Obasanjo And Atiku: Na Dem Dem...
By Prince Charles Dickson
I have been reading reactions to the news item that Atiku had visited Obasanjo at his Ota home, someone had this to say "Atiku and his team must be underestimating or misunderstood the Nigerian populace reactive devaluation of the whole political establishment".
He pointed out that "To think palling with Obasanjo is the solution or means to the solution of the level of cynicism or lack of, total disregard for the current political dispensation by Nigerians, is the height of stupidity and ignoramus".
The truth however remains that in a very short period, as usual; we have again demonstrated that we are a people with a short fuse memory. We learn very slowly and forget quickly.
Like Dr Baba Adam had said one could easily enumerate 100 incidents of confrontation between both men. Yet we are told they are meeting in the interest of Nigeria, to save the polity.
We understand - they say in politics - there are no permanent friends or enemy - just permanent interests, and as a moralist, I think there is a saying that a person should not hold permanent grudge. But can Atiku or his aides tell us why despite
1. Mr. Obasanjo's un-Constitutional sacking him as the Nigeria VP - throwing his stuff out of the VP's Official residence or Mr. Abubakar living off Aso Rock for better part of 2006-2007
2. Mr. Abubakar's dismissal from PDP, his insult at Adamawa State by Sen. Jibril Aminu, etc - and still his friend eg ex-Gov. Haruna, Bafatel, etc humiliated
3. Mr. Obasanjo's preventing Mr. Abubakar from running to the office of the President of Nigeria and installing Pres. Yar'Adua, especially the 'un-fit-to-run' list by Mr. Ribadu
4. The 2007 election rigging led and endorsed by Mr. Obasanjo and all the escapades of Mr. Maurice Iwu, especially Mr. Abubakar going all the way to the Supreme Court
5. Linking Mr. Abubakar to the US Congressman Jefferson of Louisiana in corruption case which is still pending in the US Courts and the ex-VP's wife Mrs. Jennifer 'Jamila' is still required to answer to and the FBI raiding of sitting Nigeria's VP family home (Sorrel Ave. Potomac, MD) with green light from Mr. Obasanjo
6. The PTDF, Pentascope corruption charges, and Mr. El-Rufai ceasing of Mr. Atiku properties in Abuja and selling it to himself
7. Mr. Obasanjo's instructing of - 'no-red carpet to Atiku - memo' to the Nigerian Foreign Ministry, when Mr. Abubakar visits any foreign country
8. The insult of Mr. Abubakar by Mr. Obasanjo aides - especially in public - Mr. Fani-Kayode at the Federal Executive Council Meetings
9. Destruction of Mr. Atiku's business interest - including Intels, AP, etc
10. Mr. Obasanjo's subjecting of all the Nigerian people to poverty, disease, corruption, mal-administration, mis-appropriation, giving away of Bakassi, etc
...that Atiku did not see any place to be found on that fateful Monday other than in Obasanjo's company.
The reasons so far given by Atiku's camp is laughable, that both men are worried that unresolved political feuds and petty elite bickering will continue to undermine Nigeria ’s political and economic progress. Funny for men that bickered over POLITICAL and ECONOMIC Interests for the last part of the term together.
They had resolved to work with other patriots and statesmen to address critical national challenges that they caused.
Do we need a crystal ball to show us that the meeting of both men was premeditated on personal interest, survival being the name of the game based on the fresh realities of the current political landscape?
A statement from Atiku's camp had said “The meeting was not about the 2011 presidential election as some people have misinterpreted it. The two leaders decided to bury the hatchet and focus their attention, redirect their energies and harness their collective experiences for the benefit of the country.”
I will just give us a friendly reminder of how these men had in the past directed their energies and collective experiences. By revisiting these essay I wrote on the 12th September 2006
Both Atiku and Obasanjo, servant and master, co-journeymen, the PDP and all the stand for have disappointed Nigeria and Nigerians in the past and again have....I also will state like many commentators will, that if you are caught stealing, the fact that there are other thieves is no excuse. Atiku can do better, if at all, this is the time for him to release his own dossier on Obj's misdeed and stop relying on spin doctors exploiting sympathy for him and hatred for the President.
Nigerians can be so emotional especially on national issues that have nothing to do with emotions but home truths. A friend once told me “when you see a snake that you do not set a committee of snakes, you kill the snake first and then set the committee afterwards”, I argued that you may need the help of the committee to be able to tackle the snake and he laughed and concluded "my brother the fire that burnt the snake was not as long as the snake".
