Are things falling apart between Obj, Buhari?

It looks like things are beginning to fall apart between President Muhammadu Buhari and former President Olusegun Obasanjo, as the later on Wednesday, unequivocally lashed at the incumbent President.

Obasanjo, who has been a good friend of Buhari since his emergence, did not hide his displeasure at the leadership style of The President when he spoke in Lagos on Wednesday.

He also took time to criticise the National Assembly and the military.

In his keynote address at the First Akintola Williams Annual Lecture, Mr. Obasanjo expressed strong displeasure with President Buhari’s government over his continuous blaming of past administrations including the period he, (Obasanjo) led.

He, therefore, cautioned Buhari to as a matter of fact, stop blame games and devise a way of clearing the mess he inherited, because it was the knowledge of the messy situation that made Nigerians buy into his promise of change.

The ex-President said, “Now that we have had change because the actors and the situation needed to be changed, let us move forward to have progress through a comprehensive economic policy and programme that is intellectually, strategically and philosophically based.

“It is easier to win an election than to right the wrongs of a badly fouled situation. When you are outside, what you see and know are nothing compared with the reality. And yet once you are on seat, you have to clear the mess and put the nation on the path of rectitude, development and progress leaving no group or section out of your plan, programme and policy and efforts. The longer it takes, the more intractable the problem may become.”

Throwing a jab on President Buhari’s $30 billion loan proposal, Mr. Obasanjo said, “I am sure that such a comprehensive policy and programme will not support borrowing US$30 billion in less than three years. It will give us the short-, medium- and long-term picture.

“Adhocry is not the answer but cold, hard headed planning that evinces confidence and trust is the answer. Economy neither obeys orders nor does it work according to wishes. It must be worked upon with all factors considered and most stakeholders involved.

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“The investors, domestic and foreign, are no fools and they know what is going on with the management of the economy including the foreign exchange and they are not amused. The Central Bank must be restored to its independence and integrity. We must be careful and watchful of the danger of shortermism.

“Short-term may be the enemy of medium- and long-term. We must also make allowance for the lessons that most of us in democratic dispensation have learned and which the present administration seems to be just learning.”

He said, while speaking on the National Assembly and the military, “The National Assembly stinks and stinks to high heavens. It needs to be purged. With appropriate measures, the budget of the National Assembly can be brought down to less than 50 per cent of what it is today. God will help Nigeria, but we must begin by helping ourselves.

“How I wish that the military has not descended into what it has descended to in the last seven or eight years! It is sickening! When the military is corrupt, it affects its fighting ability in many ways. Poor, used and inappropriate equipment and materials are purchased by the military for the military at the expense of the lives of fighting troops in the war front. In some cases, nothing at all is purchased.”

According to Obasanjo, “Forms of corruption vary, but include bribery, extortion, cronyism, nepotism, tribalism, sectionalism, gombeenism, parochialism, patronage, influence peddling, graft, and embezzlement.”

Obasanjo’s outburst, though not completely unexpected, reflects his traditional character of hitting out at Nigerian leaders with scarce stomach to accommodate criticisms of his own administration.

By Ebere Ndukwu …

Ripples Nigeria…without borders, without fears

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