John Chukwuma & Ibrahim Audu
13 August 2001
opinion
Abuja — "Is Abubakar Above the Law, Mr. Oshiomhole?" was the title of the piece by Mr. Tunji Bello in his weekly column- The New Republic- published in THISDAY edition of Monday, July 30, 2001. Indeed, the title was a question to Oshiomhole, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress(NLC), arising from the content of an interview in which he reportedly spoke in defence of the former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Alhaji Abubakar. Although the question of whether Abubakar is above the law, given the material particulars provided by Mr. Bello in his piece is for Oshiomhole to answer, we feel compelled to take on Mr. Bello on his undisguised attempts to cause and promote certain mischiefs which some elements have tried hard but in vain to make Nigerians swallow at the sittings of the Justice Chukwudifu Oputa-led Human Rights Violations and Investigations Commission (HRVIC) as well as reply to some issues he raised and to which he gave vent in order to appeal to the sentimentalities and sensibilities of Nigerians who read the piece.
We do not think that the lucidity of Mr. Bello's prose is in doubt especially as it concerns the aspect, and indeed, the direction from which he set out: a mission to haul invectives and take umbrage at Oshiomhole for giving expressions to his feelings and beliefs as a human person and as a Nigerian. But what remains yet unclear is the inclination thus far by the former Chief Security Officer (CSO) to the late Head of State, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, the former Director of Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI), BrigadierGeneral Ibrahim Sabo and Mr. Bello to hide under some sort of shields to level certain but yet unsubstantiated allegations of wrongdoings against General Abubakar. It is quite understandable why Mustapha and Sabo may be stuck to the smear campaign against General Abubakar using the comic for a of the Oputa Panel sittings that are beamed live on television to the Nigerian homes. It was deducible from what they claimed to have passed through under the regime of General Abubakar that they were frantically looking for ways to settle personal scores. If you like, call it the continuation of power play and intrigues in the army; which is why we are at a loss as to why Mr. Bello would lend the noble medium of THISDAY newspapers to promote a rather ignoble goal by Mustapha and Sabo of seeking to tarnish the image of General Abubakar. Certainly, Nigerians will not be rattled, let alone overwhelmed by such an ambushment, nay blackmail.
We are happy that Mr. Bello appreciated the fact that the allegations that General Abubakar misappropriated N500 million, handed out state's houses and vehicles to friends, doled out state's money as gifts to individuals and inflated several contracts running into several millions of dollars, as largely unsubstantiated. They were mere allegations made by men who have come to their wit's end, men who have lost everything more especially honour and integrity. And because they are down, they are trying to hold unto perceived foes, particularly one of the heroes of our time, General Abubakar to discredit him. We must make bold to say that to succeed in discrediting General Abubakar is to succeed in discrediting the transition programme he ran in eleven months and the Obasanjo administration which is a product of the programme.
The fact is that we do not really believe that General Abubakar and his legacy of a democratic Nigeria brought about by both local and international co-operation and understanding can be rubbished at a soap opera, we are sorry to say, which the Oputa Panel has rightly become. We must state at this point that it would be preposterous to expect a serious-minded General Abubakar to appear at a soap opera perhaps to massage and satisfy the fancy of Mr. Bello and those who fathom that they can make the General to dance naked in public glare. If those who are spearheading the campaign of calumny feel very strongly that they have some things against General Abubakar which are incriminating, they can go to the Court of law to seek redress. And of course, General Abubakar would make an appearance in court either physically or through his lawyers. That would be the most ideal, appropriate and correct forum for anybody to seek justice and not the much professed reconciliation a la Oputa Panel because it has become apparent that the goal of genuine reconciliation cannot be achieved going by the dispositions of certain witnesses at the panel. So, it is patently an appeal to sentiments by Mr. Bello to conclude that:" these are serious allegations against his(Abubakar) government.... Nobody is saying he is guilty, but these are allegations that will not just go away. " Which allegations really?
We are aware of the relationship between Mr. Bello and the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola: Bello worked with Abiola at Concord Newspapers and we have not forgotten the fierce struggle and campaign that Concord put up for its late chairman and publisher. It is common knowledge that the death of Abiola paralyzed Concord newspapers and forced Bello and co to join other newspapers. So we cannot but help feel that such relationship could lead Mr. Bello to give expression to Zaddock's tendentious allegation on Abiola. Those who testified, particularly Theodore Zaddock, the man in charge of Abiola's welfare, had alleged that Abiola was killed. They did not mention General Abubakar but as Bello put it: " After all, throughout four years of (Abiola's) incarceration under Abacha, he did not die. How come that within one month under General Abubakar, he gave up the ghost?"
Let those who said they have evidence to prove that General Abubakar killed Abiola go to court. The court would require and admit concrete evidence as exhibits and the frivolity and flippancy that characterize Oputa panel sittings to the extent that witnesses level all manner of unsubstantiated allegations would be discouraged. It is indeed sad that the intention of Obasanjo's government in trying to heal wounds and reconcile interests has been hijacked and turned into a platform for smearing perceived enemies.
Again, we wish to join issues with Mr. Bello that it is an indubitable fact that former Heads of State have the privilege not to submit themselves if they so wish to the kind of scrutiny at the Oputa Panel. It is on record that General Olusegun Obasanjo never appeared before the Justice Ayo Irikefe Commission of Inquiry that probed the alleged disappearance of the nation's N2.8 billion oil money. And the fact that Obasanjo has appeared before Oputa Panel which he set up does not have any parallel in history and cannot be used to compel Abubakar's appearance because there is no material/particular linkage. So, the question of whether Abubakar is more important than Obasanjo is not only non-sequitur but also tendentious, malicious and mischievous, aimed principally at instigating Obasanjo and Nigerians against General Abubakar. Similarly, the question of being above the law does not arise. If the mischief makers cannot go to court to press charges of wrongdoing against General Abubakar, let Mr. Bello go to court if he feels so strongly about it and see if Abubakar will not obey whatever order of the court that he is able to obtain.
In conclusion, we wish to state categorically that General Abubakar does not need faceless friends according to Mr. Bello to defend him. What will defend him(Abubakar) is his legacy of democratic governance that he bestowed on Nigeria; whereas others before him pussy-footed and kowtowed to their personal desires and agenda to hold unto power. Thank God that they failed. General Abubakar loves Nigeria more than any other considerations. He should be honoured and not demonised.
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