Probe him! Jail him!! Hang him!!! I can imagine the chorus song of some Nigerians while dancing to the well orchestrated beat and rhyme of those seeking revenge on a man whose overwhelming desire for power becloud his judgement. The people sponsoring and fuelling the events are the same people that created the political environment that imposed a leader like this foolish man on the people.

There is no doubt in my mind that this ex-soldier leader is foolish. Only a foolish man would not have realised that while everyone stands attention when you give orders in the military, in politics you negotiate and plead with people that you would normally have considered to be beneath you.

Obasanjo is the man, the ex-soldier that I am talking about. He has by his conduct and utterances convinced me that he is genuine in his mission to emancipate the people. Also the same utterances and conduct makes me believe that this ex-soldier and ex-president is foolish.

But something tells me these orchestrated probes of his time in government and the revocation of some of the contracts he awarded are not what they seem. After all, this is Nigeria and we are taking about a man who fought a bruising war against corruption. This ex-soldier stepped on many toes. The smart ones among us would’ve expected these fraudsters and looters to regroup and fight back with overwhelming force. They are fighting back. Quietly I prayed to God to give him the courage to survive this ordeal.

When you watch Obasanjo on the television, you don’t need to be a genius to know he is a man with a mission but with very little understanding of the world around him. Obasanjo isn’t cut out for politics, because he lacks the understanding and tolerance required to succeed in politics.

Today in Nigeria, when you look left or right, you see people claiming to have evidence of the huge sums he embezzled while in office. But no one has presented to any of the probe panel any incriminating evidence that directly linked this man to at least one specific case of fraud. When I look at the middle, I see people folding their arms while evil prevails. It is a sad time for Nigeria.

I've been reading and rationalising all the allegations against the former Nigerian President, Mr Olusegun Obasanjo, in the various newspapers and in the popular Nigerian website, Nigeria Village Square. My interest derives from my earlier article on him, If Nigerians Are Grateful People They Will Appreciate Obasanjo’s Achievements.  

Somehow, something in me says I should wait for the ongoing probes to finish. I should also wait for when the “fraudulent contractors” are arrested and charged to court. Above all, I should wait for all the corrupt ministers in OBJ government to be arrested and charged to court. Then something made me think I will have to wait forever.

Some people see recent events, the multitude of probes, visit to power construction sites and the cancellation of some contracts awarded under Obasanjo government as a pay back time for Obasanjo. How wrong could they be! It isn’t Obasanjo that will suffer but the people.

I remember the saying that if you throw enough mud at someone it will stick. I've been thinking about the possibility that some people who lost out on the contract tenders are behind these allegations. I have noted the lack of concrete evidence to date that directly linked Obasanjo with specific fraud. I have also considered that none of the contractors awarded the contracts have absconded with the money they collected.

Of course, it is possible that many frauds were committed in Obasanjo’s name just as it were under all previous governments. It is also true that he stepped on the toes of popular fraudsters and looters of the public treasury who are now determined to take their revenge. What is worrying for some Nigerians is the number of Nigerian elites that have been taken in by the scheming of these treasury fraudsters and looters.

My professional training doesn’t allow me to let things run without stopping to take stock of performance at certain intervals. Nigerians should at this stage sit back and take an honest look at the visits to the power construction sites and the revocation of contracts. Nigerians should start to ask questions.

For now, my questions for the Senates and Representatives are:

1. How many of the politicians who visited the power construction sites are electrical engineers who are really in a position to assess dispassionately and value the level of work completed?
   
2. Will the senate and House of Representatives publish the individual expenses claim of all involved in these probes and visits to sites?
   
3. Considering this government has the rule is law as its banner, where these contracts revoked in accordance with the provisions of these contracts?

I am sure these probes and visits to construction sites are paid for from the public funds. So it will be nice for the people to know how much this is costing and who is claiming what. The general public can then judge for themselves if personal financial gain is the motives behind the series of probes and visits to construction sites. Personally, I’m dubious about these politicians and their visits.

I know from my budgetary and internal controls experience that corruption takes many forms. There is no better legitimate and subtle way to enrich yourself than to be involved in all sorts of pro-longed probes into bogus allegations where the financial reward for daily attendance at the hearings is high. Nigerians must be assured that the politicians have not found another legitimate avenue to abuse public finance.

Let me reiterate that nothing I have said above changed my mind that Obasanjo made some mistakes. But I call on Nigerians not to relent in their struggle to break free from the shackles of corruption. Nigerians need to increase the pressure on the Senate and the Representatives to produce evidence that link Obasanjo to specific frauds and charge him to court. Otherwise these politicians should be held to account for what this probe charade was all about.

