Conflict Of Interest And Escapism...The Obasanjo/Atiku Example

Prince Charles Dickson

pcdbooks@yahoo.com

Jos, Plateau Nigeria Sept 14, 2006

The news media both broadcast, print and internet, not forgetting the most popular...the rumor mill has been awash with the on-going saga of Mr. Presido and his Vice. The President seems bent on removing his Vice, despite the fact they have been together in this marriage of connivance till now. I had said recently that when Atiku was smiling at Obasanjo's son's wedding and eating pounded yam, papers reported a truce between both men, I argued that Obasanjo was good at attacking his opponent after such meals of pounded yam, at least the likes of Audu Ogbeh can tell better.

However away from all the ongoing drama, the accusations, the counters, and the mudslinging, is the fact that the present leadership as it is, with months to its terminal date is only exploiting the escapist theory...simple, ‘no be me do am, na your fault, if not for me, and all such excuses to cover up for its monumental failure.

Escapism is mental diversion by means of entertainment or recreation, as an "escape" from the perceived unpleasant aspects of daily reality, the unpleasant aspects of reality for our leaders is the true face of reality that they have failed, so greed bcomes an escapist tool, and the reasons for their actions give credence to the fact that they are running rather than face reality

In the context of being taken to an extreme, the word 'escapism' carries a negative connotation, suggesting that escapists are unhappy souls, with an inability or unwillingness to connect meaningfully with the world. The world of the everyday Nigerian, the lack of infrastructure, health care, education, roads e.t.c. Escape routes are all over the places, the mansions they build abroad, the A class schools their children attend are escapists.

Granted that the fear of EFCC is wisdom despite their jungle justice method, at least they are instilling some form of fear because like I have often argued whether opposition or no opposition, if you are not a thief, you never will be one and cannot be caught as one, even though one is persecuted Almighty Allah will see you through. The anti graft battle with its limited success whatever the end idea is for those who hatched it, I am sure one day the EFCC would hunt Obasanjo down no matter how long from now. This is not the thrust of this essay but it is pertinent to understanding why Nigeria is where she is today and why leadership cannot seem to get anything correct.

The present problem between Obasanjo and Atiku can be summarized in the word ‘escapism’ and the conflict of interest between two men and amongst business interest as a result of selfishness rather than of selfless service to the electorates whom they claim voted them in. Conflict of interest has become a key issue in public debate and the present crop of leadership provided by PDP has been the worst culprit and off course they have exploited the so-called Nigerian factor. The privatization and over-centralization of power has provided grey zones and opportunities for corruption and abuse of office to thrive. The increasing volume of transactions between the public and private sector has helped our leaders distort competition, waste public funds and trigger well-publicized scandals like we have now and this in turn only weakens the masses trust in leadership and the nation’s Public Institutions.

Before now very few Nigerians even knew what the PTDF was all about, just like hundreds of such parastatals, there are serious cases of financial impropriety and abuse of public trust by government officials in charge of these corporations in large scale. The two men entrusted with providing Nigerian with the basics of life have made decisions that affect their private interest only at the expense of us all. We have continue to see this at work with members of the National Assembly that are beneficiaries of this and that from companies that they are supposed to regulate for the benefit of the Nigerian public. We have witnessed personal bias in public decision making and the present two fighting between Atiku and Obasanjo has it in big dozes.

In today's Nigeria despite all the talk of a transparent business environment which off course exists only on paper, the two fighting men have several business interests in form of partnerships, board memberships, investments, government contracts, shareholdings whether blind, deaf or dumb. In fact, Nigeria is run by our leaders, in a manner of for them by them and them only, so when critically examined, the present saga of the PTDF has a doze of assets being manipulated by the President and his Vice either with each others knowledge or without. The return of the Dariye loot by Atiku and the claim by Obasanjo that he did not participate but simply loaned or is it now gave his Vice money to do a refund smacks of sharing of liabilities and debts by the two men.

We all would have been spared the agony of ridicule which these men are subjecting the office of the President to, if at any point Obasanjo in his PDPian push had made decisions without regard to personal gains, away from vengeful, military, party-political, ethnic, and family lines. For Atiku, his Marine Float, should have floated elsewhere while he served Nigerians, there was little he could do, being the businessman he should have known he was to abstain from involvement in official decisions that could be compromised by private interest.

Atiku may not have stolen any money, and most people could hang my head on this, and it is true, the report did not say he did, but certainly, he took improper advantage of his office, he engaged in a financial transaction which involves using government's fund. He benefited, to what degree is not the issue and how many of them involved is secondary. It is this scenario that has led to the present escapism that is being played out; the actions of both men do not bear the closest public scrutiny. That is why, there is no consistency in the stories, information is distorted and being disproved by each party.

We have a leadership that has refused to demonstrate integrity, from rigging of elections, widespread corruption despite the anti, and uncle corruption battle and nobody is taking responsibility, it has been a case of buck passing, and escapism, 'I never wanted to be President, he convinced me', and then Baba says "He knew next to nothing about the whole third term saga". Nobody is guilty, somebody has committed a crime, and everybody suffers it.

While this drama is distractive, let me say that the issues are still there, the masses have been neglected, and their fate remains in the hands of crooked politician but largely in their own hands. In a recent World Bank survey of 112 nations we placed a dismal 94^th on our so-called reform programme. The survey saw neighboring Ghana and Tanzania in the top ten. The yardstick included getting license and permits, protecting investors, getting credits, time, cost and hassles faced by businesses in meeting legal and administrative requirements.

Rather than face issues such as these, our leaders are messing around and some commentators are even encouraging them, by saying it is good for our democracy. What is good is that the two men lacked the maturity to have closed the door behind them and trashed the matter out. That way, the monies and the deals would have remained a mystery just like the disappeared Okigbo report and we never would have known. But today but Parrot and the canary bird are whistling away, the tunes, very discordant and thank Allah we at least know little.

Its few months to the end of this adventure filled 8 years of Obasanjo and friends government, in the last three months, the nation made approximately N1.2 trillion in revenue. With oil accounting for about 80% of that, yet the region that provides the milk is on fire, with their problems defying all solution, a friend said to me the other day, if only they would kidnap governors, Ministers and top government functionaries and leave the expatriates be they Canadians or Gambians. The monies are only seen in paper, and government continues to cry, no funds and I must state quietly and almost unnoticed has started or better still continued to borrow money from donor bodies.

The duo have engaged in what at best is termed crapitalism or crony capitalism, where government business is run by friendship, favoritism and cronyism, corrupting political and economic ideals and we are tongue twisting rather than start the weeding process. Nigeria can be great, but then that can only happen if we move from hoping and take steps geared towards achieving a comparatively stable status qua that we can build upon or continue to improve upon. Help comes only to those who ask for it. May Almighty Allah help us.