IS CHIEF OLUSEGUN OBASANJO TRULY A SUREFIRE YORUBA LEADER?
- By Femi Ajayi Ph.D
- Published 10/8/2008
- Politics
- Unrated
Some Nigerian praise-singers of Obasanjo days could be back again, this time alluding to the fantasy of disingenuous Obasanjo as the Yoruba leader. The praise-singers of the infamous "Dundee United" hypnotized Obasanjo to believe that 'Third Term' for him in office was what most Nigerians wanted. They have started building spurious hope around Obasanjo again that he is the most qualified Yoruba leader dead or alive?
Could that be a joke of the century? Was Chief Bode George just woke up from the amnesia created for him by EFCC questioning him on his roles in some of his past public assignments? Could he be thinking that the Yoruba brain is upside down? Is it a way for him to pacify or ease off the heat from EFCC.
I hope other reputable Nigerians at home and abroad are paying closer attention to the latest from Chief Bode George, the former National Deputy Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) (South). Chief George could still be within the precincts of the military mentality by issuing a diktat on the South West Governors to desist henceforth from building their own empire.
He is of the opinion that the former President Olusegun Obasanjo remained undisputable leader of the south west. Would someone please remind Chief Bode George that the era of repression is over in Nigeria?
I doubt if Obasanjo's critics are cowards as avowed by the National Vice Chairman, (South-west) of PDP, Alhaji Taju Oladipo, given the comments from most Nigerians on Obasanjo's policies in and outside office. The statement credited to one of the chieftains of PDP in the South-West, Prof. Femi Otubanjo, Obasanjo that Obasanjo "single-handedly ensured the victory of the South West Governors", made the whole scenario puzzling.
Most Nigerians would like to be familiar with the formula Obasanjo used to get this done ONLY by him. It is still very nauseating that a University Professor would agree to make such a statement on behalf of anyone, if not one of the Orji Kalu's "Praise-Singers" Club. He believes, and very unfortunate, that, Obasanjo's kinsmen are the arrowhead of criticism against his presidency.
It will be unfair to say that Obasanjo single-handedly won the elections for the South West Governors, without giving credit for their efforts. None of the current Governors from the South West, not even the other PDP candidates, would dispute Obasanjo's impressive efforts, with PDP permutation, in their winning efforts at the April 2007 polls. Would Bode say that the Governors did not work very hard to win their elections? The current Governors worked very hard as much as Obasanjo did to win the elections.
What about the efforts of Obasanjo and the scrawny Obanikoro's campaign team that could not win Lagos State? Obasanjo took Obanikoro's campaign to the slums of Lagos, and lost. Ironically Lagos was supposed to be the base of Chief Bode George. I believe Lagos State is still part of the South West.
Professor Otubanjo added,
"There is no Yoruba man alive and I want to say this to all those aspiring to be Yoruba leader, there is not Yoruba man alive who is bigger than Obasanjo and as I know that no Yoruba leader can be his leader."There are no Saints anywhere in this world. If there are, I have not seen one in Nigeria. The Yorubas know who their leaders are especially who should lead them.
Come to think about it, according to the Gospel of Chief Bode George,
"… Obasanjo also had this advantage of being able to penetrate the federal government most effectively than any other Yoruba found alive."
I almost forgot that Chief Bode George is a retired Military Officer. If Obasanjo was able to penetrate the federal government according to the claim, what about the ridiculous power supply, death-trap roads, deceptive medical facilities, or generally the dilapidated infrastructure which he could have done at the snap of a finger.
Ironically these "Praise-singers" were part of the mess during his administration. None of them advised Obasanjo to address the issues that affect the poverty-driven Nigerians.
In a civilized society the people choose their leaders. Chief Obafemi Awolowo did not impose himself on Nigeria, talkless of the Yoruba race. People worshipped and continue to worship this Chief Awolowo. Awolowo was 100 years ahead of Nigeria in his days: the first Television in Africa, the tallest building, the Cocoa House, were in Ibadan; the good road network that survived more than three decades were constructed in South West; and the Free Education brought the Yorubas ahead, education-wise, than any other group in Nigeria today (2008). Every human being would crave to be blessed by God with such wisdom that Chief Awolowo possessed.
Chief Bode George and his "Praise-Singers" should be reminded that Chief Obafemi Awolowo was named by Nigerians as the greatest leader to ever emerge in Nigeria. This was revealed by the recent (2008) nationwide survey conducted by Daar Communications of Africa Independent Television (AIT) and Raypower FM.
It would be imprudent of anyone not to drum support for the new breed of generations that respect their heroic past leaders. Following the footsteps of such great leaders should not be a crime. It does not equate with building any personal empire, or pursuing individual goals as erroneously pronounced by Chief Bode George.
It could even be very nauseating for Chief Bode to come out from his cocoon that he could be part of the feud between Obasanjo and Daniel. It would be imprudent for any peace loving leader to say that "if not for Obasanjo's involvement, 10,000 Daniels cannot defeat Osoba…" I have never heard of such public statement from any peace-loving progressive leader.
Chief Bode George must have a dry bone to pick with Otunba Gbenga Daniel for some reasons. That is exactly what people have been saying that Obasanjo's camp might have been the brain behind the feud between the Gateway State Executive and the Legislature.
