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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