That Baba OBJ's letter by M. Malumfashi

That Obasanjo’s letter… 

 

Like him or hate him, OBJ has been one man in this country who have won almost all the battles since 1960’s. It were his mates who staged the first coup and the counter months later. Colonel Obasanjo played a huge role in the Biafran war and even accepted the surrender of Biafran Army in 1970. He became the Chief of Staff SMC after Gowon was overthrown. Again, he ‘slightly’ missed Dimka’s bloody target in 1976, he made sure he didn’t miss Dimka after he became Head of State. After the Generals left the scene for politicians in 1979, Obasanjo was accused by Action Group’ Obafemi Awolowo of rigging elections for Shagari. Over 10 years later he and his Deputy were accused of staging a Coup and he particularly was pardoned and eventually came out alive. Abacha died mysteriously, and he OBJ was a President for years 8 straight, he couldn’t push beyond that! He installed a ‘sick’ ‘Yaradua (who died in 2010) and Jonathan Goodluck from nowhere. He was with Jonathan’s PDP before things changed, he wrote a letter like this time around, ‘Before it is too late’ and it was already too late then, for Jonathan. Obasanjo clearly supported the APC, nothing would have changed the 2015 story, but he won once again! General Muhammadu Buhari on the other hand fought many and won only one!

This week, Obasanjo sent a 13-page letter to the President, which must have left the APC calculating and the Presidency thinking. I don’t know if Obasanjo should in any way be Nigeria’s moral compass. At 78 he plays football on his birthday, went back to school for another Degrees, as if he is not responsible for the almost 12 years out of Nigeria’s post-independence mess. But he Obasanjo, must have said what many others including the President’s former staff have been saying and what the First family have been whispering from the other room! Obasanjo many not have the political base to decide 2019 but like always he must have calculated well. If one loves Buhari, I think it is time to listen for a while to this Grand Wailer!

Many hard-core Buharists have resorted to attacking Obasanjo instead of his words. They chose the messenger not the message! No one as at now have denied what Obasanjo said in his what seems now to be usual election year eve letters. As Buhari has the right to rule the Country till 80 years, Obasanjo has the right to speak at 80! All-in-all, the interesting thing said in the letter is that Buhari shouldn’t contest for another second term. Ironically, Obasanjo wanted a third term in office. Former President Obasanjo said the APC Government has tried it’s all and that is the best they could offer, this is the part where it’ll get some big APC men calculating the 2019 math. Obasanjo said he knew Buhari to be weak in Nation’s economics and foreign affairs policy and thought we will have looked for the best brains, he didn’t. Obasanjo may be had the best Economic team in history. Buhari’s Minister of budget is a Lawyer. They said the Minister of Finance went to a Polytechnic. What’s wrong with a Polytechnic! She was promoted from a ‘mere’ Commissioner to a non-coordinating Minister of the Economy. 

General Obasanjo said in his letter, the Economy doesn’t obey military order. Buhari his Junior in the Army tried to fix Naira-Dollar rates by sending DSS operatives arresting some Bureau D’ Change operators in 2015. In Obasanjo’s letter, he mentioned how the Economy danced to the tunes of our politics. Obasanjo thought the President will utilize the likes of his Professor Vice President who heads the Economic team. You don’t even need a political economist to be told that things are hard in the Country. Talking about foreign affairs policies, like many, I don’t much know about this administration’s policy. I only know that our Foreign affairs Minister used to have at least 5 pens in his pocket. Last time I read that so many Countries were waiting for Nigerian’ authority decisions on several issues, it took too long (like Ministers) to appoint Ambassadors. Nigeria’s Rep. to the United States, S. Nsofor is 82, older than the letter writer! Former President Obasanjo in his tenure traveled to 97 countries, Buhari had so many trips abroad to show too.

Ex-President Obasanjo mentioned about the President’s inability to discipline accused members of his circle, the case of Abdurrasheed Maina was an embarrassing example. This man was accused even by Jonathan’s Gov’t of corruption and was being wanted. Buhari’s Minister of Justice met Maina in Dubai, the next thing we had was that he has been back in office and even miraculously promoted. We have had enough stories of some power tussles in the Villa between the ever powerful Chief of Staff, SGF, EFCC boss, NSA, DSS and even the Head of service. Such has to the extent, embarrassed the President at the National Assembly. The failure to deal with such cases will forever leave a big blow on the face of the President. Someone puts it at ‘Buhari, you roared like a General, stop biting like a squirrel!’ 

There are some things that definitely have nothing to do with the price of crude barrel sold at $120, no blame games, fix things! In the letter, the Former President generously half-commended Buhari administration in the aspects of corruption and economy. When Obasanjo said the APC has nothing more to offer, then PDP (with one star man running the show) gives you some good options: Sule Lamido, Ayo Fayose, Ibrahim Shekarau, keep calling the names! It’s clear, Obasanjo doesn’t want another 2-times Leader to match his records, but I wonder how you get a Coalition of a-politicians or whatever that form and beat a sitting Government in a year!

Allah ya sa mu dace!

Muhammad Malumfashi is on Twitter @m_malumfashi