SAHARA REPORTERS
December 2, 2013
His Excellency,
Dr. Goodluck E. Jonathan, GCFR
President and Commander-in-Chief
of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
Presidential Villa,
Asokoro, Abuja.
Dear Mr. President,
I am constrained to make this an open letter to you for a number of
reasons. One, the current situation and consequent possible outcome
dictate that I should, before the door closes on reason and promotion of
nation interest, alert you to the danger that may be lurking in the
corner. Two, none of the four or more letters I have written to you in
the past two years or so has elicited neither an acknowledgement nor any
response. Three, people close to you, if not yourself, have been
asking, what does Obasanjo want? Four, I could sense a semblance between
the situation that we are gradually getting into and the situation we
fell into as a nation during the Abacha era. Five, everything must be
done to guard, protect and defend our fledgling democracy, nourish it,
and prevent bloodshed. Six, we must move away from advertently or
inadvertently dividing the country along weak seams of North-South and
Christian-Moslem. Seven, nothing should be done to allow the country to
degenerate into economic dormancy, stagnation or retrogression. Eight,
some of our international friends and development partners are genuinely
worried about signs and signals that are coming out of Nigeria. Nine,
Nigeria should be in a position to take advantage of the present
favourable international interest to invest in Africa – an opportunity
that will not be open for too long. Ten, I am concerned about your
legacy and your climb-down which you alone can best be the manager of,
whenever you so decide.
Mr. President, you have on a number of occasions acknowledged the
role God enabled me to play in your ascension to power. You put me third
after God and your parents among those that have impacted most of your
life. I have always retorted that God only put you where you are and
those that could be regarded as having played a role were only
instruments of God to achieve God’s purpose in your life. For me, I
believe that politically, it was in the best interest of Nigeria that
you, a Nigerian from minority group in the South could rise to the
highest pinnacle of political leadership. If Obasanjo could get there,
Yar’Adua could get there and Jonathan can get there, any Nigerian can.
It is now not a matter of the turn of any section or geographical area
but the best interest of Nigeria and all Nigerians. It has been proved
that no group – ethnic, linguistic, religious or geographical location –
has monopoly of materials for leadership of our country. And no group
solely by itself can crown any of it members the Nigerian CEO. It is
good for Nigeria. I have also always told you that God has graciously
been kind, generous, merciful and compassionate to me and He has done
more than I could have ever hoped for. I want nothing from you
personally except that you should run the affairs of Nigeria not only to
make Nigeria good, but to make Nigeria great for which I have always
pleaded with you and I will always do so. And it is yet to be done for
most Nigerians to see.
For five capacities in which you find yourself, you must hold
yourself most significantly responsible for what happens to fails to
happen in Nigeria and in any case most others will hold you responsible
and God who put you there will surely hold you responsible and
accountable. I have had opportunity, in recent times, to interact
closely with you and I have come to the conclusion painfully or happily
that if you can shun yourself to a great extent of personal and
political interests and dwell more on the national interest and also
draw the line between advice from selfish and self-centered aides and
advice from those who in the interest of the nation may not tell you
what you will want to hear, it will be well. The five positions which
you share with nobody except God and which place great and grave
responsibility on you are leadership of the ruling party, headship of
the Federal Government or national government, Commander-in-Chief of the
Military, Chief Security Officer of the nation, and the political
leader of the country. Those positions go with being President of our
country and while depending on your disposition you can delegate or
devolve responsibility, but the buck must stop on your table whether you
like it or not.
Let me start with the leadership of the ruling party.
Many of us were puzzled over what was going on in the party. Most party
members blamed the National Chairman. I understand that some in the
presidency tried to create the impression that some of us were to blame.
The situation became clear only when the National Chairman spoke out
that he never did anything or acted in any way without the approval or
concurrence of the Party Leader and that where the Party Leader
disapproved, he made correction or amendment, that we realised most
actions were those of the Chairman but the motivation and direction were
those of the Leader. It would be unfair to continue to level full
blames on the Chairman for all that goes wrong with the Party. The
Chairman is playing the tune dictated by the Paymaster.
