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Vendetta As State Policy By Jonathan Manok
It is really sad that we have come to this pass in Nigeria so soon after surviving the vicious Abacha regime. The US government spares no effort or cost in ensuring that American citizens do not face justice outside of American shores. The same is the case with Britain, Canada, France and other countries that value their citizens. Of course they do not necessarily want their citizens to avoid justice if they commit serious offences. But they believe in their own justice system more than those of others, and more importantly they value their citizens and want their citizens to value and, indeed, worship their countries. That is why America is still trying to find fragments of the remains of its soldiers killed in Vietnam in the 1960s and 1970s.
But Nigeria, under Olusegun Obasanjo, rather than protect its citizens, is actually out-sourcing or contracting out justice against them. And this includes even those carrying diplomatic passports. In other words, representatives of the government of Nigeria are not even given protection from foreign governments. Our government actually asks foreign governments to arrest, detain and prosecute them. All this because Obasanjo has no patience for provisions of that little document called the Nigerian Constitution. He has no patience for justice that might be done in the future when those protected temporarily by that document might be out of the government house. He has to exact justice now, his own brand of justice. And his brand of justice is not the one that puts Nigeria first. Rather it is justice based on Obasanjo’s determination to retaliate, to exact revenge, to punish those that he does not like, in short, for vengeance. And, for Obasanjo, it does not matter if his brand of justice brings down the fragile edifice called Nigeria.
To Obasanjo personal vendetta is state policy. That is why nobody who says ‘no’ to him or even ‘may be’, survives in office. That person must be hounded until he or she becomes an unperson. That is why an airline is banned from operating in the country, not because it committed an offence that could not be rectified but because our Emperor does not like the Governor associated with the company. That is why ministers are removed not based on their performance but on the basis of whether they have friends that Obasanjo dislikes or political rivals that are Obasanjo’s friends or protégés. How else do you explain the removal of Ministers Chikelu and Yuguda?
Obasanjo’s elevation of revenge to the status of state policy explains why we have had more Senate Presidents and Chairmen of the ruling PDP than the number of years of his Administration. It is why Speaker Aminu Bello Massari is suddenly discovered to have forged a certificate; it is why all the State Governors are corrupt, except of course, the ones that are Obasanjo’s friends such as Odili, Makarfi, Adamu, Nnamani and Oyinlola. It is why Obasanjo ignores the court decisions that do not favour him. It is why the ruling PDP, now in Obasanjo’s pocket, is afraid of elections to its offices and for picking a Presidential candidate. It is why Obasanjo suddenly discovered that his deputy, Atuku Abubakar, is disloyal as soon as the latter said Obasanjo has to go in 2007. It is why Atiku never gets any credit for anything perceived to be good in the government. How many Nigerians know that Atiku was the main architect of the economic reforms which Obasanjo has bastardized because of his intolerance, arrogance and know-all attitude? How many Nigerians know that it was Atiku who brought into government most of the so-called dream team members who have, however, been thoroughly intimidated into avoiding contact with Atiku?
Vendetta as state policy is also why rumours are deliberately circulated that Atiku is corrupt (while Obasanjo is not). Never mind that the Fiscal Responsibility Bill is the brainchild of Atiku Abubakar? It is why the Government would encourage a foreign security agency to search the home of the Vice President and then say it is an individual thing.
It is sad that Atiku’s people have not chosen to make these matters public, all in the name of being loyal to Obasanjo and being nice. Recall that it is loyalty to Obasanjo that cost Atiku some support in his Northern base in the past. I think, however, that Atiku should let Nigerians know who he is. If his loyalty over these years, including saving his boss’s life, can only get him these vicious attacks, then he has nothing to lose by being his own man.
Nigerians are really angry. The resentment against the President all over the country is palpable. You only need to look at the results of the recent referendum in Shendam, Plateau State, the mayhem in the House of Representatives recently when Obasanjo’s loyalists wanted to remove Speaker Masari and, of course, the turn out at the anti-fuel price hike rallies. Nigerians need a leader to emerge who can channel these grievances properly and give them hope. Whatever his shortcomings, as things stand today in this country, Atiku is among the few who can do it. For one thing, he cannot be said to be afraid of Obasanjo; he is just being a loyal deputy. This is the time for Atiku to stand up again and be counted among men. Obasanjo must not be allowed to stay a day longer than our Constitution allows. And he must not be allowed to choose who will govern us when he leaves office. We have had more than enough of him already.
Jonathan Manok University of Abuja Abuja, Nigeria
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