Obasanjo Has Failed

By

Abubakar Jika

jikaab@yahoo.com

The title is not originally mine. It was the title of the lead story of VANGUARD of Thursday February 14th 2002. Actually it was cast from the honourable verdict of the Members of the Federal House of Representatives during their historic debate on the state of the nation. Indeed, virtually all newspapers cast similar headlines on that date.

Actually it is no longer novel to hear or read, virtually daily the national disappointment on President Obasanjo’s dismal performance. I have consistently argued President Olusegun Aremu Obasanjo has this time around, during his Second Coming, performed below our expectations. Since the honourable Members of the National Assembly have joined us on the streets, it is now Official feelings that the gentleman from Owu has led most of us down.

There are few defending this regime on its performance. Even those who are paid to do so seem to have taken a dive. It is obvious propaganda has limits. As we teach our students in Mass Communications at the University on Elementary Public Relations, a skeleton is a poor advert copy, even in the world of fashion. Who could defend the indefensible?

There are a number of reasons why we are for now stuck with a retired general leading or actually commanding our democracy. One of them is we are all opposed to a military coup. We do not believe that Obasanjo should be thrown out by the military irrespective of his glaring failures. This is because the military is not a solution in the circumstance. After all was he not a product of the military? Is he not acting like one with what many see us arrogance or disdain? Is the military class not mainly responsible for fostering the gentleman on us?

Retired generals’ prodded Obasanjo to contest against his will. He was asking how many presidents they want to make of him. Serving generals pardoned him hastily gazetted it to legalize his ambition to succeed one of their own – Abdulsalami Abubakar. Now all of us are stuck with him. He in any case appears to be a political nemesis for many. Those who legalize his ambition, have been paying their own price, some were retired some were probed and some are in detention ever since.

The second, more worrisome reason is since we can only remove Obasanjo through democratic means, we have only two options left. But before we look at these options, let us clearly established he has failed. Here the motion of Messrs Iheanacho Obioma, Abia State and Danlami Hamza will guide us. They placed no – confidence motion in a 12-paragraph statement before the House and the world. This led to a resolution by the House to probe Obasanjo regime since its inception. The Chairman of the PDP, Chief Audu Ogbe had to intervene to save President Obasanjo from the House bent on impeaching him. The Senate of course may never concur, but a telling, denting statement would have been made by the House on the side of an increasing exasperated Nigerians.

I do not know how long Audu Ogbe, a rather respectable gentleman that is saddled with unenable job, would keep patching things up. As we move towards middle of 2002 without a tamed Obasanjo, PDP would risk mass desertions. Failure is an orphan. Moreso in politics as Audu Ogbe knows.

Obioma and Hamza historic motion captures the debacle that this regime is sadly turning out to be. First, they accused Mr. President of insensitivity to the welfare of our people by not confronting deepening unemployment, poverty etc. Who can dispute this? What has Obasanjo done to alleviate unemployment and poverty? His Poverty Alleviation Program has been written off since by the man on the street.

Secondly, he was accused of ignoring Appropriation Acts passed by the legislature. Even the N500 million per constituency budgeted for him last year was abandon. The fellow simply ignores the House. If they talk to him, he talks down on them, treating them worse than a headmaster to his pupils. If they answer he ask them to account for the comparative peanuts he gave them. Those who have courage were cowed by threats of probe. I personally do not admire those who work for a man that sees every other fellow as beneath him in intelligence.

Thirdly, they accused the Executive of selling our economy through a dubious privatization process. I always had my reservation about how this regime hastily selling off every thing. I am afraid, the last has not been heard on this. Just as this regime repeatedly claimed it is transparent its successors would probe this privatization thing. If I have money I would not buy any of these companies. It would one day be a subject of dispute. Even if International consulting firms are used, it is no guarantee that circumstances in future would not render the entire transactions risky ventures. The House is already probing the sale of NITEL. This is Africa and in any case a human being has limitations. 

