In the early years of his presidency, I was a supporter. I was a supporter of President Obasanjo. After the calamity that was Ibrahim Babamgida, and the iniquity that was Sani Abacha, I believed Obasanjo could do no worse. Although he was neither a Yakubu Gowon, nor an Obafemi Awolowo and neither was he a Muhammadu Buhari, still, I was confident he was the man to pull Nigeria from the abyss, the man to set the country on the right path. He had the credentials and the disposition; and unlike some before him, he didn’t seem power hungry. I wasn’t alone in my assessment: both the international and domestic audiences were praying for him, wishing him well and offering their support. He needed it, and so did Nigeria . The preceding decade-and-a-half was a telling time for the country -- a country that was grinding to a halt and falling apart at the seams.

To be sure, Nigeria is not an easy country to govern. There are too many cleavages, too many power-centers, too many primordial challenges, and too many exogenous tentacles interfering with the internal affairs of the country. Adding to the tempest was the nation’s weak institutions, rotten political culture, competing regional egos, and a populace that was, for the most part, indifferent to the lot of the country. So, taking into consideration all that Nigeria was, General Olusegun Obasanjo seem like the kind of man to take the country to the Promised Land. In fact, he was the man to take Nigeria out of the grooves. But he failed and fell. Though his failings are considered monumental, it is too early to tell -- in details and objectively -- why he failed. We leave that to history and to posterity.

President Obasanjo’s fall from grace has been stunning, painful, and sad to watch. Oddly enough, his fall has been instructive; a lesson to all who think and behave as though they are mightier than Kilimanjaro. The saddest part is that he brought it all on himself. He and he only was the architect of his downfall and disgrace. The question for history and for posterity is this: how did a military general, a diplomat, a well-regarded citizen of the world, a confidant and adviser to eminent personalities around the world, and a well-referenced former head of state became a domestic and international pariah within a year of leaving office? How, why? I can think of no other situation (within the Black world) where a man of his status self-destructs, this fast. Personally, it brings tears to my eyes.

I cry for Obasanjo much the same way I cry for Bayelsa State whenever I think of what Governors Diepreye Alamieyeseigha and Goodluck Jonathan did to the economy and to the social, cultural and political climate of the state. Bayelsa State is not likely to recover from the licentiousness and criminality of both former governors for 16 or more years, just as Nigeria may not recover for 20 years or more from the bastardizing actions of Obasanjo. He acted and spoke as though he was God: above reproach, and above the law. He took and he gave. He built and he destroyed. He praised and he condemned. For eight long agonizing years, Obasanjo was the state and the state was Obasanjo. Few, very few, had the courage or the audacity to dare him, to challenge him. Most who did, had thunder and lightening striking them. The vast majority kept quiet and or praised him. Cowardice and sycophancy became a big and profitable business.

Nigerians from all religious, ethnic, economic and social background were falling over one another to be in the President’s good book. They wanted to wine and dine with him. And wine and dine they did. Pastors, Imams, psychics, marabouts, dream merchants, ex this and ex that and ex nothing and the wannabe were all on their knees, on their fours genuflecting. Aso Rock and Otta Farm became circus headquarters. These freaks and vagabonds saw no evil and heard no evil. From 1999 until the summer of 2007, they were dumb and deaf and sissified. Then, two seasons into Yar’Adua’s presidency, things began to change. Suddenly, suddenly, they all seem to have regained their voices and their manhood. Suddenly, suddenly, it is now fashionable to criticize Obasanjo. Suddenly, suddenly, they appeared on the queue -- attacking, abusing and vilifying their once great benefactor. They were not men then, they cannot be men now. How shameless!

It is now a badge of honor to rain invectives at a man from whose palm they once ate and drank, a man on whose floor they once slept, a man whose behind they once kissed. How ironic that they all now make Orji Uzor Kalu look like a gallant soldier, like a saint, like a prophet. Nigeria is a strange place! The Daily Sun (Friday, May 30, 2008) is reporting that “Kalu, one of the few, who looked Obasanjo straight in the face and told the retired general all he did not want to hear, expressed concern over the number of allies who are turning renegade of late.” He admonished “Those who tied their tongues in silence in the past should not turn heroes overnight.” and so he is asking them to “Shut Up!” It is an irony of fate that Wayowayo Kalu now has the ammunition with which to rubbish the EFCC and Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.

