The Obasanjo Presidential Library PLC

By

Ahmed Borodo

ahmedborodo@hotmail.com

 

 

 

Just recently, The Obasanjo Kitchen Cabinet and Cronies Nigeria Plc went to the market to raise funds for the capitalization of the Obasanjo Presidential Library. The IPE, sorry, this stands for initial public extortion, made ridicule and nonsense of the IPO Nigerian banks are desperately making in order to raise the 25 billion naira or more required for their recapitalization. Friends of the government and government officials all jostled to buy shares in the library project because they knew it will be a good investment that will reap fast returns. Governor Bola Tinubu was smart enough to dissociate himself from the launching and was chairing a community event at the time. I am sure Nigerian banks were full of envy for the promoters, because whilst most of them have been trying to raise the 25 billion naira for months now, a mere library appeal fund was able to raise 6 billion naira in less than twenty four hours. And come to think of it, the proceeds realized from the appeal fund will not have to be scrutinized by the Nigerian Stock exchange, CBN or EFCC in order to ascertain the source of funds donated by the so called patriotic donors. Except if the National Library of Nigeria decides it has jurisdiction over the money! But that will not happen for now since the American consultants to the library project have confirmed that the Library will never be handed to the Federal Government. That is for now, anyway.

 

And adding salt to injury, the promoters of the library project are now defending the appeal fund saying that there is nothing wrong with it and as far as they are concerned, it was transparent and in the interest of the nation! I totally agree with Adamu Adamu in his daily trust write up when he termed it as a “due process of abuse”. The actions of the promoters and contributors show that they lack the kind of integrity and morality required to move this country forward. Their actions no doubt smack of executive sycophancy in its totality. It is absolute selfishness. While people are suffering and looking for hundreds of naira to find something to eat, they were busy doling out millions of naira to champion a selfish cause and massage the ego of a master who sees right in his on way.

 

It is also noteworthy that the issue of the Obasanjo library project has generated a lot of controversy and even the prominent Lagos lawyer Gani Fawehinmi has gone to court to challenge the promoters of the library project. But what really amazes me is the audacity the donors had, to have made such mouth watering donations when people are dying of hunger in this country. Such money will definitely change the lives of thousands of people. Take for example the donations of over two hundred million naira each made by the Dangote, Adenuga, and Otedola.I beg that they should be made to answer on why they made such a donation. Was it because it was pay back time? Was it because they knew they will recoup their investment in very little time? What do they stand to benefit? What singular thing have they done to better the lives of the masses that are proportionate to the amount they donated? Agreed that they create employment for thousands of Nigerians, but couldn’t such money be channeled to where it is needed most? I am hundred per cent sure that there are at least five hundred people right now  dying of illness in this country because they cannot afford to treat themselves. I am sure there are also people that have to travel for miles to fetch water because they don’t have a well or boreholes in their community. The examples are too many dear readers. But it tells us one thing; the rich are as irresponsive as the government. It is quite disheartening that nobody cares. What has the common man in far away Maiduguri got to do with a library in Otta farm when even the Libraries in all public schools are mere empty halls with outdated books and old newspapers? Anyway, I feel what the National Library of Nigeria should have done from the onset was to have renamed the National library after president Obasanjo and also launched an appeal fund.

                                                                                          

This also brings me to the issue of donations made by various State Governments even though some state governors are now distancing themselves from the matter. What right have they got to divert or misappropriate funds meant for the people to satisfy the ego of some powerful people. This is a clear case of stealing and they should be ready to face the music one day. The library project as far as we are concerned is a personal venture and I for one do not see myself going to Otta from Abuja to read the presidents speeches or memos at the library now or in the near future. Why therefore take our ten million naira to Otta? In fact, the flagrant manner at which many governors use state resources for personal matters or make donations to owambe parties is something that has been ignored for too long. I recently saw with dismay an advert placed by a state commissioner inviting the general public to the wedding ceremony of his governor s daughter using a full page! I am not however sure if the state paid for the advert but it had all the signs of officialdom. I think the problem here is that Government officials at the helm of affairs, especially at the state and LG level have a seamless access to public funds, without stringent accountability measures.

 

Whatever the case maybe, the promoters of the library project now have some 6 billion stashed somewhere, generating cool interest rates. Nigerians will like to know at which banks the money was lodged, and if the banks made a donation in order to get a large chunk of deposit. This should determine their culpability and can be a case study or test for the CBN in its effort to instill transparency in the affairs of Nigerian Banks!

 

It is clear that Obasanjo has made a tactical error by committing himself to the library project at this most inauspicious time despite his denial that he was only made aware just as the appeal fund was to be launched. But we all know that it a gimmick. It is plausible he realized that by the time he steps down, nobody will be willing to contribute to the Library project especially his so called friends who will have nothing to gain. Why also did he not disassociate himself from the appeal fund if he was not involved? Now that the matter has generated so much controversy I am sure he regrets partaking in the launch. Nobody is now sure of his sincerity and that of his administration to stamp out corruption in Nigeria. The best thing the President needs to do now without any delay is to repatriate the proceeds to Government coffers without any delay. Nigerians need the money more than his library. Schools in Nigeria need more books and better facilities more than his library. In fact the money can be channeled to ETF to build and equip Libraries in Nigerian Schools and Universities that can be named after him. That is where history will judge him as a good leader and not at Otta library, because nobody will go to the library. Surely, this would be a more lasting legacy.