Obasanjo’s nuisance value

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has become infamous for periodically distracting Nigerians and their leaders from concentrating on tackling the myriad of problems bedeviling the country. In doing this, he has adopted letter-writing as a modus-operandi.

His recent virulent attack on President Muhammadu Buhari released in a 16-page treatise has the tell-tale signs of a premeditated agenda principally meant to create bad blood in the polity. Or how else can one interpret the many allegations contained in the document which lack any scientific proof and verification. This has led many Nigerians to begin to question the motive of our elder statesman in labelling President Buhari with unprintable innuendos and accusations.

First, on the issue of election rigging, most Nigerians are familiar with the PDP style of garrison politics, do or die and conquering approach to elections during the reign of President Obasanjo. Since his era, no Nigerian leader has surpassed or has been known to equal his propensity for using commando-style to get himself or acolytes elected or re-elected into political offices.

Nigerians cannot also forget in a hurry the brigandage that was unleashed on Anambra state in a bid to install a governor of Obasanjo’s choice during the PDP reign. In fact there are numerous occasions when the former president used his powerful office to abuse human rights of Nigerians, and the one that readily comes to mind is the invasion of Odi in Bayelsa state and Zaki Ibiam in Benue state by military men on the orders of the president, with the attendant loss of lives and properties.

Therefore, it is rather strange that former President Obasanjo will descend into the arena at this critical period of a national election to throw diatribes at President Buhari and other important national institutions in a bid score cheap political points or gain relevance in the scheme of things.

As an elder statesman, it is expected that Obasanjo will be playing a major role in cementing our bonds of unity and national cohesion, but regrettably he is toeing an inglorious path of pouring invectives on an incumbent president and discrediting credible national institutions like INEC and the security agencies.

If we are to juxtapose the era of Obasanjo and the incumbent Buhari administration, there is a clear indicator that the country is progressing gradually to the Promised Land. This administration has been credited to have embarked on the rehabilitation of the country’s dilapidated infrastructure. For example, it is common knowledge that the PDP did a disservice to the country by failing to upgrade or develop the infrastructure over a period of 16 years. Today, the Buhari administration is paying attention to the country’s development plan by revitalising most forgotten projects like the railways, roads and power.

The point to note is that the major problems of the country can be located in the absence of critical infrastructure, closure of manufacturing industries across the country and youth unemployment.

The present reality is that the Buhari administration is focused and committed to the revitalisation of dormant industries with the direct benefit of job creation and stimulation of the economy. The bottom

line of most government policies and programmes is to guarantee quality life for the average Nigerian as against the old order when  our patrimony was left at the whims and caprices of few individuals and their families.

 Chukwudi Enekwechi (JP), Abuja

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