Open Letter to My Compatriots
Fellow Nigerians, in this season of open letters I have deemed it necessary to add an addendum to my original open letter. It should be noted that we actually let the cat out of the bag with an open letter written to the National Assembly on the platform of our social crusader group known as Leadership Rescue Initiative. Our open letter was titled THE ATROCITIES OF OBASANJO ERA dated 8th April 2013. We took this matter further on an international sensitization tour in April 20 and appeared on live TV programmes in New York and other fora across the globe.
Iyabo's letter to her Dad is a strong validation of the issues we raised in our open letter which we also discussed on a live TV programme at Sahara Reporters in April, regarding the person of General Obasanjo. I will try to summarize some of the issues we raised for the benefit of those who missed our April interview with Sahara Reporters.
Third Term Ambition.
It is noteworthy to remind everyone that we had stated in April that Obasanjo committed many grave crimes in pursuance of his obnoxious third term ambition. Obasanjo till date has always denied that he ever harboured any 3rd term ambition but thank God the truth is now coming out from an impeccable source. Iyabo's letter has now confirmed beyond any shadow of doubt that we were indeed right in our statements a few Months ago. Those still in doubt can investigate this further by reading the book authored by the former American Secretary of State Ms Condoleezza Rice titled ” No Higher Honor”. In page 638, Ms Rice clearly stated that Obasanjo approached her then Boss President Bush and hinted him about his 3rd term ambition.
Obasanjo himself though a manipulator also became a victim of manipulation. The crowd he put together imported the idea of 3rd term and sold it to him. He bought the idea hook, line and sinker. They called themselves the Economic team. They referred to him as the Father and Mother of modern Nigeria. Because OBJ love praise singing and sycophancy more than anything else, he fell into this trap and began to eliminate every real or imagined enemy of his 3rd term ambition. Therefore OBJ has no moral justification to question the legitimate ambition of another person. He exhibited crude hypocrisy and deceit throughout his 8 years reign. He should examine his face in the mirror before he starts pointing reckless fingers at others.
Deception and Manipulation Tendencies.
As already stated by us and confirmed by Iyabo, OBJ is highly manipulative and deceitful. We mentioned that OBJ deliberately imposed a sick Man on Nigeria to achieve his selfish political ambition. Iyabo has now corroborated our story that OBJ was indeed aware of Yar'Adua's health problems. At the death of Yar'Adua he denied ever knowing that he was terminally sick. But the truth has now come out. OBJ was being economical with the truth. He knew about the health conditions of Yar'Adua and tried to manipulate this to his advantage. His game plan was that in the event of the death of a Presidential candidate in the person of Yar'Adua, he would then have an excuse to postpone the election as enshrined in the Constitution and elongate his tenure. OBJ merely tried to use the health condition of Yar'Adua to achieve his 3rd term ambition through the back door.
Iyabo in her own words described her dad OBJ as a Liar and a Manipulator. No one can claim to know OBJ more than Iyabo. For her to have described him as a Liar and a Manipulator in public goes to show that the interview we gave about OBJ was only a tip of the iceberg. An elderly man like OBJ should not be telling lies and falsehood. He should come clean and confess to Nigerians all these crimes against humanity he committed. If he does confess everyone would be more than happy to forgive him and move forward. He needs to practice integrity before he can teach others.
DOUBLE FACED PERSONALITY
Furthermore we mentioned that OBJ was a man of double standards and a two faced individual. He pretends to be a father and Statesman devoid of partisanship. Iyabo confessed in her letter that OBJ was trying to draft her into contesting for Senatorial position on the platform of APC. This goes to show that basically the letter he wrote to President Jonathan was merely done to promote the interests of himself and APC. Behind the scenes he pretends to be a PDP elder but in reality he is already recruiting membership for APC. What a tragedy of a Man. During the celebration of Nelson Mandela's glorious exit recently, OBJ was praising Madiba for spending only one term in office. What he refused to tell his audience was that he himself refused to behave like Madiba when he had the opportunity. Rather than vacate office after one or two terms as enshrined in the Constitution, he tried everything he could to perpetuate himself in power only for his ambition to be scuttled through the hard work of concerned Nigerians. He actually attempted to subvert the constitution and compromise our democratic institutions. He wasted billions of tax payers money in bribery of Stakeholders. Former Senate President Ken Nnamani and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and others too numerous to mention stood like a rock against his 3rd term gambit and they mobilized others against this evil that would have produced a Nigerian Mugabe.
POLITICALLY MOTIVATED ASSASINATIONS
We also mentioned that OBJ ordered the assassinations of certain high profile individuals who were known to be against his political interests and 3rd term ambition. He initially tried to bribe them but when it didn't work he decided to go for the maximum solution; assassination! Iyabo in her open letter clearly stated that OBJ was a dictator and a maximum ruler who has no patience for criticism and who never listened to advice. He has zero tolerance to opposing views. Iyabo asked rhetorically if the Father would tolerate such a letter he wrote to President Jonathan if he was in power. The answer as everyone knows is a capital NO. He ruled with iron fist. He is extremely vindictive. Iyabo also confessed that OBJ was a Wife Beater who had no respect for the rule of Law. All these put together confirms one thing, that OBJ DOES NOT BELIEVE IN THE RULE OF LAW. No wonder he resorted to illegal and criminal methods to silence his opponents. It is unfortunate that some who opposed OBJ's ambition are no longer alive to tell the story. Late Bola Ige and Marshall Harry are ready examples. The case of former Senate President Dr Chuba Okadigbo is worth mentioning. Okadigbo was a very vocal opponent of OBJ. He was scientifically silenced with poisonous tear gas by State agents. The former deputy national Chairman PDP South South Chief Dikibo was assassinated on his way to Asaba. Before the police could reach the scene of the incident, President Obasanjo had gone on air to claim that it was a case of armed robbery. This is food for thought since OBJ is not a policeman.