Going public with such statement could be a pointer to his involvement in the feud between Chief Osoba and Otunba Daniel. Who knows what have been said or done in the 'dark' to get Ogun Legislature perfected the damage done to the peaceful Gateway State.
Daniel happened to be one of the political 'sons' created by Obasanjo. Son and Father could disagree anyway, but not for the father to pray for his failure. Progressive children are the joy of their parents. It is absolutely uncultured for an average human being to think that they would be greater than their children. The world has metamorphosed from Stone Age to jet age. The world is becoming a global village and nothing would ever remain static.
In Chief Bode George's chapter he said,
"So, if we continue to pursue our individual ambition and individual governors creating self empire for themselves, we are going to end up in disarray and Yoruba will lose out at the centre".With the pace of development in Ogun State, no human being would support the prophecy of Chief George that Yoruba speaking people, would end up in disarray and lose out at the center.
Possibly Chief Bode George could be part of those that gave Obasanjo the false hope on his Third Term bid. Today, he has started that false hope again that Obasanjo is the solitary Yoruba leader alive.
Could this be one of the grounds why Nigeria government lacks maintenance culture? Unfortunately, the accomplishments of Chief Awolowo were left uncared for. Obasanjo refused to sing Awolowo and Abiola's accomplishments. Ironically they hailed from Ogun State. Possibly Chief Bode George might have some traceable blood to Ogun State.
Ironically George would use the united Northern Governors forum, to the shame of the South West Leaders of the "Praise-Singers". When are they going to see the light? The northern Governors meet regularly and remained focused. They realized that their past Military leaders abandoned the legacies of their leaders which are hurting them very badly. Hopefully the military toxin in the veins of likes Bode George would be sucked out, not being pushed aside like some Ophthalmologists do, when they claimed to have removed cataract in someone's eye in Nigeria.
Someone needs to echo some salient facts to the ears of some Orji Kalu's "Praise- Singers" Club. If I may add to my celebrated "A FREE RICO PIE" for Nigerian leaders' piece, and borrowing from a school of thought, a leader does not worship money as love of love is the root of all evils. A good leader does well to humanity, regardless, and does not go on the dangerous vengeance journey. A leader does not betray the trust reposed on him/her by the people. The choice of his associates would not be based on the rock of hooliganism, scoundrel, ruffian, geocentricism, or feudalistic.
One of the Yoruba proverbs says, 'show me your friend and I will tell you what type of person you are'. As opined by one of the Yoruba elders,
"a decent human being would not stand in front of his father's house, his back turned to the street and urinate in his father's compound", and "…he will not destroy the legacy of his forefathers."
When an elder in Yorubaland qualifies an individual with moral uprightness, and reputable character, the individual is 'Omoluabi'.
Unfortunately some noxious Yoruba leaders have allowed other nationals in Nigeria to toss around their people, like a soccer ball from one end to the other. When the younger ones are coming up, the older ones, especially "Kalu's Praise-singers" would be working very hard to enroll in the 'Pull Him Down (PHD)' Club.
The current situation in Yorubaland, right from the curse of Aole, the Are Ona Kakanfo, there has been no peace in Yorubaland. Unity has been a strange word in Yorubaland.
The unity of the Yorubas remains with the praise-singers of Yoruba extraction. God chooses leaders. No leader should be imposed on their subjects. Bode and others should stop pushing for Obasanjo as the leader of the Yorubas. Otherwise they might come in close range with another self-imposed candidate of Tinubu, the former Lagos State Governor.
Senator Musiliu Obanikoro is already drumming for a comprehensive probe of the eight-year tenure of former Lagos State Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu, according to what he called "earth-shaking revelations". THISDAY Newspaper made some revelations of the involvement of Tinubu in a multi-billion naira contract deals; his role in holding forte for the Abachas. Little wonder EFCC considers Tinubu's case as International in outlook.
Tinubu was alleged to be the author of Abacha's coup speech in 1993. It was also alleged that his recent alleged involvement in the political unrests in Ekiti and Ogun States.
There have been other chains of allegations against the self-imposed Asiwaju of Yoruba, about the proposed 2004 Eko Akete Housing Estate in which Tinubu allegedly secured a N5 billion loan, without any block been sighted on the location. It was also believed that Tinubu's Alpha Beta Consulting company, through his proxies, had milked the state beyond repairs, and also Oregun Road in Ikeja, possibly one of the reasons Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) forfeited the THISDAY Governor of the Year Award conferred on him in February 2008.
Tinubu's offer to rebuild the only house left behind by slain former military governor of Old Western Region, Lt. Col. Adekunle Francis Fajuyi, the Symbol of Uncommon Courage and Patriotism, could be one of his carrots and sticks political intrusion into the South West so that he could be the Yoruba leader. Hello OOO000ooo!
No one is saying that Obasanjo did not do ANYTHING for Nigeria, that is far from it. Any policy at all is a policy, regardless. However, Chief George should allow the Yorubas to choose their leader without any imposition from the "Praise-Singers" of Orji Kalu's School of thought.
Governors and traditional rulers from the South Western part of the country should form a forum for the defense of Yoruba interests. When Yorubas unite and rekindle the spirit of brotherliness in Yorubaland, a real Yoruba leader would emerge.
