THE METAMORPHOSIS OF OBASANJO SINCE 1999

During the executive session on Governance and Corruption organized by the EFCC in Abuja to precede the annual seminar on economic crime Mallam El-Rufai, the federal capital territory minister,  in his contribution, said that people with good qualities, even if poor, should be entrusted with power, not moneybags, who had no integrity. He cited the example of President Olusegun Obasanjo, whom he said was almost penniless in 1999, but still got to be elected as president because of his sterling qualities. In 1999, the president did not have N20, 000 when he contested and won as president. This very interesting remark by the minister needs to be carefully looked into. It would be recalled that President Obasanjo was imprisoned by the Abacha regime, when he came out, his businesses were in ruins, and he was also very poor, and things were generally not looking up for him. His farm that he loved so much became a shadow of itself. Many of his friends particularly, Otunba Fasawe had to come to his aid to rescue him from embarrassing financial situations. But in the last seven years the president has tremendously gained lost grounds, financially and economically, he his stupendously wealthy now, but the germane question is, what is the source of his sudden riches?

Presently, he has a multi-billion naira project in the Bells University, which hitherto never existed, also, his farms in Uyo, Calabar, Ibarapa, Oke-Ogun and Manbilla are all flourishing. And, the president’s farm in Ota has undergone radical transformation and rapid modernization since 1999, that is apart from having the largest farm in the country, the president’s farm is the most equipped with very modern facilities, a farm guest house with over 50 rooms, and the president makes a cool N30million from the Ota farm alone on a monthly basis. This is apart from the structure of the African Leadership Forum that has been re-built and the newly constructed Temperance Hotel. The question must also be posed that, where did the president get the money with which he bought the 600million shares in Trancorp? The president should also let Nigerians know, who owns and has the largest shares in Virgin Nigeria, Arik Airline, Obajana Cement factory, Iron ore smelting company in Itapke, the steeling rolling mill in Aladja, just to mention but a very few.

It would be recalled that when the present government assumed the political power to govern the country, it said categorically that it would wage relentless war against corruption, and there would be no sacred cows. But what have we seen since 1999, the ICPC has become nothing but a toothless bull dog, a complete lame duck, while the EFCC has become a willing tool in the hands of Mr. President to settle political scores, because of political vendetta to gain cheat political points. For instance, what has the EFCCdone about the N84billion naira fraud in NPA under the chairmanship of Bode George? What has it done concerning the presidential plane scam where a used plane was brought in as new at very exorbitant price? What did it do about the Israeli arms deal that inflated by over $100 million in the presidency? What did it do about the presidential library brouhaha? Just to limit ourselves to these few.

The point is that Nigeria is still very rotten from head to toe. And, nothing has changed significantly in the country, in terms of corruption since 1999, except for much sound and fury signifying nothing. The fact remains that corruption still goes on in very high places in government and nobody is doing anything about it, for instance, the RMFAC has said repeatedly that the NNPC has failed consistently to remit all its revenue into the federation account as stipulated by the 1999 constitution, and it even operates three different accounts that is unknown to the constitution and cannot now account for N311billion. The government more than any other government in Nigeria has paid lip service to the issue of corruption. The president therefore owes the people of Nigeria an explanation as to how he became suddenly rich? The president is living in unqualified luxury and opulence, while over 70 per cent of the entire Nigerian population live on less than $1 per day. And, what has made the Nigerian citizenry very poor and downtrodden is corruption, the wealth that should have been distributed to different segments of the Nigerian society, have been appropriated by the ruling oligarchy who presided over balkanization of our collective patrimony. Nigeria thrives on deceit, manipulation, perfidy, graft and greed, that is why the country has remained on the same spot for so long. Our leaders must learn to always do the right thing to so that the country can make meaningful progress. However, since democracy is a government of the people, for the people and by the people. And, those elected into public office are always accountable to the people, then, the president should tell Nigeria how he became a very rich.

By  Jide Ayobolu

No 19 Gongola Street

Garki 2

Abuja-Nigeria.