After this piece I am sure Obasanjo will not be happy with me, not that he has ever been, Atiku also may not find this funny because I will be going into the recent past to drive home some of the truth these are men are hiding from the ordinary Nigerian. Be it as it may…this should not be a North and South issue or that of hatred between a once upon a time friends but that of accountability to Nigerians.
In 1999, I recall a meeting which I was privy to with Danjuma and IBB in attendance, in that meeting a certain Awoniyi told the small gathering that he was uncomfortable with Obasanjo as President...reason? He went down the lane to narrate a very sad commentary that not many know of our beloved Obasanjo, he stated the part he had played to avoid Obasanjo from being thrown away from the army over the incessant beatings he used to give, his then first wife, that he would beat this woman so badly and afterwards turn on his tape and dance to music.
In one word he called Obasanjo a sadist; months later, in an interview with the TheNews magazine, the first wife in not so many words confirmed this. (Well in a book written by Moji Obasanjo this has also been confirmed)
On Obasanjo, how will the so-called mighty fall, in an interview Balarabe Musa, had this to say " The man Obasanjo has a problem, and that problem is that he takes decision not caring about the fate of tomorrow or the verdict of history". The President is a vengeful man; revenge comes in his name before the name Matthew.
Atiku Abubakar, the custom wonder man, the man with the gifted hands is now crying wolf. Sometime in 2000, Atiku had sent for some close friends for a chat in Yola, and he was told by one of them in the course of the chart that Obasanjo cannot and should not be trusted.
In his response Atiku told the gentleman that "anyone that hated Obasanjo hated him (Atiku)...he and his boss were inseparable". This particular man told Atiku that sooner than later the drums would start beating... and indeed the drums are beating and Atiku is finding it difficult to keep to the beat.
Enough noise has been made about the PTDF fund that has caused the present drama, that is likely to consume quite a lot of our time and as usual will die a natural death and then the suffering of the masses will continue.
Everyone is beating a dead horse Atiku, has anyone indicted the President for his lack of loyalty to Nigerians, his lies to Nigerians, the Otunba man also paid dues to Obasanjo, the Adenuga of a man is also sponsoring a project at Bells University, just as he is or was doing at Atiku's ABTI University, while poor Nigerians cannot send their wards to school.
I am not confrontational and do not join issues with supposedly respected Nigerians...the likes of Gani have been of the opinion that Atiku should be impeached and personally I have no problem with that, for Atiku, "fly when no dey hear word they follow dead body enter grave...so also the pregnant woman that was jumping up and down did not realize her mistake until the baby in the belly started jumping inside of her".
Both Atiku and his Oga, Obj were signatory to this account, both men were benefiting from the deals, the proceeds which came to Atiku is likened to the tithes and offerings that Baba himself cannot account for as helmsman of the oil Ministry. We were imposed with two men with oiled hands, sticky fingers for that which is Nigeria's collective wealth.
The hypocrisy of Obasanjo, the double speak of Atiku, the worst thing he has even said in his defense is that “Obasanjo has made more money than himself". Sad, the men we elected to serve us are competing amongst themselves as to who has made more money.
I asked a friend who is in the know, will Atiku be impeached and he smiled, and answered " look, Charlie, I was a Senator and I can tell, you see, the National Assembly is full of hungry men, and because of the searchlight when these men are broke, they go to Atiku for financial reinforcement...haba, they will not impeach Atiku, Obasanjo is a stingy man you know and they are aware that he is also stealing".
...if only Obasanjo knows that yes, Nigerians have always had sympathy for Atiku, but that does not translate to, they will vote for him, the President would have not lost sleep over the Yola man. The sour banana is because they all know each other too well; they know each others rigging capability. Ordinarily, who-else would protect Obasanjo's blind shares and deaf trust in transcorp and investments in old NEPA with a witch’s eye if not an Atiku presidency.
The hypocrisy between both men can only be appreciated when viewed from the perspective that when a husband and wife quarrels, they tell you only what they want you to hear.
The hypocrisy of Obasanjo, Obasanjo has never been a business man at least in the Atiku class, his falling farm was evidence of this, but the miraculous rise, rise and continuous rise of the Obasanjo Holdings from a position where they were bankrupt and selling the farm is one management students would want to be part of or learn in their classes.
In all the analysis and blind calls for impeachment has anybody asked where is the poor man zeroed into in all these drama, has anyone talked of the place of the common man whose sensibilities have been abused and will continued to be abused. As these monies were exchanging and moving from bank to bank, how many Youth Corp members was given half a million to start a trade, how many schools were renovated, which particular hospital benefited.
Nobody amongst both men has told us the truth; instead na big grammar "breach of trust, of office, misdeed in office...a cocktail of lies and malicious intent to rubbish my name" if they have been serving the populace with a main course of lies and deceit.
