FORMER President of Nigeria, Chief
Olusegun Obasanjo a moment ago released a second ‘special letter’ to the
Presidential Villa. The former was directed to the erstwhile President Goodluck
Jonathan in 2013 after their amiable relationship turned sour. The leading
episode that closely burlesqued the missive was an open letter from his daughter;
Dr. Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello with sarcastic accusations.
This time, President
Muhammadu Buhari got his dose for purported inactions, and the presidency
alongside All Progressives Congress (APC)
has, accordingly responded. However, the responses weren’t as confrontational
as earlier, rather more of answerability, responsibility or appraisal enumerating
accomplishments and actions.
Significantly, Obasanjo equally
zeroed the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) he led for over a decade until he
distanced during Jonathan’s era after some mafias hijacked the party thereby
made him practically irrelevant. In a nutshell, the so-long-a-letter called for
a new political movement to salvage the nation from APC
and PDP monumental failures. The foulest blow was that the scorecard came after
a leading presidential aspirant defected from the ruling APC to PDP, and if Obasanjo’s verdict must stand,
it implies that the defection amounted to nothing, and there may be need to
dump PDP again for a new political movement. By Obasanjo’s assessment, the two
dominant parties are no-go areas for incompetence. Incidentally, APC is still in power and therefore could take
advantage of it to redeem itself but for PDP, a difficult task.
Besides, Obasanjo gave APC a pass mark in most areas but critically pointed
out that its performance wasn’t satisfactory at the moment, hence, more or less
exigent call for improvement. Of course, as elder statesman, Obasanjo is
eligible to give advises to government, nonetheless more statesmanly when
handled confidentially and unceremoniously. As a matter of fact, some of the
points raised in the letter are obvious to the people and global community.
This is on account the economic recession was apparent and the citizens excruciatingly
paid for it. Similarly, President Buhari in his New Year broadcast highlighted
the points albeit assured of a new dawn with litany of interventionist and
capital projects spread across the nation. By implication, any verdict on the government
less than a month after the broadcast is flimsy, unjustifiable and biased, especially
as the year’s appropriation bill hasn’t been signed into law. Such assessment
is aptly judicious towards the end of the year vis-à-vis the year’s blueprints
as presented by the President. Conversely, the former President arguably, circuitously
punctured PDP that ruled for sixteen years than APC
that is less than three years in power.
A salient point patriotically made by
Obasanjo that cannot be overemphasized is the increasing number of lives that
have helplessly gone to early graves, and several others subjected to pathetic conditions
in various Internally-Displaced Persons camps across the nation by man’s
inhumanity to man. Arising from that, the questions begging for answers are; could
the ceaseless killings be politically-motivated for blackmails or truly
communal crisis? Indisputably, human lives are too precious, sacred for mere political
intrigues and conspiracies. It isn’t convincing that the Russian Avtomat Kalashnikov
assault rifles (AK-47) which range from $200 USD to thousands of dollars are acquired
and operated by the herdsmen. For example, the average global price of the
assault rifle was valued at $574 in 2005 according to Oxford University
economist, Phillip Killicoat. If the monetary values are as high as presented,
logically, some affluent individuals with criminal and clandestine tendencies may
be responsible for the supplies and selfishly mastermind the evil acts.
Probably, the vulnerable herdsmen are
often misled, incited by unknown arrowheads through cohorts to attack other
communities with assurances to fight in their defence. If not, could the itinerant
herdsmen effectively and overpoweringly organize themselves to strike during
critical periods? Furthermore; where do the nomadic herdsmen secure the rifles
after destructive operations, and why is the heinousness mostly interminable
during political era especially when general election approaches? It is the
height of wickedness for humans to be subjected to such brutality if for mere political
power. Needless to say that politician that asininely generates tragedies for
campaign purposes is a great disappointment.
Emphatically, leadership is characterized
by vision, mission and altruism, and not despicability or braggartism. Whilst it
is pragmatically germane for federal government to calibrate on its security
tactics, it is imperative that state governors collaboratively supplement by setting
up accessible conflict resolutions agencies in the local government areas in their
respective states as preventive mechanism such that communal crisis could be
amicably resolved before they metamorphose to mayhems. As for 2019 presidential
election, the Permanent Voters Card (PVC) is the sole determining factor, and not
anyone’s opinions, hence pointless requesting or advising any eligible citizen to
refrain from the race. With card readers and INEC’s determination as observed
so far, the electoral umpire will do justice to the ultimate wishes of the
people. Perhaps, Obasanjo is still living in the past when voters queue for
queuing sake under the sun, and their votes never counted but who the powers
that-be anointed. That’s the greatest achievement; restoring power to the
people which the memo failed to accentuate. In contemporary Nigeria, it is no
longer business as usual but one-man; one-vote.
Umegboro, public affairs
analyst wrote from Abuja / umegborocarl@gmail.com / 07057101974 SMS only
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