I have read many reports pertaining to Obasanjo’s downfall; but none was as poignant as the brief report in the Punch newspaper (Thursday, May 29, 2008), captioned “When Obasanjo, Fashola ignored each other.” The pithy account was accompanied by an evocative picture. According to Punch, “Obasanjo appears to be the favorite whipping horse of everybody these days. His ministers and other political officers who worked with him while in office have dissociated themselves from him...at the burial party of the Ogun State Governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel‘s mother…the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Raji Fashola came in, greeted his Osun State counterpart, Olagunsoye Oyinlola…Sitting side by side with Oyinlola, however, was Obasanjo…the Lagos State governor ignored the ex-president…”

Granted President Olusegun Obasanjo brought it all on himself, still, he deserves to be greeted and approached in a respectful manner. We all know what he is, but as a two time head of government, a military general, a chief among his people, and a grandfather, he should not be abused and disrespected in public the way Babatunde Raji Fashola has done and others are doing. Does the Lagos State Governor have any common sense, any decency? To go into a community of mourners and flagrantly disrespect a man older than his own father is uncalled for. No one should rejoice in Fashola’s imbecility. Come to think of it, is Fashola’s friend, former boss and benefactor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, any better than Odili and Ibori and a thousand other crooked politicians in Nigeria ? And is Fashola himself any better than any of the known thieves in post-1999 Nigeria ?

It is painful what President Obasanjo and his posse did to Nigeria . It is mightily unconscionable. Criminal! From my own vantage point, history and posterity will most likely condemn him. That said, we cannot allow our judgment to be clouded by hate and hypocrisy. Look around, look at all those who have suddenly found their voices and are not bashing and abusing Obasanjo. Lilliputians. Ants. Those who didn’t raise their voice when Obasanjo was in power do not deserve to criticize him now; those who didn’t raise their hands then do not deserve to do so now. They were cowards then, and are cowards now.

Sabidde@yahoo.com

Robot  # 1 | 01.06.2008 13:22

In the early years o...Read the full article.

philipikita  # 2 | 01.06.2008 13:48

I don't care. I would ignore the old crook too, and all "Babas" with no shame. I am not a latter day critic, I campaigned vigorously against him in 1999, I knew since then he's a shameless old man that can never be trusted. Suprisingly, some friends and family remained deceived for 8 years, they are today worse "haters" of OBJ. What would be added to Lagosians if Fashola prostrates to OBJ?

docokwy  # 3 | 01.06.2008 14:51

Good article, but nonetheless one with contradictions. On the one hand you call Kalu (one of the few that indeed looked OBj in the face) wayowayo, and on the other, you still call those who dined with Obj and now have turned turncoats bad names. To what group should people belong then? What is the definition of showing remorse for ones misdeed? Could this later day Obj bashers be said to be remorseful of the evil they goaded OBj on to perpetrate; something that Obj himself seems incapable of doing (I mean showing remorse)? Or are they just plain opportunists looking to latch on to the new government and perpetrate their sycophancy? And, talking about Fashola, I thought he and his boss, Tinubu (another big thief that has somehow managed to remain unprobed), are sworn enemies of Obj. So why do you expect him to respect Obj? This is not about the fabled Yoruba dobaleism. If you fail to respect your age, no one will do it for you.

Oguguo Yakere  # 4 | 01.06.2008 15:45

"E wo le f'agba, agba ni ngba ni E wo le f'agba agba ni ngba ni ijo toro, agba ni ngbani, ijo sisi, agba ni ngba ni" "Iya ni wura iyebiye".....etc. are just two of many Yoruba traditional songs for raising children to respect the elderly. The Igbo have similar ones too. "Ewo gini ka nge nye nnem..." etc is one of those. In our traditional values we are not short of lessons to respect our elders. BUT when "agbalabga" or "okenye" constitutes himself into a terror against people who stand for the truth and fairness; when a man given the opportunity to be a father of all makes himself a father of crooks and thieves; when a man sends soldiers to clear a whole village (Okigwe, Odi, Zaki Biam) irrespective of the ages of the victims, when he sponsors terrorism in Anambra state against a governor, then my friend the "agba" in that person would at that stage have lost all the respect his age or status attracts. That, the Yoruba would call "Agba Iya" Igbo will describe as "Okenye na gwuo ofe". So please leave the governor alone. He greeted those he thought deserved his greetings and that should settle it. These people are on the ground and know themselves. Many more of such things will happen. Even Pa Awolowo snobbed this same man many many times when he was alive. Orji Uzo Kalu's "cheap shot" will not take him anywhere. He is known for who he is......very unreliable and selfish. This would not wash him clean. Besides he is a cameleon. Indeed, as already stated above that greeting would not have added a grain of rice to any Lagosians food, so let it be.