Fourthly, they accused the President of arrogance and listening to only his voice. That reminds me of what Maitama Sule Dan Masanin Kano told us. He said the day a leader wakes up and could not find those who can talk to him straight in the eyes, that leader is doomed. It is no pride to have those working for you, and perhaps employed to advise you to be cowering under tables when you look at their directions. That is playing god, a role the Almighty condemns in all the Holy Books.

From day one, I wrote off this regime on two solid reasons. One, his Vice – President told us that before he nominated him, he asked him if he can “take orders from him”. This was publicly narrated by the Vice – President. I felt that was a bad omen. How could your Vice – President be simple errand boy to take orders from you? It was a wrong attitude. Could the fellow not have his own mind? Was he not nominated because you have confidence he has something upstairs to contribute to your cause? Is the fellow not having a constituency? Could he not present his constituency views to you?

When we voted Obasanjo, we were not looking for a bully to boss every body around. We thought he has the experience, therefore the patience to listen to all. This is the root cause of the problem between Obasanjo/Atiku and the North. The north voted for Obasanjo, who nominated Atiku to balance his ticket. He is a Christian from the Yoruba of southern Nigeria. Atiku is a Muslim from northern Nigeria. In a fractious polity, seeking reconciliation, if he is genuine about reconciliation and not surrender, he should have asked him “Turaki, can you always be frank with me”? This is my view.

The second bad omen, he asked his ministers to resign in advance. So the press reported and there was no contradiction. What is the purpose of such a thing? Could he not have fired any one-he does not agree with? Must he humiliate them by asking them to resign in advance? This looks like attempt to gag them. I would never have accepted such a precondition and I genuinely feel sorry for those who did. Whatever any one hope or want to get in this world, he will one day die and leave it here. So what is the big deal? Since then I wrote them off. It is not a regime that wants to hear alternative views. The Oga think he knows everything. 

Now that the honourable members are saying Oga Obasanjo has failed what are the implications for his constituency? First the PDP. The party is a giant on feet of clay. Nobody takes the party serious. If it represent Obasanjo as I think it will, it will face mass desertions. Many would jump ship. Perhaps over half of the National Assembly and close to half of the Governors may ditch the party. The party would be disgraced at the polls.

Next is the retinue of retired generals. Obasanjo as many see is their creation. His failure is their failure. If the idea was to test the waters by proving a retired general can also be elected in a democracy as president, to water the grounds with precedence, I am afraid, the pilot project has collapsed. It is a poor advert copy; especially the intolerance would make us wary of another retired general. It was a big political gamble, blindly executed. Perhaps the only way out is for the class to ditch him politically before he capsizes their pilot boat.

The third is the Yoruba of the southwest. Ordinarily, Obasanjo’s failure should not have attracted opprobrium to the ethnic group. But their loud mouths as Messrs know all coupled with their hijacking of the Obasanjo mandate and appropriating it. this makes them accessories. Again the only way out is for the Yoruba mainstream to ditch him politically. The divorce should be so obvious and clear before the middle of this year. OPC should be reigned and they should extend hand of fellowship to the mainstream north.

Now back to the issue of the solution becoming the problem itself. His statements at Ikeja military cantonment despite his apology, his attitude of failure to publicly deal with OPC after Idi – Araba and not proving he is serious on his ban and his frequent picking of quarrels, show him as intolerant. Tolerance is essential to democracy as blood is to the body. Without tolerance, there would be no democracy.

Face with this dilemma and the fact that we oppose military coups, what do we do with a failed president? We have two options: impeach him or vote him out. If you impeach Obasanjo who will take over? Atiku would not touch the job with a long pole, not after he said he is a “hand bag”. Anyim is even worse. I suspect he will Andrew out of Nigeria, the moment he is approached. Ghali could take the job. But he is too far down. Perhaps the man was cleaver than his sponsors. He might have for saw this. The only option is to wait till 2003 and vote him out. The only fear is how do you cage him till then? I have no answers.

Jika writes from the Dept. of Mass Communications, Bayero University, Kano.