Who is Obasanjo Working For

Who is Obasanjo Working For?

Akinwole Ogunlola, Esq.

Attorney -at - Law Detroit, Michigan

General Abubakar ‘s report to the U.S District Judge, Matthew Kennelly trying him for human rights violation as a member of the Provisional Ruling Council (PRC) under the dictatorial regime of General Sanni Abacha,, in which he accused the attorney, Mr. Kayode Oladele representing the Plaintifs (Chief Enahoro, Hafsat Abiola, and Dr. Nwankwo) of manipulating them to participate in the case against him is very typical of dictators all over the world. This man and his attorneys think they can use trumped-up story and intimidation to win in a court of law, but unfortunately, this is a civilized society where the law is not a respecter of persons.

General Abubakar’s parade of lies and deceit as a weapon of legal defense is not new. It could be recalled that in 2001 when this case initially started, Gen. Abubakar lied to the then trial Judge, Bernard Friedman that he was not personally served with the copy of the summons and complaint and that he only heard about the case in the news despite the fact that he was photographed with his wife reading the summons on the very day that he was served. The judge reasoned that except Gen. Abubakar had another case in the United States and in the court as portrayed by the summons he was holding in the photograph, he should consider amending his plea that he was never served with the summons.

The judge was so upset at his blatant denial that he immediately ordered Abubakar’s photograph to be hanged on the wall of the Courthouse as a deterrent to others who might be tempted to perjure themselves in future. It is therefore, not surprising that Gen. Abubakar has once again embarked on another bundle of lies to prejudice the mind of the judge and intimidate Mr. Kayode Oladele and the Plaintiffs. This is also an attempt to becloud the merit of this case and shift unnecessary attention on Mr. Kayode Oladele who is only performing his professional duties. The Plaintiffs have however refuted this allegation in an independent investigation carried out by the Guardian Newspapers.

It is very unfortunate that President Obasanjo’s regime which prides itself as champion of anti-corruption is in itself involved in a scandalous financial involvement in Abubakar’s case. During the oral argument of General Abubakar’s appeal, his attorney, Mr. Emeka Ugwonye arrogantly informed the U.S Court of Appeals for the seventh Circuit that Abubakar’s legal fees are being paid by the Nigerian government and credible sources reveal that Nigeria has spent well over one million Dollars (One Hundred and Thirty Million Naira) defending this case against a private individual. The Federal Government, according to Mr. Ugwonye had also sponsored several ministerial delegations to the U.S State Department to persuade the U.S to join Gen. Abubakar’s defense team. They had also held several clandestine meetings both in the U.K and the U.S for the same purpose. According to Mr. Ugwonye, the newly appointed, Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Chief Bayo Ojo had visited him in his office in the U.S to map out a strategy to officially involve the Nigerian Government in the case and frustrate the plaintiffs. It is a shame that President Obasanjo is spending so much of tax payers’ money to support General Abubakar’s legal defense in the U.S while Nigerians are sufferings at home for lack of portable water, good roads, good health system and safe land, air and water transportation to say the least. What could be the motive behind Obasanjo’s clandestine involvement in a civil suit against one of our dictators and this endless wasteful spending? Perhaps Obasanjo being a former dictator himself and now, champion of selective persecution of political opponents sees the need to protect his fellow pretenders and members of his elite club at the expense of justice and fairness. It is instructive to remember that the Nigerian government is not a party to the suit and neither is Obasanjo. Taking the statements of General Abubakar’s lawyer in the open Courts about the Nigerian Government’s behind- the- scene involvement in the case to be true, there is only one logical conclusion to be drawn about Obasanjo himself as well as his involvement in this case: Obasanjo is a pretender, not a true lover of Democracy and History will record him as such. Obasanjo would love the world to see him as anticorruption campaigner and a statesman, a champion of Democracy, prudent administrator, respecter of laws and protector of human rights. The irony however is that this same Obasanjo would secretly spend millions of Nigerian taxpayers money to frustrate and prevent any group of individuals from seeking redress or damages in the Courts of law for violation of their rights. The message for Obasanjo is that although you can fool some people sometime, you cannot fool all the people all the time.