But the Paymaster is acting for a definitive purpose for which deceit
and deception seems to be the major ingredients. Up till two months
ago, Mr. President, you told me that you have not told anybody that you
would contest in 2015. I quickly pointed out to you that the signs and
the measures on the ground do not tally with you statement. You said the
same to one other person who shared his observation with me. And only a
fool would believe that statement that you made to me judging by what
is going on. I must say that it is not ingenious. You may wish to pursue
a more credible and honourable path. Although you have not formally
informed me one way or the other, it will be necessary to refresh your
memory of what transpired in 2011. I had gone to Benue State for the
marriage of one of my staff, Vitalis Ortese, in the State. Governor
Suswam was my hospitable host. He told me that you had accepted a
one-term presidency to allow for ease of getting support across the
board in the North. I decided to crosscheck with you. You did not
hesitate to confirm to me that you are a strong believer in a one-term
of six years for the President and that by the time you have used the
unexpired time of your predecessor and the four years of your first
term, you would have almost used up to six years and you would not need
any more term or time. Later, I heard from other sources including
sources close to you that you made the same commitment elsewhere, hence,
my inclusion of it in my Address at the finale of your campaign in 2011
as follows:
“…PDP should be praised for being the only party that enshrines
federal character, zoning and rotation in its Constitution and practices
it. PDP has brought stability and substantial predictability to the
polity and the system. I do not know who will be President of Nigeria
after Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. That is in the hand of God. But with PDP
policy and practice, I can reasonably guess from where, in term of the
section of the country, the successor to President Jonathan will come.
And no internal democracy or competition will thereby be destroyed. The
recent resort to sentiments and emotions of religion and regionalism is
self-serving, unpatriotic and mischievous, to say the least. It is also
preying on dangerous emotive issues that can ignite uncontrollable
passion and destabilise if not destroy our country. This is being
oblivious of the sacrifices others have made in the past for unity,
stability and democracy in the Nigeria in giving up their lives,
shedding their blood, and in going to prison. I personally have done two
out of those three sacrifices and I am ready to do the third if it will
serve the best interest of Nigerian dream. Let me appeal to those who
have embarked on this dangerous road to reflect and desist from taking
us on a perishable journey. With common identity as Nigerians, there is
more that binds us than separates us. I am a Nigerian, born a Yoruba
man, and I am proud of both identities, as they are for me
complementary. Our duties, responsibilities and obligations to our
country as citizens and, indeed, as leaders must go side by side with
our rights and demands. There must be certain values and virtues that
must go concomitantly with our dream. Thomas Paine said “my country is
the world”, for me, my country I hold dear.
On two occasions, I have had opportunity to work for my successors to
the government of Nigeria. On both occasions, I never took the easy and
destabilising route of ethnic, regional or religious consideration
rather I took the enduring route of national, uniting and stabilising
route. I worked for both President Shagari and President Yar’Adua to
succeed me not just because they are Moslems, Northerners or
Hausa-Fulani, but also because they could strengthen the unity,
stability and democracy in Nigeria. We incurred the displeasure of
ethnic chauvinists for doing what was right for the country. That is in
the nature of burden of leadership. A leader must lead no matter whose
ox is gored.
In the present circumstance, let me reiterate what I have said on a
number of occasions. Electing Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, in his own
right and on his own merit, as the President of Nigeria will enhance and
strengthen our unity, stability and democracy. And it will lead us
towards the achievement of our Nigerian dream.
There is press report that Dr. Goodluck Jonathan has already taken a
unique and unprecedented step of declaring that he would only want to be
a one-term President. If so, whether we know it or not, that is a
sacrifice and it is statesmanlike.
Rather than vilify him and pull him down, we, as a Party, should
applaud and commend him and Nigerians should reward and venerate him. He
has taken the first good step.
Let us encourage him to take more good steps by voting him in with
landslide victory and the fourth elected President of Nigeria on the
basis of our common Nigerian identity and for the purpose of actualizing
Nigerian dream…”
When you won the election, one of the issues you very early pursued
was that one term of six years. That convinced me that you meant what
you told me before my Speech at the campaign. Mr. President, whatever
may be your intention or plan, I cannot comment much on the
constitutional aspect of your second term or what some people call third
term. That is for both legal and judicial attention. But if
constitutionally you are on a strong wicket if you so decide, it will be
fatally morally flawed. As a leader, tow things you must cherish and
hold dear among others are trust and honour both of which are important
ingredients of character. I will want to see anyone in the Office of
the Presidency of Nigeria as a man or woman who can be trust, a person
of honour in his words and character. I will respect you for upholding
these attributes and for dignifying that Office. Chinua Achebe said,
“One of the truest test of integrity is its blunt refusal to be
compromised.” It is a lesson for all leaders including you and me.
