Dubem Onyia
3 December 2008
opinion
Lagos — I sincerely apologise for my inability to write you earlier than now. I have been busy trying to make ends meet despite the discouraging economic situation in the country. Since my last letter to you, a lot of serious developments have occurred in our country of which I feel you should be aware because of your love for Nigeria and interest in the Nigerian people.
Remember that in my last letter to you, I informed you of how Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo tried to arm-twist the entire country to fraudulently secure a third term in office and how the project collapsed and Obasanjo finally vacated office reluctantly on 29th May, 2007 after conducting the worst elections in Nigerian history.
In the words of your Mentor, the Great Zik of Africa, "No condition is permanent." Gen. Obasanjo, the man who thought he could rule Nigeria forever, is today on the sidelines, watching as his legacies crumble. Obasanjo's vendetta machine, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is under the searchlight and has undergone far-reaching overhaul. The captain of anti-corruption (Nuhu Ribadu) has been consumed by his own recklessness and pitiable indiscretion. The chief of the Gestapo, Gen. Obasanjo, could not even save the monster (Ribadu) he created in the ensuing infermo. The hurricane that came with the advent of a new leadership has since swept Ribadu away. Not only did he lose his job, he was humiliated with demotion.
I have always held the view that the war against corruption in Nigeria is required to put things right, create a culture of transparency in governance and ensure that public funds do not end up in the pockets of those in power. Be that as it may, it is improper for one to be used as a tool of Vendetta like Ribadu in the anti-corruption war. This explains why Ribadu is facing humiliation and hostility.
Oyi, I hope you remember Nasiru el-Rufai, the infant terrible of the Obasanjo Government who behaved as if tomorrow would never come? The Senate finally investigated him and discovered that pride; ego, self-centredness, sadism and lack of discretion took a better part of him as he discharged his official functions. He has since been banned from holding public office.
This is a red card for el-Rufai and all those Obasanjo threw up to hit back at his enemies.
Further more, all those who were impeached in beer parlours, EFCC Guest Houses and Obasanjo's office, are now having the last laugh as they reclaim their positions. The era of recklessness and high handedness appears to be over with Yar'Adua's avowed commitment to the rule of law.
The failure of the third term gambit is haunting Gen. Obasanjo badly. The kingdom he built while in office is fast crumbling. He is fast learning that once you leave power, power leaves you immediately.
First, the reality dawned on him when he discovered that there was nothing he could do to save Madam Patricia Etteh from being impeached as Speaker of the House of Representatives. As Etteh got drowned, Obasanjo watched helplessly. A new Speaker he never wanted, Dimeji Bankole emerged to the chagrin of Gen. Obasanjo. This has since altered the political equation in Ogun State and the National Assembly.
You predicted an implosion in PDP before you left. This has since occurred as forces within and outside the Party battle to save it from Obasanjo's stranglehold. The founders of PDP are winning the war of reclaiming their party from Obasanjo. The 12-noon Coup Obasanjo staged to install himself as the Board of Trustees Chairman is about to be crushed by progressive forces within the PDP. A mini-convention has been scheduled where Obasanjo will be thrown out to pave way for the emergence of a democrat as BOT Chairman.
Obasanjo's boys no longer have a hiding place as they are being dislodged from their positions both in PDP and in government at all levels. In Ogun State, Gov. Gbenga Daniel has realised that for him to serve the people effectively, he must shake off Obasanjo's influences. Gov.
Daniel has sacked the PDP Chairman in Ogun State who was Obasanjo's stooge. According to Gov. Daniel, the removal is irreversible.
A plot by Obasanjo's forces within the Ogun State House of Assembly to impeach Gov. Daniel was crushed with the former Speaker sacked. The so-called reconciliation between Obasanjo and Gov. Daniel is simply a ruse as their differences are irreconcilable.
You once told us that Obasanjo was not carrying out a genuine privatization programme, but personalization programme. Nigerians have since discovered the veracity of your statement. The Privatization programme is a ruse. The programme only provided a cover for Obasanjo to personalize National wealth and acquire as much as he could for himself and his cronies. Obasanjo's Privatization Programme can be likened to his Operation Feed the Nation (0FN) Programme that ended up in the establishment of Ota Farm.
It is annoying that the man who came into office with N20, 000 (Twenty thousand Naira) in 1999 is today building a N7 Billion (Seven Billion Naira) Library, a 250 Bed-room Five Star Hotel and modern farms in the six geo-political zones of the country. His expansionist inclinations have made him to attempt annexing Ota land and declare it (Ota) an outpost of Owu-land where he hails from. This adventure has turned Ota into a theatre of war and bloodletting as the Awori's who own Ota fight with their blood to wrestle their land from Obasanjo.
The judiciary is yet to totally insulate itself from the Nigerian malaise. The Court of Appeal, which should show good examples, remains the blackleg of the judiciary. Though the lower tribunals have done well, one year after the 2007 general elections, cases emanating from the elections are still pending in the courts. Despite this, the Court of Appeal made a desperate attempt to redeem whatever is left of its integrity when it recently gave judgment in favour of Adams Oshiomhole in the Edo State Governorship tussle.
By the way, I forgot to tell you that against all odds, Vincent Ogbulafor, a dark horse, emerged as the National Chairman of PDP. By your definition, a dark horse is a horse you see every day, but would never know it would run and win. PDP and Ogbulafor are now wobbling to find direction.
