Re: Death of A Statesman

(Being Text of My Rejoinder to Eniola Bello's piece, published in Thisday 08.13.2007)

I write this rejoinder to the highly stimulating but extremely critical piece by Eniola Bello, with absolute respect to his person, his office and his track record of an astute manager of men and resources. I've had the opportunity to read his write-ups over the years, even while I reside abroad. I have keenly observed his professionalism as he moved from the Editor's office to the Managing Director's suite, turning Thisday into arguably Nigeria's most successful, most profitable and most respected newspaper.

Even His Detractors Point To His Good Works
Olusegun Obasanjo, retired General and immediate past President of Nigeria, in my humble opinion, is anything but a dead Stateman. While I agree with Eni-B that the man is far from being a saint, I hasten to submit, however, that his accomplishments as an African leader in general, and Nigeria's most successful leader ever, completely overshadow and almost obliterate his legendary personal failings. According to Eni-B, “...this is a man who had been there at every major milestone of the country’s history. He was there in 1970 to receive the flag of surrender from secessionists’ forces after a three-year civil war. He was there in 1979 as the first military leader to handover power to a democratically elected government. He was there between 1979 and 1983 as a conscience to the establishment, a leader who never shied away from speaking truth to power. He was there within the same period as the only former Nigerian leader who had a voice on the global scene, courted and honoured by international statesmen. He was there in 1999 when the military needed to avoid disgrace by returning the nation to democracy... his courage in confronting powerful forces and interest groups without blinking...his restoration of Abuja to a befitting capital... his successful campaign for debt relief for Nigeria... the banking, pension and health insurance reforms... the positive results of his anti-corruption exertions... Nigeria, which is gradually becoming a prime destination for foreign investors, was a pariah nation when Obasanjo assumed office in 1999...” Pray, which African leader in recent or ancient memory parades a resume as impressive as this?

Global Elders' Committee...Who Needs More Committees?
Eni-B mentioned the omission of Obasanjo's name on the list of those invited into the so-called Global Elders' Committee as one further confirmation of Obasanjo's death as a Statesman. I find this rather insulting to us as Nigerians in particular, especially those of us who were of age during the struggle against apartheid in South Africa. While I agree that Nelson Mandela remains one of the world's all time Elder Statemen, would he really have seen the light of day to become that, were it not for the role Nigeria, in general, and Obasanjo, in particular, played to see the end of apartheid in South Africa? How could anyone forget the role Obasanjo played in the Commonwealth’s Eminent Persons Group, and his contributions as a member of the Clinton Global Initiative? Yes, Nelson Mandela played the role of a true leader by exiting the stage while the ovation was loudest, and for which the world rightly revers him, the question, however, remains: if Mandela had the benefit of youth on his side, would he really have ended his Presidency after one term? We would probably never know the answer to that, but what we do know is this: Obasanjo's record as an African political leader is unassailable and undeniable.

A Prophet's Value In His Own Land?
His brilliance in getting Charles Taylor out of the way and subsequently handing him over to the UN for prosecution, without appearing to be Charles Taylor's enemy in the process (bearing in mind that legions of Charles Taylor's foot soldiers still remain in Liberia and could have started another round of civil war), helped bring about the end of a decade and a half of genocide and the beginning of self-rule in Liberia; he helped end the civil war in Ivory Coast; his work in drawing the world's attention to the genocide happening in Darfur; maintaining and preserving the erstwhile fragile peace in Togo after the death of Gyassingbe Eyadema, and his insistence on democratic process in choosing Eyadema's successor; the resolution of the Bakkassi Peninsula's problem without a shot being fired; the funding and revitalization of ECOWAS and its regional developmental agencies; the birth of the African Union and its benefits in the rest of the civilized world. Add these to his economic successes at home, and you have a record that not even Nelson Mandela, with due respect, can lay claim to. While Mandela's Global Elders' Committee was busy “discuss(ing) some critical problems affecting the globe'” Obasanjo and was busy doing something about it. Isn't this a case of a prophet not having value in his own land?

The highly respected columnist, wordsmith and shrewed manager of men and resources got it wrong this time. Obasanjo remains, by a long stretch, Africa's most successful political and economic leader in recent or ancient memories, Mandela inclusive. He wasn't perfect - which leader in history has ever been? Chairman Mao completely enslaved a generation of Chinese to turn the country into a world power. Winston Churchill was reported to be morally corrupt, yet reverred in Britain till today. JFK was an incorrigible womaniser yet his legacies endure. George Bush remains the world's most deceptive and most violent leader, yet he won a second term. Need I go on? I ask again: If Mandela had the luxury of youth on his side, would he have stepped aside after just one term? Who gave South Africa it's freedom from apartheid? Wasn't it Nigeria under Obasanjo and his works in the Commonwealth Eminent Persons' Group?