However, Mr. President, let me hope that s you claimed that you have not
told anybody that you are contesting and that what we see and hear is a
rumbling of overzealous aides, you will remain a leader that can be
believed and trusted without unduly passing the buck or engaging in game
of denials.
Maybe you also need to know that many party members feel disappointed
in the double game you were alleged to play in support of party
gubernatorial candidates in some States where you surreptitiously
supported non-PDP candidates against PDP candidates in exchange for
promise or act of those non-PDP Governors supporting you for your
election in the past or for the one that you are yet to formally
declare. It happened in Lagos in 2011 when Bola Tinubu was nocturnally
brought to Abuja to strike a deal for support for your personal election
at great price materially and in the fortune for PDP gubernatorial
candidate. As Chairman of BOT, I spoke to you at that time. It happened
in Ondo State where there was in addition evidence of cover-up and
non-prosecution of fraud of fake security report against the non-PDP
candidate and his collaborators for the purpose of extracting personal
electoral advantage for you. In fact, I have raised with you the story
of those in other States in the South-West where some disgruntled PDP
members were going around to recruit people into the Labour Party for
you, because for electoral purpose ta the national level, Labour part
will have no candidate but you. It also happened in Edo State and those
who know the detail never stopped talking about it. And you know it.
Ditto in Anambra State with the fiasco coming from undue interference.
If you as a leader of the Party cannot be seen to be loyal to the PDP in
support of the candidates of the Party and the interest of such Pasrty
candidates have to be sacrificed on the altar of your personal and
political interest, then good luck to the Party and I will also say as I
have had occasions to say in the past, good luck to Goodluck. If on the
altar of the Party you go for broke, the Party may be broken beyond
repairs. And when in a dispute between two sides, they both stubbornly
decide to fight to the last drop of blood, no one knows whose blood
would be the last to drop. In such a situation, Nigeria as a nation may
also be adversely affected, not just the PDP. I wish to see no more
bloodshed occasioned by politics in Nigeria. Please, Mr. President, be
mindful of that. You were exemplary in words when during the campaign
and the 2011 elections you said, “My election is not worth spilling the
blood of any Nigerian.” From you, it should not be if it has to be, let
it be. It should be from you, let peace, security, harmony, good
governance, development and progress be for Nigeria. That is also your
responsibility and mandate. You can do it and I plead that you do it. We
all have to be mindful of not securing Pyrrhic victory on the ashes of
great values, attributes and issues that matter, as it would amount to
hollow victory without honour or integrity.
Whatever may be the feud in PDP and no matter what you or your aides
may feel, you, as the Party Leader, have the responsibility to find
solution, resolve and fix it. Your legacy is involved. If PDP as a
ruling Party collapses, it will be the first time in an independent
Nigeria that a ruling political party would collapse not as a result of a
military coup. It is food for thought. At the prompting of Governors on
both sides o the divide, and on encouragement from you, I spent two
nights to intervene in the dispute of the PDP Governors. I kept you
fully briefed at every stage. I deliberately chose Banquet Hall at the
Villa to ensure transparency. Your aides studied all the recordings of
the two nights. But I told you at the end of the exercise that I
observed five reactions among the Governor that required your immediate
attention as you are the only one from the vantage point of your five
positions that could deal effectively with the give reactions which were
bitterness, anger, mistrust, fear and deep suspicion. I could only hope
that you made efforts to deal with these unpleasant reactions. The feud
leading to the factionalisation of the Party made me to invite some
select elders of the Party to mediate again. Since I was engage din
assignment outside the country, I was not able to join the three members
of the elders group that presented the report of our mediation to you. I
was briefed that you agreed to work on the report. It would appear that
for now, the ball is in your court and the Leader of the Party. I can
only wish you every success in your handling of the issue. But time is
not your friend nor that of the Party is this respect. With leadership
come not just power and authority to do and to undo, but also
responsibility and accountability to do and undo rightly, well and
justly. Time and opportunity are a treasure that must be appreciated and
shared to enhance their value and utilitarianism.
