The media have been agog of recent with different stories about the sleaze and malfeasance that characterized the 8-year tenure of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo as president. Some of these stories gave a graphic and awry account of the brazen stealing and bare-faced looting that took place under that administration. Some of them fell short of calling the chief dramatis persona in that show of shame a thief. I wonder what other name they should have called him! A man who presided over the battering and tearing of our treasury deserves a more derogatory name.

It is no longer in question that Obasanjo’s administration was the worst in the history of Nigeria. It is also not debatable that that administration set Nigeria back by 50 years. That two of his cabinet ministers- Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Oby Ezekwesili- had the courage to appear and testify before the House of Representatives Committee on Power and Steel on the highhandedness and recklessness of Obasanjo was quite instructive. They told the committee that Obasanjo bypassed due process, which he pretentiously championed, in the award of the contracts for the various power projects his administration undertook.

This was a man who, throughout his eight-year rule, painted a holier-than-thou picture about himself and led the nation on a mission of deceit and pillage. What about all the noise and cacophony he made with his anti-corruption campaign? He hounded, mauled and cajoled his perceived political opponents in the pretence of fighting corruption. The anti-corruption war was his evil strategy to pull the wool over our eyes while he and his cronies stole the nation blind.

When I removed the veil over the many sins of this man six years ago I was branded a disrespectful and impudent person. But emerging events in our polity have since proved me right. I told the whole nation as far back as 2002 that this man was evil and had no genuine plans to develop Nigeria. I listed his many atrocities and urged the relevant security agencies to investigate them. Sadly, nobody had the courage to speak out. Many Nigerians knew the truth about what I was saying at that time, but they chose to keep mute for fear of reprisal attacks.

I have said it many times that no nation can develop if those who can stand up to be counted when the time demands so choose to shy away from speaking out. What Nigeria needs today are men and women who can call a spade a spade, no matter whose ox is gored! For me, I chose to forgo my personal comfort and safety to fight for what was right.

My boldness and altruism were what the man’s apologists and hagiographers called irreverence against elders. I have never shown any disrespect to anybody let alone an elder. All my life I have always believed that one can attain old age if one respects elders. Aware of this I have made it a point of duty to respect and support elders. From the clime where I come it is imperative you show reverence to elders. Those who tried to cut a picture that I was disrespectful did so out of selfishness and envy. Indeed, none of them was closer to Obasanjo than me; neither did any of them contribute more than I did to the emergence of the man as president.

My grouse about Obasanjo was that he was deceitful and vindictive. Simple! I do not have anything personal against him. We disagreed on point of principle. I am certain that Obasanjo knows deep in his heart that all I said was to save him from national embarrassment and disgrace. The ongoing scandalous revelations against him would have been averted if he had listened to my exhortation. He chose to be blinded by greed while sacrificing integrity and candour on the altar of jingoism and perfidy.

I am worried that Obasanjo successfully took Nigeria for a ride for 8 years without any effort to call him to order. Apart from a few of us who stood in front of the ‘moving train’ where was the litany of intellectuals, technocrats and top politicians that abound in this nation? It is sad that many Nigerians pay lip-service to patriotism. Patriotism demands self-sacrifice, courage, openness, empathy and virtuousness. What some Nigerians call patriotism is nothing but egocentricity.
The evidence to arrest and convict Obasanjo is overwhelming.

I listened with disbelief to the Director of Investigations of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as he addressed a group of protesters who marched to the commission’s office in Lagos last week. He told them that the commission was investigating allegations made against Obasanjo. I saw in his eyes that he might not be sincere. What would have given him the audacity to make that pronouncement when he knew deep down in his heart that he did not mean what he said? We all know that the EFCC cannot on its own start investigating Obasanjo without any directive to that effect from the presidency. After all, the commission dismissed with a wave of hand all the mind-boggling allegations I levelled against Obasanjo when he was in power. Statutorily, the commission has the powers to arrest, detain and prosecute Obasanjo without recourse to the presidency. But the Nigerian mentality makes such a venture almost impracticable.

I am worried that the presidency is yet to initiate moves to prosecute Obasanjo for the rape and pillaging of our dear nation. Mr. President has told the nation on different fora that he has a zero tolerance for corruption. This is the time to practically demonstrate it. The success of his campaign against corruption depends largely on the zeal and impartiality with which he prosecutes the war. There should be no sacred cows!

I wonder if there is a separate set of laws for the rich and another for the poor and defenceless. What explanation can anybody give for the apathy on the part of the federal government to prosecute Obasanjo? What stops the president from ordering the arrest of Alibaba since the other 40 thieves have been arrested? Is Alibaba above the law? Or is there a deliberate design to shield him from prosecution for what God knows not?
Forty-eight (48) years after independence, Nigeria is still crawling, yet we are endowed with rich human and material resources. We are suffering today because of the sin of one man who chose to govern with deceit. Why can’t our nation have steady electricity? Neighbouring countries, such as Ghana, enjoy relatively uninterrupted power. Why not Nigeria – the giant in the sun? They are talking of refining petroleum products abroad! Nawao!

When shall we get out of this cesspit? When? I ask. Those who destroyed Nigeria are walking the streets as free citizens, whereas the law states that such people should be tried and, if found guilty, gaoled. What stops President Yar’Adua from immediately ordering the arrest and trial of Obasanjo and his accomplices? I know that Yar’Adua is usually a calm and calculative person, but for how long shall he wait before releasing Nigerians from the devious grips of Obasanjo?
People speculate that Obasanjo is still in power with Yar’Adua in the saddle. But I do not want to subscribe to such a shenanigan. The Yar’Adua I know cannot pander to the whims of an Obasanjo. He is a resolute, no-nonsense, and upright leader, no doubt. But he must match this impression with action by promptly arresting Obasanjo to account for the 8 wasted years he was in power.

I wish to state unequivocally that nothing will happen if Obasanjo is arrested. In fact, Nigerians will leap for joy the day Yar’Adua will call his bluff. In one of my articles on this column I expressed surprise that Obasanjo could still aspire for leadership positions, in whatever guise, after the monumental harm he has done to our nation. After 11 years as Head of State he still finds it fanciful to chair the Board of Trustees (BOT) of his party. Characteristic of him, he has wilfully manipulated the constitution of the party to make him a life Chairman of the BOT.

Thank God that the man was shoved aside at the time we did otherwise we would have been in a more perilous situation than is obtainable in Kenya and Zimbabwe, where the ilk of Obasanjo call the shots.
God forbid that this should happen to Nigeria.