Who Cares About Ladoja?
That man gave his all to set Nigeria back on the path to total recovery. His legacies are legion, some of them you mentioned. Let us appreciate and lionize our good leaders - while they are still alive - so that others coming after them would be encouraged to give their best also. Obasanjo may have failed in his personal relationship with others, but what did we need in a Nigeria bereft of ideas, beaten and left for dead by nearly forty years of military misrule? A cosy personal relationship with some of the looters of the treasury and, by Eni-B’s own admission, beneficiaries of a fraudulent electoral process? Or the hard-handedness Obasanjo brought to the table? Who cares if Chris Ngige and Rasheed Ladoja were overpowered by their equally devilish adversaries, in a country where tens of millions go to bed each night without food in their stomach nor money in their pockets?

Who cares if, in his effort to right the wrongs of many years and bring sanity to a polity de-humanized and raped for so long, he overlooks some hamstring court orders? In an effort to save his country from complete disintegration, didn't Jerry Rawlings commit the highest of crimes (treason and murder in multiples)? Isn't Rawlings revered for his actions? Who remembers the children and widows of those he had to kill to bring sanity back to Ghana?

What Are Our Priorities?
Give me increased employment generated by increased investment in the economy by local and foreign investors ($3.406billion in 2005, and almost $6billion in 2006, compared to an average of $1.477billion between 1990 and 2000 ); liberalisation of the communication industry which has brought in billions of Nigeria into the economy by itself, and created hundreds of thousands of self-employed recharge card distribution businessmen out of the class of hitherto unemployable masses; banking reforms that have given our economy a new lease of life and restored confidence in our banking systems; an almost 7% sustained economic growth in the past four years. Give me a Dora Akunyilli, who single-handedly fought to save millions of Nigerians from the guillotine of murderers in the garb of fake drug manufacturers and proven that, given the right leadership, a Nigerian could be selfless, incorruptible and productive ; give me a Nuhu Ribadu, whose name alone makes treasury looters wet their pants, and whose efforts have made USA and UK places too hot for thieves and their loot to hide; give me a new global economic respect generated by the nomenclature 'debt-free nation' and a foreign reserve of over $40million and counting. Give me all these, and all your sins are forgiven.

Let's Give Honour To Whom Honour Is Due...
For the record, I have never met, sniffed or come within a hundred feet of Olusegun Obasanjo. I have never spoken to nor have anything to do with the man. But I believe someone's deed, and not his imperfect personality, should be appreciated and revered by everyone. He wasn't perfect, he was at times crude and vengeful, he was petty and unforgiving; he got power-drunk at a time and wanted it for life (thank God he failed, but was that really him wanting that tenure elongation?) but, by jove, that man has cleared a path towards our economic recovery, a path which, if followed religiously by those who come after him, would make it easier for you and I and millions of other Nigerians to hold their head high, and proudly proclaim themselves Nigerians. The determination of one man can make a difference…it can change the course of history. Olusegun Obasanjo’s courage under fire, and his determination to succeed where others have failed, has changed the course of our history. It’s high time we gave him the honour and recognition due to him. And let’s do it while he is still alive.

Ade Ebimomi

NOTE: For a minute there, I thought I was the only one who shared this view, until I came across several like mine. This one (below) by Femi Ade, as published by Thisday Online, stands out:


Femi Ade
08.14.2007 17:23

I totally agree with Ade Ebimomi's contribution regarding OBJ. It is a brilliant piece. There is not much to add. How do you know that Mandela did not invite OBJ and he declined or the selection criteria used by Mandela does not meet OBJ's requirements? I think you should not try to give any positive meaning to Bakare's prophesy. The fact is that he got it wrong by any standard. That is because his prophesy was based on personal issues with OBJ which was widely reported at the time but which you failed to recognize in your article.OBJ's interest in third term was wrong but understandable. When he handed over to Shagari in 1979, he was not concerned about who succeeded him. He accepted and followed the Supremr Court's interpretation of 12-2/3. The result was IBB and Abacha and the destruction of Nigeria's image. The country was plunged into debt, infrastructure was destroyed and made to decay, national assets were sold. Today, ask the people of Aladja about Delta Steel and the people of Eleme about the petrochemical plant and they will be full of praises for OBJ. OBJ was so anti-people that he fought and got debt cancellation for the benefit of th same people that he hated. I don't get it... OBJ was so anti-people that he sorted out Nigeria's pension crisis and even pardoned all Biafran ex-service men. Enough said.