Mikky jaga  # 5 | 01.06.2008 15:49

Fashola did not disrespect Obasanjo for what he did to Nigeria, No! The evil he did to Nigeria is minute compared to the evil he did to his own people - Yorubas. He suceeded in damaging the politics of principle bequeathed to us by Papa Awo and enthroned garrison politics that threw up the worst among us as the new leaders. In Yorubaland, Obasanjo is a disaster and the more decent people avoid being associated with him the better. The man deserves to die in ignominy. May his type never rise to prominence again in Yorubaland. May all the gods of Yorubaland grant us that the evil that Obasanjo represents is washed away from our shores for ever. Fashola, congratulations, next time carry the AC broom with you and sweep away wherever the old fool steps. Former president, my foot!! His types are being sentenced to death in saner countries.

Auspicious  # 6 | 01.06.2008 15:51

=docokwy;4295048884>This is not about the fabled Yoruba dobaleism. If you fail to respect your age, no one will do it for you. The thing is, your adamantly irresponsible self will make far better sense in your contributions on this Forum, were you to find the courage and the desperately lacking decency to shed your cancerous hatred for the Yoruba people in expressing yourself on issues that may involve them. However, it appears that the cancerous disease that eats your very guts out inch-by-inch, day in, day out, will continue to deprive you of your pride of place amongst people who can actually think and express themselves with an admireable level of intelligence. No doubt you were expressing a good point up there until, like your foolish self are wont to do, you made derisive insinuations about the culture of the Yorubafolks to postrate for their elderly and give respect to whom respect is due, regardless of any existing differences that exist between them. It is a reflection of how deep your uncouthness and lack of decorum goes when you continue to show that you have no regard for other peoples traditions and cultures. But why should I be surprised? Anyone who habitually finds it easy to insult people's parents is pretty much hopeless. Auspicious.

denker  # 7 | 01.06.2008 16:07

Shut up! - Kalu tells Obasanjo’s critics By OUR REPORTERS Friday, May 30, 2008 Apparently upset by the brazen outbursts of erstwhile lackeys of former president Olusegun Obasanjo, the Chairman Board of Trustees, Progressive Peoples Alliance , Dr. Orji Uzor KAlu, wants them to hold their tongue. http://odili.net/news/source/2008/may/30/sun/Kalu-26.jpg •Kalu Photo: Sun News Publishing Kalu, one of the few, who looked Obasanjo straight in the face and told the retired general all he did not want to hear, expressed concern over the number of allies who are turning renegade of late. He said: “When Obasanjo was in power, many of these modern-day critics never spoke a word. A few of us, including Senator Bola Tinubu, told him the truth. Those of them who remained silent should continue to keep quiet. You cannot change the goal post now. Kalu, who blamed his ongoing trial engineered by the Economic and financial crimes commission on politics, insisted he had no regrets stemming Obasanjo’s third term ambitions. “It is all politics, you can see it. They talk of corruption. Till I left office, the highest amount Abia State got from the Federation Account was N1.4 billion. Obasanjo found me too smart to handle. Two days before he relinquished power in 2007, he signed the papers Nuhu Ribadu used against me. Today, Nigerians hear of billions of dollars stolen from oil, power and Abuja. If third- term pulled through, we might have beatified the wrong persons,” Kalu pointed out. However, the former Abia State governor called on the nascent Obasanjo critics to respect the status of the ex-president. “Those who tied their tongues in silence in the past should not turn heroes overnight. Obasanjo remains a one-time president and should not be abused by sycophants.” On his relationship with Obasanjo, Kalu said the bridge of friendship had not been blown up. According to the PPA chieftain, there was nothing personal about his opposition to the Balogun of Owu. “We shall meet at the appropriate time. I only opposed him because he refused to listen. Obasanjo is a lawyer, an engineer, a professor, know-it-all. Unfortunately, I saw people who should talk, fall flat on the floor to worship him. They made the man feel he was his divine majesty. I could not take that.”