INFERIORITY COMPLEX
As we stated in April OBJ was never comforted with sound and civilized People. Iyabo confirmed this in her letter that OBJ was more comfortable with touts and palace jesters around him than with soundly educated People. This we can attribute to inferiority complex. Among OBJ's peers were accomplished personalities in the Country. People like General Olufemi Olutoye, Dr. Duro Soleye, Prince Bola Ajibola, Prof Wole Soyinka, Otunba Subomi Balogun, General Inuwa Wushishi, General Adeyinka Adebayo, General James Oluyeye and Prof Olukoye Ransome Kuti of blessed memory. It is a shame that OBJ never took advantage of these accomplished men of timber and calibre. He never brought any of these highly accomplished individuals close to his administration. Rather he assembled Men of questionable characters, glorified touts and street miscreants. One of these touts erected a giant billboard in his Home Town Owo that was written ” FRIEND OF THE PRESIDENT”. These were the praise singers running the affairs of the Country at the expense of accomplished individuals. No wonder he was easily mesmerized by grammar and foreign intonation that white elephant projects were easily approved by him without proper scrutiny.
CORRUPTION
We had alerted the whole World that OBJ who pretended to be clean was rather corrupt. During his 8 years reign he enriched himself and his cronies. This was somebody that came out of the prison in 1998 very poor. Iyabo buttressed this assertion in her letter. Iyabo maintained that her father surrounded himself with mediocres who were only interested in looting the treasury by massaging OBJ's ego. Iyabo also confirmed that She actually lived in a house owed by OBJ in Abuja and She actually wants OBJ to tell Nigerians how and when he got the house. To quote Iyabo in her own words\
” You can't have it without explaining to Nigerians how you came about the house?”
This clue from Iyabo is a clear validation of our assertion that OBJ was indeed corrupt and abused his office by corrupt enrichment of self. The pertinent questions to ask include; what date was the house purchased in Abuja? How many other “secret” houses were purchased? Did he make the right declarations regarding these “secret” houses? There is need for a thorough investigation of the era of OBJ because judging from the tone of Iyabo's letter, OBJ may have embezzled public funds more than Abacha. As a Liar and Hypocrite as confirmed by his Daughter Iyabo, He set up the EFCC to give the impression that he was fighting corruption. He was actually perpetrating corruption. Take note that in April we informed the whole world that OBJ maintained a dedicated account funded by tax payers from where he serviced his personal habits. From that account Cars were purchased as gifts to his Women Friends and others. We tendered documents and photographs as proofs to Sahara Reporters and we are ready to make same available to the law enforcement agents if they are interested. OBJ should know by now that he who lives in a glass house does not throw stones. He should purge himself of corruption before he can point accusing fingers at others. It is our belief that his regime actually set Nigeria back by 50 years.
DO OR DIE POLITICS
It was a shock to most Nigerians when OBJ announced that the 2007 general election was going to be a do or die affair. It was not just an empty threat. OBJ actually saw elections as a do or die affair. As Iyabo confirmed in her letter, OBJ would either have his way or nothing. He approached elections as a general approached a war front. His reign witnessed the highest number of unresolved political assassinations till date. A typical example was the crisis in Anambra State in 2004 when OBJ connived with miscreants to abduct and sack a sitting governor to protect the interests of touts running the guns for OBJ in Anambra State. Late Chinua Achebe expressed this in a letter he wrote to OBJ in 2004 in which he rejected the national award OBJ gave him. He cited the complicity of OBJ in the crises in Anambra State. In the words of late Prof Chinua Achebe
”I write this letter with a very heavy heart. For some time now I have watched events in Nigeria with alarm and dismay. I have watched particularly the chaos in my own state of Anambra where a small clique of renegades, openly boasting its connections in high places, seems determined to turn my homeland into a bankrupt and lawless fiefdom. I am appalled by the brazenness of this clique and the silence, if not connivance, of the Presidency.”
Unfortunately OBJ does not take letters from accomplished Statesmen seriously. He continued to surround himself with miscreants throughout his 8 years in office and anyone who stood against him was taught a bitter lesson by these touts.
A few years before OBJ became a civilian President, he indicated interest to become the Secretary General of UN. He was properly screened and vetted. The conclusion was that he was unfit and ineligible for such exalted position. Prof Wole Soyinka also spoke to confirm that OBJ was not fit and capable of holding such a sensitive position. OBJ became a bitter and angry person. He came into office and carried out vendetta against perceived opponents.
Let me close by joining my fellow compatriots in demanding for a DECENT Society. We want fairness. We want a COUNTRY where nobody will be assassinated without being investigated. We want independent and strong institutions devoid of interference. We want a President that would be fair and humane to his People. We want an honest President, not a deceitful, manipulative and cruel President like Obasanjo to borrow Iyabo's description of her Dad.
SIGNED
Richard Olanrewaju Odusanya
Chairman
Leadership Rescue Initiative