By Mike Ozekhome
INTRODUCTION
The first part of this treatise was a historical survey consisting of several segments: starting from Lord Lugard’s rule to Nigeria’s first prime minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa; the first Coup D’ etat (Ironsi and Gowon); the civil war; from Gowoin to Murtala Muhammed; from Obasanjo to Shagari; the Buhari Era,; the Babangida regime; from Shonekan to Abacha; the M.K.O Abiola Declaration and finally the Abdulsalam Abubakar regime. In today’s instalment, we shall continue with a review of the Abdulsalam regime to Obasanjo’s regime, after which we shall peep into the future of the Nigerian nation and discuss the proposals for constitutional amendment. Read on.
FROM ABDULSALAM ABUBAKAR TO OBASANJO
Abdusalam organized and conducted an election in 1999 where political parties contested. The parties included the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alliance for Democracy (AD), and All Peoples Party (APP). Chief Olusegun Obasanjo emerged as the winner of the presidential election under the umbrella of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The result of the gubernatorial election showed that AD won all the six states in the South West geopolitical zone, while All Peoples Party won nine states and the Peoples Democratic Party won the remaining states. Obasanjo was sworn in on May 29, 1999 as the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Those who knew his earlier military style of leadership were not expecting so much from his regime. While others thought that because of the mental torture he underwent during Abacha’s regime, coupled with his harrowing and awful prison experience, he will perform well. Little did Nigerians know that the man at the helm of affairs was going to be a vindictive man. Little did Nigerians know that the man who claims to be a “Born Again Christian” will have no regard for fundamental human rights and little did Nigerians know that what Obasanjo would operate “rule of might” and not “rule of law”. Little did Nigerians know that incessant increment of petroleum prizes shall be the order of the day. Just barely a year of Obasanjo’s administration, precisely on June 1 2000, Chief Obasanjo increased pump price from N20:00 to N30:00 per litre. Obasanjo’s attitude towards fighting corruption can best be described as cosmetic. He sent a bill to the National Assembly sometimes in 2001 for the establishment of that Economic and Financial Crimes Commission which was formally signed into law in 2002. The object of the Agency is to fight corruption, but Nigerians soon realized under Obasanjo’s regime that rather than using EFCC to fight corruption, it was used principally to fight opponents. Whoever was perceived as against the Obasanjo Government became easy target for the EFCC. Chief Olabode George who today is being prosecuted for corruption charges by the EFCC was once given a clean Bill of Health by the same EFCC under its former boss, Obasanjo.
Obasanjo sometimes in 2001, set up the truth and reconciliation Commission headed by Hon. Justice Chukwudufi Oputa. Up till date, neither the report nor the recommendations of the Commission are known. To buttress the point that his ant- corruption crusade was cosmetic, selective and pselldo, Obasanjo fought effortlessly to recover some of Abacha’s loot, but nothing was done to the people who looted Nigerian treasury and are still alive. In fact, Chief Gani Fawehinmi is his book titled “Petrol Price Increases In Nigeria: The Truth You Must Know” succinctly put it as thus:
“A new twist has been added to the shame of corruption in Nigeria. Under Obasanjo’s government those who are opposed to him, i.e the Abacha are made to refund part of the loot but none of them has been charged to court for corruption under the criminal code or panel code. Neither the short nor the long arm of the law has ever touched those who supported the Obasanjo regime to come to power. They kept their loot, which they now use to attempt to destabilize the nation. When some of us asked Mr. President to go after them, he retorted that we should provide evidence even when a blind man could see it and deaf man could hear the sound of the fraud”.
Gani posited further that: “When Mr. President rightly deployed all the security agencies to find out where the loots of Abacha were kept, he refused to deploy the same agencies to find out where the loot of the Babangida and his collaborators were kept. Obasanjo has added a twist that: “If you support me your loots are protected, but if you are opposed to me, your loots will be exposed and even when they are exposed you peel off a part of the loot and you go scot-free”.