It is instructive that after half a dozen African Presidents have
spoken to me to help you with unifying the Party based on your request
to them and I came in company of Senator Ahmadu Ali to discuss the whole
issue with you again, strangely, you denied ever requesting or
authorising any President to talk to me. I was not surprise because I am
used to such a situation of denial coming from you. Of course, I was
not deterred. I have done and I will continue to do and say what is
first, in the best interest f Nigerian and second, what is in the best
interest of the Party. I stand for the aim, objectives, mission and
vision of the founding fathers of the Party, to use it as a wholesome
instrument of unity, good governance, development, prosperity and
progress of Nigeria and all Nigerians. I have contributed to this goal
in the past and no one who has been raised to position on the platform
of the Party should shy away from further contribution to avoid division
and destruction of the Party any altar whatsoever.
Debates and dialogues are necessary to promote the interest and work
for the progress of any human institution or organisation. In such a
situation, agreements and disagreements will occur but in the final
analysis, leadership will pursue the course of action that benefit the
majority and serve the purpose of the organization, not the purpose of
an individual or a minority. In that process, unity is sustained and
everybody becomes a winner. The so-called crisis in the PDP can be
turned to an opportunity of unity, mutual understanding and respect with
the Party emerging with enhanced strength and victory. It will be a
win-win for all members of the Party and for the country. By that, PDP
would have proved that it could have internal disagreement and emerge
stronger. The calamity of failure can still be avoided. Please, move
away from fringes or the extremes and move to the centre and carry ALL
along. Time is running out.
I will only state that as far as your responsibility as
Chief Security Officer of the nation is concerned for Nigerians, a lot
more needs to be done to enhance the feeling of security amongst them.
Whether one talks of the issue of militancy in the Niger Delta, the
underlying causes of which have not been adequately addressed, if
addressed at all, kidnapping, piracy, abductions and armed robberies
which rather than abate are on the increase and Boko Haram which
requires carrot and stick approach to lay its ghost to rest, the general
security situation cannot be described as comforting. Knowing the
genesis of Boko Haram and the reasons for escalation of violence from
that sector with the widespread and ramification of the menace of Boko
Haram within and outside the Nigerian borders, conventional military
actions based on standard phases of military operations alone will not
permanently and effectively deal with the issue of Boko Haram. There are
many strand or layers of causes that require different solutions,
approaches or antidotes. Drug, indoctrination, fundamentalism, gun
trafficking, hate culture, human trafficking, money laundering,
religion, poverty, unemployment, poor education, revenge and
international terrorism are among factors that have effect on Boko
Haram. One single prescription cannot cure all these ailments that
combine in Boko Haram. Should we pursue war against violence without
understanding the root causes of the violence and applying solutions to
deal with all underlying factors – root, stem and branches? Nigeria is
bleeding and the hemorrhage must be stopped. I am convinced that you can
initiate measures that will bring all hands on deck to deal effectively
with this great menace.
Mr President, the most important qualification for your
present position is your being a Nigerian. Whatever else you may be
besides being a Nigerian is only secondary for this purpose. And if
majority of Nigerians who voted had not cast their votes for you, you
could not have been there. For you to allow yourself to be “possessed”,
so to say, to the exclusion of most of the rest of Nigerians as an “Ijaw
man” is a mistake that should never have been allowed to happen. Yes,
you have to be born in one part of Nigeria to be a Nigerian if not
naturalized but the Nigerian President must be above ethnic
factionalism. And those who prop you up as of, and for ‘Ijaw nation’ are
not your friends genuinely, not friends of Nigeria nor friends of ‘Ijaw
nation’, they tout about. To allow or tacitly encourage people of ‘Ijaw
nation’ to throw insults on other Nigerians from other parts of the
country and threaten fire and brimstone to protect your interest as an
Ijaw man is myopic and your not openly quieting them is even more
unfortunate. You know that I have expressed my views and feelings to you
on this issue in the past but I have come to realize that many others
feel the way I have earlier expressed to you. It is not the best way of
making friendship among all sections of Nigeria. You don’t have shared
and wholesome society without inclusive political, economic and social
sustainable development and good governance. Also declaring that one
section of the country votes for you as if you got no votes from other
sections can only be an unnecessary talk, to put it mildly. After all
and at the end of the day, democracy is a game of numbers. Even, if you
would not need people’s vote across the country again, your political
Party will.