Despite all the mines Obasanjo laid, Umaru Yar'Adua is navigating cautiously and steadily. He has been trying his best to take grip of governance and ensure that he avoids the pitfalls that rubbished his predicessor. He is slow but steady and focused. He does not want to be stampeded into rash decisions. He has done a surgical re-organization of the military and has taken control. In a similar vein, Yar'Adua has sacked Babagana Gingibe as Secretary to the Government of the Federation. As you know, a leopard cannot change its spots and according to an Igbo adage, it is not easy to learn how to use the left hand in old age.
Yar'Adua's strict adherence to the Rule of Law and Separation of Powers is fast restoring sanity and mutual respect among the three organs of government. He seems to be respecting your life-long struggle for the independence of the Legislature. Throughout the Etteh imbroglio in the House of Representatives, Yar'Adua refused to get involved. Obasanjo could not understand this. Yar'Adua is gradually charting a new direction for his government that is completely at variance with Obasanjo's fraudulent reforms. He has separated most of the Ministries Obasanjo weaved together for more efficiency and effectiveness.
Your Friend, Gen. Muhammada Buhari is still in the trenches fighting for a better Nigeria. In fact, as I write, he is still pursuing another case over the 2007 Presidential election at the Supreme Court. Buhari's major setback is that he miscalculated by picking Edwin Ume-Ezeoke as his running mate. Ume-Ezeoke has not only abandoned Buhari in the trenches, he has betrayed him by getting involved in an unholy political wedlock..
Ume-Ezeoke's Party, the ANPP is now a shadow of its former self. As a result of the marriage contrived by Ume-Ezeoke and other undertakers in ANPP, the Party is now a carcass, virtually non-existent.
Your friend, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is still in the trenches, fighting for true democracy. His experiences under Obasanjo strengthened him and made him resolve to re-dedicate his life to worthy and noble causes.
The crisis and restiveness in the Niger Delta have continued unabated. As Chairman of the Senate Adhoc Committee on Riots, Crisis and Conflicts in Nigeria, you visited the militants in the creeks. They saw you and laid down their arms to express their grievances. Since then, the boys have remained implacable. The Federal Government has set up a Technical Committee to study past decisions on the Niger Delta and make recommendations.
It has also established a full-fledged Ministry for Niger Delta. The hope of everybody is that at the end of the day, all frayed nerves would be calmed.
Teachers, members of your cherished Constituency have been trapped in an endless struggle for better conditions of service. Their reward is still in heaven. There is hope that before President Yar'Adua finishes his first tenure, teachers would be better than they are today.
History has been made on the foreign scene as Americans have for the first time since their independence in 1776, elected an African-American, Barack Obama as the first African-American President of the United States. This is coming 45 years after Marthin Luther king talked about his dream of an America where people would be judged on the basis of their capacities and not the colour of their skin.
I hope you still remember Idris Kuta who played a questionable role in your removal from office as President of Senate? He is there now with you. Some of your contemporaries who have equally joined you are:
Evan Enwerem, Abraham Adesanya, Sunday Awoniyi and Melford Okilo who used to buy you books each time he traveled abroad.
Ikemba Nnewi, Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu took another shot at the Presidency in 2007. Though he put up a good fight, he was rigged out as usual. His spirit has not dampened and he has continued to pursue Igbo interest with commitment. The last time he spoke, he expressed sadness over your absence and remembered how you and George Obiozor came to Ivory Coast to convey to him the decision of the Shagari Government to bring him back home from exile. He remains grateful to you for the role you played in the pardon granted him.
By the way, Nigeria has finally ceded the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon under a cloud of controversy without the endorsement of the National Assembly. We hear there was a deal. The question is: what was the deal?
Your house in Ogbunike (your village) is wearing a new look. Odibeze (your wife) has modernized it just as you would have done if you were around. She has also renovated the Oyi mansions at Asokoro,Abuja and built a shopping mall where she now runs her business.
Your children are still doing very well. Egoabata has secured admission in the United Kingdom to read Pharmacy.
Obi is equally doing well in his studies in U.K. Dr. Chu (Jnr.) has completed his secondary school education and will soon move abroad for his university education. Pharoah is making good progress in his business and has assured me he would marry before the end of the year. Your entire family remains united as Odibeze keeps the legacy going. In fact, everybody has his eyes on the ball as you advised.
I must not fail to inform you that your State, Anambra remains the theatre of Political Crisis in Nigeria. The PDP set up a committee led by Chief Jim Nwobodo to mediate and restore peace. Nwobodo's efforts to implement the wish of the people failed. He incurred the wrath of the leaders imposed by external forces in Ota who have refused to read the handwriting on the wall and know that when an empire crumbles, lieutenants go into political exile. Several other Committees set up to also resolve the Anambra crisis have all failed.
I am sorry to bore you with all these details, but I know you have strong interest in developments at home. I plead with you never to allow evil forces to thrive in our midst. Please, continue your struggle against them.
Kindly extend my greetings to the late Owelle Onitsha, Dr. Azikiwe, Dr. Nwafor Orizu, S.G. Ikoku, Mbonu Ojike and Akanu Ibiam. Inform them that Ndigbo are yet to put their house in order. They should continue to wish Ndigbo a better future in a united Nigeria.
Continue to have a sound rest.
Onyia wrote from Lagos
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