Under Obasanjo’s regime, rule of law was totally kept in abeyance. He flagrantly disobeyed court orders at will, including orders made by the apex court of the land, the Supreme Court. Even in the case instituted by the Lagos State Government over the creation of Local Governments, the Supreme Court ruled that the Local Government creation was inchoate, but that the Federal Government should release the local government fund of Lagos State, the judgment Federal government did not obey throughout Obasanjo’s regime. Obasanjo believe that he knows better than the entire Nigerians. He does not accept somebody’s view because he believes he has a better view. Obasanjo continued his open hatred for the Abiola’s family including M.K.O himself, even when the National Assembly passed a resolution that the National Stadium in Abuja be named after M.K.O Abiola, he never complied with the said resolution neither did he in anyway immortalize Abiola. Obasanjo never at any time of his administration acknowledged that he rides on the horse of M.K.O Abiola. If not for the death of M.K.O Abiola, the Northerners would not have conceded the presidency to the South West and how would have Obasanjo emerged? Anybody who dare opposed him automatically becomes his enemy. This is evident in how he controls the Peoples Democratic Party leadership at will. During his 8 years tenure. PDP had four different chairmen which included, Solomon Lar, Banabas Gimade, Aidu Ogbe and Ahmadu Alli. Nigerians agitated that Obasanjo should convoke a Sovereign National Conference where the problems of Nigeria will be discussed and solutions will possibly be preferred, instead of Sovereign National Conference he set up National Political Reform Conference (NPRC) whose delegates were handpicked by the same government. Neither the report nor the recommendation of the conference saw the light of the day under Obasanjo’s regime. Which means that millions of tax payers money that was expended on the conference is nothing but a waste. The same way Obasanjo administration wasted billions of Dollars on power project which never transcended into stability of electricity. Obasanjo’s regime, Nigerians could not boast of any tangible or meaningful achievement. No water, electricity was in comatose, joblessness was the order of the day among graduates, security situation degenerated as the rate of armed robbery and assassination went on unabated. Till date, the killer of the Attorney General of the Federal Chief Bola Ige are today walking freely the street of Nigeria. Nigeria is still rated one of the most corrupt countries by Transparency International inspite his kangaroo anti corruption crusade. The Climax of the Obasanjo’s Administration is the so called tenure elongation. Though Obasanjo had come out openly to say that he did not seek for third term. But the question on the lips of Nigerians is that if Obasanjo did not sponsor those who people to campaign for third term for him, why then did Obasanjo not stop those people who were campaigning for him? Why did he have to wait till the third term has been aborted before he came out openly to deny sponsoring it? Till now allegation still ranges that so much money was expended on the third term saga. We therefore call on EFCC to investigate properly the veracity or otherwise of these allegations. We also renew the agitation of Nigerian that the Obasanjo administration be probed.
Nigerians heaved a sign of relief when the third term was finally aborted. Nigerians thought that their next leader will pass through a transparent election process, little did they know that a man that was imposed on Nigerian for eight years will also bless and impose his own political God son on Nigerians. When Governor Ayodele Fayose the former Governor of Ekiti State was asked to screen nominees of PDP for the presidential race, Musa Yaradua was not one of those persons who went for the screening exercise. Little did Nigerian know that Baba set up the screening committee to direct peoples attention. Musa Yaradua came out as Kastina State Governor and contested for the presidential primaries. He emerged the winner after so many people have been told to step down for him. Musa Yaradua emerged as the winner of the April Presidential Election amidst critism of observers both within and outside Nigeria, who widely condemned the election as not free and fair. But the INEC Chairman Prof. Marice Iwu said that contrary to the opinion of the international observer, the election is free and fair. Well, since the result of the election is now a subject of litigation before the Supreme Court, we shall dabble into it.
Some people have described the Yaradua administration as too slow in responding to the economic crisis of the country. Nothing and indeed nothing has charged. No pipe borne water, light situation has not improved, employment is still at its lowest ebb, security is nothing to write home about. The rule of law policy of the Federal Government has not been fully tested. Just few weeks ago, Channels Television in Lagos was short down by security operative, on the basis that, it allegedly reported that the president has purportedly resigned his position as the president due to his poor state of health. This act is barbaric and is an unbecoming of a government who claims that it upholds the rule of law. A law abiding government would rather go to court and challenge any act that is perceived illegal or unlawful instead of resorting to using security agents to unleash terror on its citizens and corporate establishment.
THE FUTURE
The point must be clearly made that Nigeria future depends on the policies of its today leaders. A country can only be guaranteed of a better future if the today’s leaders have a good vision which can transcend meaningfully into a better tomorrow. Nigerians ran to America and Europe today because they have leaders who rule with a purposeful vision.
Firstly, the syndrome of “winners take all” must be changed. To guarantee a better tomorrow, our political attitude must change. There must be a paradigm shift starting from the INEC Chairman to INEC Commissioners. There must be a complete overhaul of our electoral system such that electorates can express their wishes through the ballot box. A situation where the INEC Chairman said in a recent interview that “America has a lot to learn from Nigeria” it’s appalling and must be condemned by all well meaning Nigerians.
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
There is no gainsaying the fact that the 1999 Constitution does not reflect true federalism and the wishes of the Nigeria people, simply because it was an imposition of the Military Junta.
Therefore, the 1999 constitution must be amended. Nigerians must have inputs in the amendments process. I must also say that there is no perfect constitution anywhere in the world. Even the constitution of the United State of America is not perfect. The operators of the constitution are the ones who give effect to the tenets of the constitution. The members of the National Assembly are hereby warned to desist from mischief making and personal interest, to avoid a repetition of the third term saga.
Giving the quality of brilliant people we have in this country, Nigeria has the potential of being one of the most economic viable country in the world. However, will such people be allowed to get to the position of leadership? Not until our political orientation changes, not until our vote begin to count, not until our leaders have the interest of the masses, not until corruption is reduced to the bearest minimum, the manifestation of all these will guarantee a better future. (The End).
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
“There is beauty and power in unity. We must be united in heart and mind. One world, one people”. (Lailah Gifty Akita).