Allegation of keeping over 1000 people on political watch
list rather than criminal or security watch list and training snipers
and other armed personnel secretly and clandestinely acquiring weapons
to match for political purposes like Abacha and training them where
Abacha trained his own killers, if it is true, it cannot augur well for
the initiator, the government and the people of Nigeria. Here again,
there is the lesson of history to learn from for anybody who cares to
learn from history. Mr. President would always remember that he was
elected to maintain security for all Nigerians and protect them. And no
one should prepare to kill or maim Nigerians for personal or political
ambition or interest of anyone. The Yoruba adage says, “The man with
whose head coconut is broken may not live to savour the taste of the
succulent fruit.” Those who advise you to go hard on those who oppose
you are your worst enemies. Democratic politics admits and is permissive
of supporters and opponents. When the consequences come, those who have
wrongly advised you will not be there to help carry the can. Egypt must
teach some lesson.
Presidential assistance for a murderer to evade justice
and presidential delegation to welcome him home can only be in bad taste
generally but particularly to the family of this victim. Assisting
criminals to evade justice cannot be part of the job of the presidency.
Or, as it is viewed in some quarters, is he being recruited to do for
you what he had done for Abacha in the past? Hopefully, he should have
learned his lesson. Let us continue to watch.
As Head of Government, the buck of the performance and
non-performance stops at your table and let nobody tell you anything to
the contrary. Most of our friends and development partners are worried
and they see what we pretend to cover up. They are worried about issue
of security internally and on our coastal waters including heavy oil
theft, alias bunkering and piracy. They are worried about corruption and
what we are doing or not doing about it. Corruption has reached the
level of impunity. It is also necessary to be mindful that corruption
and injustice are fertile breeding ground for terrorism and political
instability. And if you are not ready to name, shame, prosecute and
stoutly fight against corruption, whatever you do will be hollow. It
will be a laughing matter. They are worried about how we play our role
in our region and indeed the world. In a way, I share some of their
concerns because there are notable areas where we can do more or do
better than we are doing. Some of our development partners were
politically frustrated to withdrw from Olokola LNG project which happily
was not yet the same with Brass. I initiated them both. They were
viable and would have taken us close to Qatar as LNG producing country.
Please do not frustrate Brass LNG and in the interest of what is best
for Nigerian economy, bring back OK LNG into active implementation The
major international oil companies have withheld investment in projects
in Nigeria. If they have not completely moved out, they are
disinvesting. Nigeria, which is the Saudi of Africa in oil and gas
terms, is being overtaken by Angola only because necessary decisions are
not being made timely and appropriately. Mr. President, let me again
plead with you to be decisive on the oil and gas sector so that Nigeria
may not lag behind. Oil with gas is being discovered all over Africa,
New technology is producing oil from shale elsewhere. We should make hay
while the sun shines. I hope we can still save OK and Brass LNG
projects. Three things are imperative in the oil and gas sector – stop
oil stealing, encourage investment especially by the IOC’s and improve
the present poor management of the industry. On the economy generally,
it suffices to say that we could do better than we are doing. The signs
are there and the expectations are high. The most dangerous ticking bomb
is youth unemployment particularly in the face of unbridled corruption
and obscene rulers’ opulence.
Let me repeat that as far as the issue of corruption,
security and oil stealing is concerned, it is only apt to say that when
the guard becomes the thief, nothing is safe, secure or protected in the
house. We must all remember that corruption, inequity and injustice
breed poverty, unemployment, conflict, violence and wittingly or
unwittingly create terrorist because the opulence of the governor can
only lead to the leanness of the governed. But God never sleeps; He is
watching, waiting and bidding His time to dispense justice.
The serious and strong allegation of non-remitting of
about $7 billion from NNPC to Central Bank occurring from export of some
300,000 barrels per day, amounting to $900 million a month, to be
refined and with refined products of only $400 million returned and
Atlantic Oil loading about 130,000 barrels sold by Shell and managed on
behalf on NPDC with no sale proceeds paid into NPDC account is
incredible. The letter of Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria to you on
non-remittance to Central Bank buttressed the allegation. This
allegation will not fly away by non-action, cover-up, denial or bribing
possible investigators. Please deal with this allegation transparently
and let the truth be known.
