I Came, I Saw And I Destroyed Obasanjo, PDP And The Nation

By

Abdu Isa Kofarmata

kmatagigi@yahoo.com

 

18th January, 2007

 

 

In one of the magazines programmes of the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA Tuesday Live in 1999, the founding fathers of the then PDP were hosted by the presenter of the programme Mr. Cyril Stober to celebrate the 100 days of democracy and PDP victory. Among the founding fathers hosted were Dr. Alex Ekwueme, Alhaji Muhammad Abubakar Rimi, Chief Sunday Awoniyi and Chief Solomon D. Lar. The panel was so intimidating politically and intellectually. One of the callers in the programme asked the PDP fathers what they were celebrating actually. As expected, the political big wigs started punching from all angles. Dr. Ekwueme confidently answered the caller; “we are celebrating the end of fuel scarcity and the vanishing of long queue in our petroleum filing stations.” Abubakar Rimi on his part said that “we are celebrating freedom and democracy.” Question after question and answers after answers, the programme ended with confirmation of their campaigns promises. Chief Solomon Lar in his closing remarks promised Nigerians a democratic, sincere and people oriented PDP government.

 

The president himself was not left out of these empty promises. In 1998 the PDP presidential aspirant and current president, promised the nation to run a reconciliatory, transparent and people oriented government. He further promised to end all developmental problems with assurance of fixing the NEPA in only six month. Obasanjo and PDP promised the nation a stop in the perennial fuel scarcity as well as rehabilitation of all our damaged refineries and roads. The PDP presidential aspirant then made the fight against corruption as the focal point of his administration if voted into power.

 

Little did these PDP founding fathers knew that they were only creating a monster in the form of PDP and installing the most corrupt, wicked and insensitive government ever in the history of Nigerian state. Almost eight years now after the PDP and Obasanjo’s declarations the nation is not close to finding solution to those problems; sadly those problems are rather compounded. What the nation is now witnessing are bad economic policies with their negative effect on the populace.

 

Eight years under Obasanjo and PDP led administration; corruption has become the hallmark of the administration. Large scale corruption and open looting and conversion of public funds and assets into private properties are now the order of the day. Corruption has since assumes new definition under PDP; corruption as an improper behavior performed only by members of the political opposition. The Kwankwasos, Mantus, Andy Ubas, Olabode Georges of this country and their likes do not seem to matter to the EFCC in so far as they continue to remain loyal to Obasanjo and PDP.

 

The common man on the other hand has been sandwich between heartless government officials and greedy businessmen. The promise to end the perennial power outrage turns into something else. After spending excess of N56 billion without light even in Aso rock, the president told the nation of his determination to generate 10,000 mega watts as if that was his earlier promise. With this huge expenditure without corresponding result, the president still want the nation to believe his fight against corruption. Nobody in the power sector is arrested or asked about the whereabouts of the money appropriated to the ministry or parastatals in charge of electricity.

 

Obasanjo and PDP met the nation under acute and severe fuel scarcity, with all the refineries grounded, with less than four months to complete his eight years tenure none of the refineries is repaired and/or working and as the writer is compiling this piece, a four liters gallon of petroleum is sold at N1000 in many parts of the country. The president and his party are leaving us with our problems. What a pity? The only achievement of the president in this lucrative oil sector can be seen in the area of being a petroleum minister for 71/2 years and the disposal of government holdings in the major oil companies to his family members and associates. Nigerians were forced to pay for higher petroleum product prices shamelessly under the guise of product availability, whereas the ultimate aim is to help some dubious businessmen and PDP donors to recoup their investment in the PDP and Obasanjo presidency.

 

 

As for the democracy and rule of law as promised by PDP and Obasanjo it has since turn into dictatorship. There is no way democracy can flourish without credible election, PDP as a party is synonymous with the word rigging. People with party affiliation and questionable characters and integrity were appointed resident electoral commissioners and chairmen. National Assembly members were often bribed to change their leadership; people defeated in elections were forced as leaders in the National Assembly. The presidency flagrantly disregards court orders and breaches the constitution at will. No formidable opposition in the polity as the ruling party is ready to pay any price to scuttle other political parties. This singular act of the PDP and Obasanjo destroys the politics of principles and ideals giving way to money bag politics.

 

State machineries such as the Police, SSS, ICPC and EFCC were often used to harass, intimidate and destroy perceived political enemies of the president. Constitution and court orders are neglected and only use when they support the position of the president. Elected governors were forcibly removed from their offices in a coup- like manner without due process but for just failing to support the president selfish agenda.

 

Things became worst after 419 elections in 2003, some heartless elite (Yan’boko) who ordinarily could hardly win a simple councillorship election in their wards are appointed into the executive council as members. These people are neither PDP members nor are they politicians. They brought with them harsh economic policies in the form of reforms which worsen the economic and socially life of our people. The so called Harvard and Oxford trained professionals were able to attain such educational level courtesy of the free education as provided by our past leaders. Majority of them are from very poor background and were brought up in difficulty and sorry conditions, alas today they destroys people’s houses and other properties in the name of Abuja master plan. They supervise the sacking and retrenchment of civil servants and misplaced our national priorities in the name of reform.

 

The free and qualitative education promised by PDP and Obasanjo in 1998 is also not left out of the so called reform. People with little or no knowledge of education and its administration are appointed as ministers and chief executive officers of the education ministry and parastatals. This led to the current situation of closure, merger and dropping of many institutions and certificates. The structure of our educational sector which requires adequate funding to make it more functional has been polarized and destroyed all in the name of reform. Technical and teacher education which compliments the university education are now cancelled. The complimentary role is now eroded which would surely affect the national manpower requirement of the nation and invariably affects the overall national development.

 

Conclusively, Obasanjo has come, he saw and has looted and destroyed what remain of our country, may God help Nigeria.