BLIND MEN FROM THE SOUTH - A REJOINDER

The article with the above heading authored by Adebisi Obafemi and published by the nigeriaworld deserves some comments, particularly from students of historiography because every action, whether by writing or speech making will become sources of history in future. It is the duty of all actors and writers to note that whatever they do should be those that will serve very useful discourse in future, and also chart the correct picture of events in the minds of generations coming or yet to come.

I am constrained to comment on the said “Blind men from the South” and to also commend the purport of the author which was to galvanize the south westerners into some kind of unity as he wrote of some strong bond existing amongst the Northerners.

The South West of Nigeria has been a leading light in Nigeria for a long time, well before Nigeria as a country got her independence. It is what the Queen herself, as far back as 1960 termed high enlightenment but which the one time deputy leader of the defunct Action Group - Bode Thomas called ‘ a bacon of light’.

The role that the South west has played and has been playing in the evolving Nigerian Project can not and should not be castigated as that of being blind in anyway.  These laudable roles which have been supported by some great men and women from other parts of Nigeria will definitely help in developing a strong Federal Republic of Nigeria.

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The South West has always given the lead on how to do a self appraisal. This region does not spare its leaders when they display emptiness and have no guts. It took a while before the great Awo’s leadership took over the whole of the region. M.K.O Abiola’s political train was stoned in some places between 1979 and 1983 but in 1993 was warmly supported by all. This is what is called enlightened citizenry or followership.  The SouthWest has always  been a bacon of light as said by the late Bode Thomas. It will be wrong for the region to derail from this quality (or to borrow from the writer, trained quality) and well admired principles of doing things.

Gani Fawehinmi’s endorsement of Mohamadu Buhari is in tandem with the Southwest’s exemplary behavior of only supporting the most ideal. Buhari, IBB, Abacha and Obasanjo were at various times in power in Nigeria.

People today have good memory of the short reign of Buhari/Idiagbon when purposeful ideas of reorientation emerged. It should be recalled that many people who thought Obasanjo would do new things in 1999 must have regretted it. Tunde Idiagbon, out of respect, came out of his shell to visit Obasanjo after his inauguration but must be having a different idea in his graves today. That was his lat outing!

Where are the roads that Obasanjo build in his eight years? Where are the hospitals? Where are the refineries and power stations? His speech of 1999 after his inauguration promised so many but today what has he left behind? Even his so called due process has been seen as “do as I say, but not as I do” .

Personally, and just like Gani, I believe Nigeria will know better and quality leadership from Buhari than from any of the above mentioned. A Mohamadu Buhari government, no matter what the critics of militarism will say, will not be drifting as we have seen in the last one year.

Please do not misconstrue my last point. Umaru Yaradua has just finished a year in Office, and should be able to put in beautiful performance to move the country away from power problem, lack of quality Medicare or hospitals and other infrastructures having direct effects on the populace. The southwest, contrary to what Adebisi Obafemi stated, are not asking for a jail term for Obasanjo. The sophisticated region is doing what it has always done, asking that Obasanjo be fairly judged and given appropriate levy.

Obasanjo was in office for eight years in which he was almost the state. Several reports about his inactions, pervasive corruption, profligacy and balderdash immodest administration have angered the southwest. It is apt and behaving to type that the region demands for a full investigation of his eight tears in office, as demanded of Abacha or IBB. It should also be judicial and judicious that the same example made of Abacha, by getting whatever looted, be extended to Obasanjo. No more, no less.

Will any South westerner or a man of conscience support the unholy alliance between Obasanjo and many people (including ex governors) that produced the funds for his proposed Library, and also multi millionaires out of these donors? Robbing Peter to pay Paul?

 Will it be wrong for the State to ask how Obasanjo made his money, got the juicy farmlands all over Nigeria and within eight years become a major shareholder in all the important companies (please include the one that he confessed to  have borrowed 2 billion naira to invest in)? We all asked how IBB made his money in 1993 even though we did nothing more than asking.

Is it wrong to look into the conflicted interest as regards his being the seller and buyer of some public enterprises sold during his watch? Is it wrong for his people to ask him to clear his name in matters smelling of corruption or wrong or lack judgment?

It is a matter for a future debate to compare Obasanjo and IBB’ s reign. Abraham Lincoln advised that it would be better to remain silent rather than opening up, and letting people know the difference. That is what Obasanjo’s eight years have revealed.

Obasanjo was in the forefront of people asking IBB’s regime to show a human face. He lambasted IBB’s SAP and wrote an ‘intellectual’ article in the papers calling the government an inhuman one because people are hungry. He asked why the government could not consider the living standard of its people before dancing to drum beats of International Monetary bodies. What did the same do in government? His time has even be compared with that of Abacha in that foodstuffs went right to the rooftops, and the poor had never been that impoverished!

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Are Obasanjo’s hands clean in the killings which occurred during his time? Who killed Dikibo, Marshall, Bola Ige and others during his time? It will take another regime ‘of the people’ after Yaradua to really take to the cleaners the era of Obasanjo from 1999 till 2003. It will be wrong for the Southwest or the south to behave like the pastor in Germany of Hitler who refused to speak up because he was not affected or keep quiet because his own was involved.

The use of some anecdotes in matters of posterity is dangerous. It is also not historical to attempt to sweep a progressive people into some reactionary stupor of silence or support. Obasanjo’s eight years have come and gone while the annulled victory of Abiola which was vehemently opposed by Obasanjo would always been considered ‘an Eldora do’ stopped by the powers that be.

There are very many trained followers in the North and the so called ‘semi illiterate Generals’ as in the words of Adebisi Obafemi are indeed very enlightened minds who have gone through indubitable training in their chosen profession.

It is of interest that Professor Humphrey Nwosu, never mind his half truth and half lies in his book about the June 12 election hit the nail decisively. What good leader would ignore history because of personal bitterness ? or rivalry or hatred to refuse to acknowledge the fact that his country man died for the democracy he came to enjoy? What manner of man would be so hating to even hate the dead?

Obasanjo has shown by words or deeds that he was one of the arrow heads that killed the June 12 election. He went around the world to attack the winner as not deserving and not a Messiah. He was also in government for eight years and merely in his eighth year said that the poor Abiola won but was denied.

The southwest is right in its civilizing mission of showing examples for the rest of Nigeria to follow. This is what could build the Nigeria Project where nepotism and tribalism will fade away, and people will not support a rotten leadership because it is from their region or state but because will only support a proven leadership very beneficial to the whole populace, and entire mankind.


By John Ayodele
bishopbode@hotmail.com
Atlanta, USA