The dramatis personae in this allegation and whom they are working
for will one day be public-knowledge. Those who know are watching if the
National Assembly will not be accomplice in the heinous crime and naked
grand corruption. May God grant you the grace for at least one
effective corrective action against hight corruption, which seems to
stink all around you in your government.
The international community knows us as we are and maybe
more than we claim to know ourselves. And a good friend will tell you
the truth no matter how bitter. Denials and cover-up of what is obvious,
true and factual can detract from honour, dignity and respect. Truth
and transparency dignify and earn respect. And life without passion for
something can only achieve little. I was taken aback when an African
Development Bank Director informed me that the Federal Government is
putting the water project for Port Harcourt originally initiated by the
Federal Government to be financed by the bank, in the cooler since the
Amaechi-Jonathan face-off. Amaechi, whether he likes it or not, will
cease to be Governor over Rivers State which Port-Harcourt will continue
to need improvement of their water supply. President Jonathan should
rise above such pettiness and unpresidential act, if it is coming from
him. But if not, and it is the action of overzealous officials reading
the situation, he should give appropriate instruction for the project to
be pursued. And if there are other projects anywhere suffering the same
coolness as a result of similar situation, let national interest
supersede personal or political feud and the machinations of satanic
officials.
Mr. President, let me plead with you for a few things
that will stand you in good stead for the rest of your life. Don’t
always consider critics on national issues as enemies. Some of them may
be as patriotic and nationalistic as you and I who had been in
government. Some of them have as much passion for Nigeria as we have. I
saw that among Nigerians living abroad, hence, I initiated Nigerians in
Diaspora Organisation, NIDO. You must also differentiate between
malevolent, mischievous and objective criticism. Analyses, criticisms
and commentaries on government actions and policies are sinew of
democracy. Please, Mr. President, be very wary of assistants, aides and
collaborators who look for enemies for you. I have seen them with you
and some were around me when I was in your position. I knew how not to
allow them create enemies for me. If you allow them, everybody except
them will be your enemy. They are more dangerous than identified
adversaries. May God save leaders from sycophants. They know what you
want to hear to hear and they fee you with it essentially for their own
selfish interest. As far as you and Nigeria are concerned, they are
wreckers. Where were they when God used others to achieve God’s will in
your life. They possess you now for their interest. No interest should
be higher or more important than Nigerian interest to you. You have
already made history and please do nothing to mar history. I supported
you as I supported Yar’Adua. For me, there is neither North-South divide
nor Christian-Moslem divide but one Nigeria.
Let me put it, that talks, loose and serious, abound
about possible abuse and misuse of the military and legitimate security
apparatus for unwholesome personal and political interest to the
detriment of the honour, dignity, oath and professionalism of these
honourable and patriotic forces. Let me urge authorities not to embark
on such destructive path for an important element of our national
make-up. The roles of the military and the security agencies should be
held sacrosanct in the best interest of the nation. Again, let not
history repeat itself here.
I believe that with what Nigerian has gone through in the
past, the worst should have already happened. It must be your
responsibility as the captain of the ship to prevent the ship from going
aground or from a shipwreck. For anybody close to you saying that if
the worst happens, he or she would not be involved is an idle and loose
talk. If we leave God to do His will and we don’t rely only on our own
efforts, plans and wisdom, God will always do His best. And the power of
money and belief in it is satanically tempting. As I go around Nigeria
and the world, I always come across Nigerians who are first-class
citizens of the world and who are doing well where they are and who are
passionate to do well for Nigeria. My hope for our country lies in these
people. They abound and I hope that all of us will realize that they
are the jewels of Nigeria wherever they may be and not those who
arrogate to themselves eternal for ephemeral.
Also to my embarrassment at times, I learned more about
what is going on in the public and private sectors of Nigeria from our
development partners, international institutions and those transacting
business in Nigerian most times I was abroad. On returning home to
verify the veracity of these stories, I found some of them not only to
be true but more horrifying than they were presented abroad. Other
countries look up to Nigeria for regional leadership. Failure on the
part of Nigeria will create a schism that will be bad for the region.