A close scrutiny of the campaign against corruption in Nigeria by Obasanjo’s regime lends credence to his image of a pretender and it is not a surprise to hear from Abubakar’s lawyer in the open Courts that Obasanjo’s government is footing the bill to shield and protect Abubakar from victims of his abuses. Obasanjo is determined to justify all the extra-judicial killings, intimidations and deprivations that took place under the Nigerian military junta. Perhaps someone needs to remind Obasanjo the circumstances and mystery surrounding M.K. Abiola and Yar’ Adua’s death and that he also escaped death by hairbreadth, or Devine intervention.

It may be understandable however for Obasanjo to be so determined to frustrate the plaintiffs away from the Courts. After all, he is the Chief beneficiary of the abuses perpetuated by General Abubakar and his cohorts. Without the mysterious deaths of Abiola and Yar’ Adua, he, Obasanjo could not have been the “compromise candidate” in the massively rigged election that eventually put him in office as “ Mr. President”. Perhaps he is simply executing the plan, which he may have signed with his dictator-backers and financiers before being made the president. We all remember the story of how the former Nigerian dictator of Niger State doled out millions of stolen Naira to convention delegates to ensure Obasanjo’s nomination and victory. It is Obasanjo’s turn to return the favor at the expense of human rights abuse victims and the general public. Contrary to his claims, this government is not only corrupt and unaccountable, as evidenced b y its wasteful spending of well over One Hundred and Thirty Million Naira already spent defending General Abubakar’s personal suit in the U.S., but also irresponsible and deceptive. It is appropriate at this juncture to give a word of advise to Mr. Emeka Ugwuonye, the lawyer and a professional colleague who is defending General Abubakar in this lawsuit. This advice is based on the Rules of Professional Responsibility or Ethics. A lawyer is believed to be an officer of the Court. As a result, he/she must be candid, honest, as well as display decorum at all time. In addition, a lawyer is not considered a party to any dispute between the parties before a Court of Law. Lawyers must therefore treat the opposing parties and professional colleagues with utmost respect. In an attempt to impress his client, Obasanjo, or the Nigerian government, Emeka forgot his primary responsibilities as a lawyer and joined in the onslaught and threat against the life and credibility of Mr. Kayode Oladele, the lead attorney for the Plaintiffs. Either due to temporary financial gratification, lack of adequate knowledge of the Court Rules and Procedures, or probably combination of both, Emeka who had virtually lost every round of the legal battle in the case, threw caution and civility into the winds in the open Court here in Chicago. The judge, who had earlier voiced his displeasure about the delaying tactics being employed to frustrate the case, had mandated that the two sides present to the Court, a Scheduling Order. Mr. Emeka turned a Scheduling Order to letter writing to the Court through which he could communicate ex-parte with the judge and repeat the lies of his client once again. Not only did he repeat the unfounded allegation of his client that Mr. Oladele does not have the consent of the Plaintiffs in the case as their attorney, but further claimed that Mr. Kayode Oladele had personally forged Plaintiff’s signatures on the Court papers! In addition, Emeka even told the Court that Mr. Oladele had misled Chief Anthony Enahoro into joining the lawsuit against Abubakar. To allege, as Emeka did that Chief Enahoro, the architect of Nigerian independence, astute politician and respected Human Rights activist was forced or misled into joining a lawsuit is an insult both against the collective psyche of all Nigerians and the person of Chief Enahoro. Any student of Nigerian History will readily agree that Chief Enahoro had successfully tackled, addressed, and understood complex issues even against the Colonial British ever before Mr. Emeka’s client, General Abubakar could correctly spell his own name. I personally think that Emeka and Abubakar owe the entire country an apology for the insult. Like Obasanjo, Emeka who was ignominiously removed as President of Nigerians in Diaspora Organization (NIDO) last year, due to credibility deficiency, is also a pretender and a bootleaker. But unlike Obasanjo, Mr. Emeka is an officer of the Courts who is expected to know better. In conclusion, President Obasanjo must let the whole world know whom he is actually working for. The Nigerian people or a few past military dictators? More importantly, he owes the Nigerian people, the pro-Democracy and Human Rights Community (who had stood up to the military dictators and those that sacrificed their lives in defense of Democracy after the criminal annulment of June 12 election) an explanation on why he, the ultimate beneficiary of our suffering, is now clandestinely wasting our resources in American Courts defending Abacha, General Abubakar, and their legacy of sorrow, tears, and blood.