him.

Obasanjo should have been the man to start a quiet revolution but for his pride and dishonesty, lost out.  His revolution includes inability to take care of 12 million students in various schools; roads as metaphor for death trap; lack of security and inadequate health care; Tsunami campaign; Typhoid water; reforms that do not touch the lives of ordinary people; leadership without example; rough and tumble fight; and so on and so on.

Na so so promise. .Na so so rhetoric…Na so so… 

No matter what he does now, he remains a man who, instead of truly being the Father of Modern Nigeria, becomes Enemy of Modern Nigerians.

mysmallvoice@yahoo.com