Knowing what happens around you most of which you know of
and condone or deny, this letter will provoke cacophony from hired and
unhired attackers but I will maintain my serenity because by this
letter, I have done my duty to you as I have always done, to your
government, to the Party, PDP, and to our country, Nigeria. If I stuck
out my neck and God used me and others as instrumetns to work hard for
you to reach where you are today in what I considered the best political
interest of Nigeria, tagging me as your enemy or the enemy of your
administration by you, you kin or your aides can only be regarded as
ridiculous to extreme, If I see any danger to your life, I will point it
out to you or ward it off as I have done in the past. But, I will not
support what I believe is not in the best interest of Nigeria, no matter
who is putting it forward or who is behind it. Mr. President, I have
passed the stage of being flattered, intimidated, threatened,
frightened, induced or bought. I am never afraid to agree or disagree
but it will always be on principles, and if on politics, in the national
interest. After my prison experience in the close proximity of and
sharing facilities with an asylum in Yola, there is nothing worse for
anyone alive and well. And that was for a military dictator to pertuate
himself in power. Death is the end of all human beings and may it come
when God wills it to come. The harassment of my relations and friends
and innuendo that are coming from the Government security apparatus on
whether they belong to new PDP or supporters of defected Governors and
which are possibly authorized or are the work of overzealous aides and
those reading your lips to act in your interest will be
counter-productive. It is abuse of security apparatus. Such abuse took
place last in the time of Abacha. Lies and untruths about me emanating
from the presidency is too absurd to contemplate. Saying that I
recommend a wanted criminal by UK and USA authorities to you or your
aides to supplant legitimately elected PDP leader in South-West is not
only unwise and crude but also disingenuous. Nobody in his or her right
senses will believe such a story and surely nobody in Ogun State or
South-West zone will believe such nonsense. It is a clear indication of
how unscrupulous and unethical the presidency can go to pursue your
personal and political interest. Nothing else matters. What a pity!
Nothing at this stage of my life would prevent me from standing for
whatever I consider to be in the best interest of Nigeria – all Nigeria,
Africa and the world in that order. I believe strongly that a united
and strong PDP at all costs is in the best interest of Nigeria. In these
respects, if our interests and views coincide, together we will march.
Putting a certified unashamed criminal wanted abroad to face justice and
who has greatly contributed to corruption within the judiciary on a
high profile of politics as you and your aides have done with the man
you enthrone as PDP Zonal leader in the South-West is the height of
disservice to this country politically and height of insult to the
people of South-West in general and members of PDP in that zone in
particular. For me, my politics goes with principles and morality and I
will not be a party to highly profiling criminals in politics, not to
say one would be my zonal leader. It destroys what PDP stands for from
its inception. By the government not acting positively and promptly in
the case of Buruji Kashamu wanted in the US for drug trafficking and
money laundering crimes, it is only confirming the persistent reports of
complicity or involvement of high-level political figures in drug
trafficking and condonation of the crime for political benefit.
Whichever way, it is a very dangerous development for Nigeria. Sooner or
later, drug barons will be in control of large real estates, banks and
other seemingly legitimate businesses; in elections they will buy
candidates, parties and eventually buy power or be in power themselves.
It may be instructive if I quote fairly extensively from Lansana
Gberie’s recent paper titled, ‘State Officials and Their Involvement in
Drug Trafficking in West Africa”:
“… The controversial and puzzling case of Buruji Kashamu, a powerful
figure in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), suggests that a
successful and wealthy politician’s association with drug trafficking is
hardly disabling. Kashamu was indicted by a grand jury in the Northern
District of Illinois in 1998 for conspiracy to import and distribute
heroin to the United States. The indictment named him under his own name
as well as two supposed aliases: ‘Alaji’ and ‘Kasmal’. His whereabouts
were unknown at the time, however, and his co-accused were tried and
convicted. Later that year, he was found living comfortably in England,
and, on receipt of an extradition request from the US, the UK
authorities arrested Kashamu. After a very protracted proceeding lasting
until 2003, however, an English Judge refused to extradite Kashamu on
grounds of uncertainty about his true identity. Kashamu triumphantly
returned to Nigeria and soon after became a key political figure. He is
now believed to be very close to President Goodluck Jonathan, because of
his ability to mobilise votes in key States in Western Nigeria. The US
government reviewed Kashamu’s case, with the famous Judge Richard Posner
presiding. Posner concluded that while Kashamu’s identity remains
murky, there is little doubt that the figure now exercising authority in
Nigeria’s PDP is the same as Kashamu the ‘Alaji’ who was indicted for
conspiracy to smuggle illicit drugs into the United States. Despite
this, the Nigerian government has persistently ignored calls by civil
society groups to investigate Kashamu and extradite him to the US. On 2
July 2013, the Federal Court in Lagos determined that Kashamu should be
extradited to the US. KAshamu immediately appealed against this
decision, yet in November 2013, a new Panel of Judges constituted by the
President of the Court of Appeal unanimously held that his appeal
lacked merit, and that Kashamu should be extradited. His extradition to
the United States will certainly set an important precedent… unless, of
course, he uses his political skills and contacts to continue avoiding
it…”
God is never a supporter of evil and will surely save PDP and Nigeria
from the hands of destroyers. If everything fails and the Party cannot
be retrieved from the hands of criminals and commercial jobbers and
discredited touts, men and women of honour, principles, morality and
integrity must step aside to rethink.