denker  # 8 | 01.06.2008 16:13

Shut up! - Kalu tells Obasanjo’s critics By OUR REPORTERS Link! Friday, May 30, 2008 Apparently upset by the brazen outbursts of erstwhile lackeys of former president Olusegun Obasanjo, the Chairman Board of Trustees, Progressive Peoples Alliance , Dr. Orji Uzor KAlu, wants them to hold their tongue. •Kalu Photo: Sun News Publishing Kalu, one of the few, who looked Obasanjo straight in the face and told the retired general all he did not want to hear, expressed concern over the number of allies who are turning renegade of late. He said: “When Obasanjo was in power, many of these modern-day critics never spoke a word. A few of us, including Senator Bola Tinubu, told him the truth. Those of them who remained silent should continue to keep quiet. You cannot change the goal post now. Kalu, who blamed his ongoing trial engineered by the Economic and financial crimes commission on politics, insisted he had no regrets stemming Obasanjo’s third term ambitions. “It is all politics, you can see it. They talk of corruption. Till I left office, the highest amount Abia State got from the Federation Account was N1.4 billion. Obasanjo found me too smart to handle. Two days before he relinquished power in 2007, he signed the papers Nuhu Ribadu used against me. Today, Nigerians hear of billions of dollars stolen from oil, power and Abuja. If third- term pulled through, we might have beatified the wrong persons,” Kalu pointed out. However, the former Abia State governor called on the nascent Obasanjo critics to respect the status of the ex-president. “Those who tied their tongues in silence in the past should not turn heroes overnight. Obasanjo remains a one-time president and should not be abused by sycophants.” On his relationship with Obasanjo, Kalu said the bridge of friendship had not been blown up. According to the PPA chieftain, there was nothing personal about his opposition to the Balogun of Owu. “We shall meet at the appropriate time. I only opposed him because he refused to listen. Obasanjo is a lawyer, an engineer, a professor, know-it-all. Unfortunately, I saw people who should talk, fall flat on the floor to worship him. They made the man feel he was his divine majesty. I could not take that.”

docokwy  # 9 | 01.06.2008 16:23

=Auspicious;4295048907>The thing is, your adamantly irresponsible self will make far better sense in your contributions on this Forum, were you to find the courage and the desperately lacking decency to shed your cancerous hatred for the Yoruba people in expressing yourself on issues that may involve them. However, it appears that the cancerous disease that eats your very guts out inch-by-inch, day in, day out, will continue to deprive you of your pride of place amongst people who can actually think and express themselves with an admireable level of intelligence. No doubt you were expressing a good point up there until, like your foolish self are wont to do, you made derisive insinuations about the culture of the Yorubafolks to postrate for their elderly and give respect to whom respect is due regardless of any existing differences that exist between them. It is a reflection of how deep your uncouthness and lack of decorum goes when you continue to show that you have no regard for other peoples traditions and cultures. But why should I be surprised? Anyone who habitually finds it easy to insult people's parents is pretty much hopeless. Auspicious. Are you also lurking around for me here? I am proud to be that important. Hahahahah. I beg, no go kill yourself oh! I no send you.:rolleyes:

Dapxin  # 10 | 01.06.2008 16:42

he deserves to be greeted and approached in a respectful manner. We all know what he is, but as a two time head of government, a military general, a chief among his people, and a grandfather, he should not be abused and disrespected in public the way Babatunde Raji Fashola has done and other are doing. Does the Lagos State Governor have any common sense, any decency? To go into a community of mourners and flagrantly disrespect a man older than his own father is uncalled for All of the above for ex-emperor obj ? decency ? common sense ? Abeegi, make I dey run b4 my sunday spoil for ground yakata. Truth is, were we to have the strength of decency & common sense, as individuals and as a group, Obj shouldn't have been invited to a public showing, on account of his 8year idi0cy @ the top of things in Nigeria. Retribution, sometimes catches you with in a cold way. I wouldnt invite Obj to my shows....and I suspect, he lacks the capacity to even reflect on his disasterous handling of the Nigerian project, let alone his own name. Abeegi!

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