I know Nigerians aren't that stupid. Nigerians do not believe that the politicians that offered them money for their votes aren't going to recoup the money from the public treasury. And Nigerians know that these same politicians that paid them money for their votes are the ones shouting from the roof top, proclaiming a war against corruption.

The people’s war against corruption is about to begin.

nosa@olotu.org

Robot  Villager

# 1 Hang him! Jail him!!! Probe him!!! I can imagine the chorus song of some Nigerians while dancing...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 22.04.2008 15:20

Enforcer  Villager

# 2 ThisDay Newspaper (Wednesday 23d April 2008) reports that “the House of Representatives has set up a committee of 26 members to probe the activities of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), its subsidiaries, and the Directorate of Petroleum Resources (DPR). The probe period, originally planned to cover May 1999 to May 2007 when Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was president, has now been extended to cover till date. The panel will be led by the Chairman of the House Committee on Gas, Hon. Igo Aguma.” Can someone tell Nigerians why 26 people are required to probe NNPC? Posted by Enforcer| 23.04.2008 02:24

Luchi  Villager

# 3 =Enforcer;4295008636>ThisDay Newspaper (Wednesday 23d April 2008) reports that “the House of Representatives has set up a committee of 26 members to probe the activities of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), its subsidiaries, and the Directorate of Petroleum Resources (DPR). The probe period, originally planned to cover May 1999 to May 2007 when Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was president, has now been extended to cover till date. The panel will be led by the Chairman of the House Committee on Gas, Hon. Igo Aguma.” Can someone tell Nigerians why 26 people are required to probe NNPC? Enforcer, Some honourables are insisting that they must get their own share of the National Cake. Nigerians will be shocked when they will know how much is been spent on these probes. Nigeria is a big joke, all these revelations from the probes will end up in the trash can, the honourables will smile to the banks while the masses will keep suffering. Posted by Luchi| 23.04.2008 06:18

employlawone  Villager

# 4 Dear Sir, I appreciate your article for its dispassion in speaking truth to the power of this issue. Well done, but you must also be expected to be denigrated for speaking truth to power, but you must hold and stand firm. Highest Regards, Olu Posted by employlawone| 23.04.2008 07:33

Baba-Ijesa  Villager

# 5 =Robot;4295008502>Hang him! Jail him!!! Probe him!!! I can imagine the chorus song of some Nigerians while dancing...Read the full article. The campaign of calumny against Obasanjo and all he stood and stands for must stop. This is because in a civilized society a person is innocent until proven guilty and must not be treated otherwise. Maybe Obasanjo was fraudulent or not nobody knows and if there is anybody out there who can prove that he is let the person step forward and stop wasting our time with frivolous allegations. Those running the campaign of calumny against Obasanjo without any just cause other than the fact that Obasanjo stepped on their toes while he was in power should not forget that someone is watching them too and thesame treatmnet may be meted out to them when they are out government. B-I Posted by Baba-Ijesa| 23.04.2008 08:35

datuouwadaberechi  Villager

# 6 thank you so much nosa, for this well-thot out article. i have also wondered how much these calls for probes are motivated by pocketism (greed) as opposed to patriotism. having said that, i still hope agaiinst hope that some redress will be done and that the people will somehow come out winners. i am happier that this probe is done that if it wasnt done even though i am actually (like you) very very apprehensive and suspicious of what its all going to cost us. indeed, corruption upon corruption. insult upon injury.... we nigerians we have truly suffered at d hands of these corrupticians. but we will win!!! we will TRIUMPH OVER THEIR GREED. well-timed and needful write-up, once again, thanks. Posted by datuouwadaberechi| 23.04.2008 09:41

Enforcer  Villager

# 7 =Luchi;4295008680>Enforcer, Some honourables are insisting that they must get their own share of the National Cake. Nigerians will be shocked when they will know how much is been spent on these probes. Nigeria is a big joke, all these revelations from the probes will end up in the trash can, the honourables will smile to the banks while the masses will keep suffering. Luchi I agree with you 100%. The question is what can Nigerians do at this early stage to limit how much of public revenue is wasted on these probes. It is quite a sad situation. Posted by Enforcer| 23.04.2008 15:12

Enforcer  Villager

# 8 =employlawone;4295008708>Dear Sir, I appreciate your article for its dispassion in speaking truth to the power of this issue. Well done, but you must also be expected to be denigrated for speaking truth to power, but you must hold and stand firm. Highest Regards, Olu employlawone The first lesson one learns when you choose to write articles on politically sensitive issues is how to absorb overt or covert denigration without falling over. Posted by Enforcer| 23.04.2008 15:21