Let me also appeal to and urge defected, dissatisfied, disgruntled
and in any way displeased PDP Governors, legislators, party officials
and party members to respond positively if the President seriously takes
the initiative to find mutually agreeable solution to the current
problems for which he alone has the key and the initiative. I have heard
it said particularly within the presidency circle that the disaffected
Governors and members of PDP are my children. I begin to wonder if, from
top to bottom, any PDP member in elective office today is not directly
or indirectly a beneficiary and, so to say, my political child. Anyone
who may claim otherwise will be like a river that has forgotten its
source. But like a good father, all I seek is peaceful and amicable
solution that will re-unite the family for victory and progress of the
family and the nation and nothing else.
In a democracy, leaders are elected to lighten the burden
of the people, give them freedom, choice and equity and ensure good
governance and not to deceive them, burden them, oppress them, render
them hopeless and helpless. Nothing should be done to undermine the
tenets, and values of democratic principles and practice. Tyranny in all
its manifestation may be appealing to leader in trying times of
political feud or disagreement. Democracy must, however, prevail and be
held as sacrosanct. Today, you are the Present of Nigeria, I acknowledge
you and respect you as such.
The act of an individual has a way of rubbing off on the
generality. May it never be the wish of majority of Nigerians that
Goodluck Jonathan, by his acts of omission and commission, would be the
first and last Nigerian President ever to come from Ijaw tribe. The idea
and the possibility must give all of us food for thought. That was
never what I worked for and that would never be what I will work for.
But legacy is made of such or the opposite.
My last piece of advice, Mr. President, is that you
should learn the lesson of history and please do not take Nigeria and
Nigerians for granted. Move away from culture of denials, cover-ups and
proxies and deal honesty, sincerely, transparently with Nigerians to
regain their trust and confidence. Nigerians are no fools, they can see,
they can hear, the can talk among themselves, they can think, they can
compare and they can act in the interest of their country and in their
own self-interest. They keenly watch all actions and deeds that are
associated with you if they cannot believe your words. I know you have
the power to save PDP and the country. I beg you to have the courage and
the will with patriotism to use the power for the good of the country.
Please uphold some form of national core values. I will appeal to all
Nigerians particularly all members of PDP to respect and dignify the
Office of the President. We must all know that individuals will come and
go but the Office will remain.
Once again, time is of the essence. Investors are already retreating
from Nigeria, adopting ‘wait and see attitude’ and knowing what we are
deficient of, it will take time to reverse the trend and may miss some
golden opportunities.
Accept, Dear Mr. President, the assurance of my highest consideration.
Yours sincerely,
Olusegun Obasanjo
PS
I crave your indulgence to share the contents of this letter, in the
first instance, with General Ibrahim Babangida and General Abdulsalami
Abubakar, who, on a number of occasions in recent times, have shared
with me their agonizing thoughts, concerns and expressions on most of
the issues I have raised in this letter concerning the situation and
future of our country. I also crave your indulgence to share the content
with General Yakubu Danjuma and Dr. Alex Ekwueme, whose concerns for
and commitments to the good of Nigeria have been known to be strong. The
limit of sharing of the contents may be extended as time goes on.
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