CAN OBASANJO BE IMPEACHED

Can Obasanjo Be Impeached?

Abubakar Jika

Nigeria I am sad to admit is not a serious country I am sadder to admit Nigerians in my view are not serious people. Well, not as serious as other people in saner climes. I am on an extended research visit to the country. Coming from South Africa, the contrast become sharper and more painful. Indeed it does appear to me that in the short time I was away, the country has slipped to more Stone Age.

From the airport at Lagos, the standards were very low. In fact, the atmosphere and facilities are depressing eyesore. When a fellow traveler loudly complain about the sub standard rickety conveyor belt a fellow Nigerian replied that, the facilities have been up graded to the best the giant of African can be able to offer.

From Lagos there was no direct flight to Kano in the morning. Kano is the nation’s second commercial center and the North’s Industrial heart land. The city also boasts of three indigenous airlines: Kabo Air owned by late Adamu Dankabo, Freedom Airline owned by Dankabo’s younger brother Shittu Dankabo and I.R.S owned by Business mogul Isiaka Rabiu. When I traveled out, Freedom Air was limping with one aircraft, which conveyed us to Lagos, only to virtually catch fire before taking off the next day I was told Kano had only flight in the evenings around 5p.m. Kaduna had only one flight also late evenings.

So the only option was Abuja close to fives hours from Kano. The North West was virtually cut off by the air. Even to Abuja the touts in collaboration with airline staff extort money from hapless customers. And so it came to pass that 24 hours after I arrive Nigeria I was on my way to Kano, an hour flight from Lagos.

Of course, the Abuja – Kaduna express way was not good. But the Kaduna – Kano express way is a death trap. Road users pay toll fees but potholes strew the entire road and nobody appears to own up to this utter neglect. Yet Obasanjo perhaps hope to come to Kano and Kaduna States and expect to be voted. Makarfi of Kaduna State, whose hometown – Makarfi has been scenes of serious accidents due to the useless state of Kano - Kaduna road expect his poor subjects to vote Obasanjo. It would be interesting to see governors, Makarfi and Kwamkwaso campaign for Obasanjo in their states.

It was while I was battling to get to Kano that I read in the news papers that the Senate is processing allegations of breaches of the constitution by President Obasanjo. These may lead to his impeachment if the Honourable senators are convinced that it was the only option left to sort out the mess the simple process of governance is being reduced to in this democracy

I actually laughed. I do not take the senators serious. Most Nigerians do not. This senate cannot impeach even a cat. It is a toothless body, which in the view of many Nigerians have since compromised. It is laughable that the senators have suddenly woken up to Obasanjo’s constitutional infractions. In the view of many Nigerians Obasanjo hardly respect the budgets passed by the National Assembly since he returned to power.

The executive has in the eyes of many of us been dictating who should be senate president. It reached such a ridiculous state that the senate had three senate presidents within one year: Enwerem, Okadigbo and Anyim. The senators have since lost credibility in the eyes of many Nigerians. We repeatedly drew the attention of the senators that Ghana Must Go has its limits. It was a tragedy that the senate appears to have sold out. No Nigerian can come to the aid of the senators. They have compromised too much, too far and too early.

President Obasanjo appears not to be bothered by the threats of the senators. He actually jetted out to four countries in the heat of the threat. He perhaps believe that with this senate his job is as safe as his Otta farm. Most Nigerians cannot fathom how this senate peopled by the Nzeribes can ever seriously threaten Obasanjo. It was a joke and I doubt if any Nigerian take the senate Shakara seriously.

We have persistently argued that this regime has marginalized those who put it in power (North, East and South South) and favour those who voted against it (South West). We expect to see how those who opposed it can return it to power without the support of the others. I even thought President Obasanjo would choose the politically sensible option of not re-contesting so as to have his face. He chose to dare those who felt politically slighted by his actions and utterances.

We do not place our hope on this senate many of whose members would not return to the three arms zone next year because they sold out. Obasanjo as president in my view and the views of many Nigeria as have failed woefully. He did not deliver. If he claimed to have delivered let him be specific.

NEPA remains a disgrace, six months after the date he gave himself expired. His GSM is a rip off. NITEL could not perform. The Kano – Kaduna express way remain a death trap. Which express way has Obasanjo and Anenih constructed? It was because Obasanjo has failed terribly that apolitical Buhari is tempted to challenge him. Already Buhari is making waves in the North and Parts of the East.

The Buhari challenge has tempted other leading Northerners to openly take on Obasanjo. Northerners such as Lema Jibrilla and Umaru Shinkafi are challenging Obasanjo. Power shift has collapsed. Our predictions and arguments have succeeded. Those who dismissed northern writers and Journalists are now taken aback. Buhari took us serious. Abubakar Rimi, the politician with fore sight took us serious. Umaru Shinkafi took us serious.Lema Jibrilla took us serious. More will take us serious. More heavy weight northern politicians would join the race. The more the merrier and at the end of the day the ballot paper would impeach Obasanjo and not the lame duck senate.

Already the senate has gone on recess. Meanwhile the only credit to my knowledge this regime boast of - raising external reserves - is fast evaporating. The 36 state governors raised alarm that in the last quota of 2001 our external reserves plummet from U.S Dollar 10.5 billion to U.S Dollar 8.3 billion. This needs to be investigated. Are they on priority projects? The House of representatives Ad hoc Committee probing the diversion of budget submitted an interim report indicting the executive. The reports of the two committees (House and Senate) are enough to impeach president Obasanjo. I believe he cannot be impeached, not because of any Yoruba loud mouth in the press, but because the National Assembly I believe cannot impeach even a fly.

ABUBAKAR JIKA Writes from Kano