During a recent conference on youth employment in Dakar, Senegal, former President Olusegun Obasanjo shocked his audience by openly calling for a revolution in Nigeria.
Also, it will be recalled that the former President called Nigerians to come out en masse for a Nigerian type “Arab spring (revolution)” during a workshop on economic diversification and revenue generation in December 2011 at the June 12 Cultural Centre in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Obasanjo’s call was hinged on the prevailing high rate of youth unemployment, which he estimated to be about 72 per cent. If the audience in Dakar was shocked, then the residents of Warri in Delta State were utterly astonished when he commented on President Goodluck Jonathan’s handling of the crisis in the North.
Most Nigerians are unable to understand why and how a former President could incite the people to the path of revolution as a measure to check unemployment.
They become jittery when such comments come from a retired Army general of the calibre and stature of Obasanjo. His insistence on a revolution has become an unpalatable cliché that Nigerians must decipher.
Obasanjo’s statements are more unsettling because he has unrestrained access to Aso Rock to advise and even brief Jonathan on such issues relating to national security.
Also, he has the opportunity to meet Jonathan one-on-one during their monthly National Council of State meetings in Aso Rock. And so why does the former President rage and attempt to pull down what he has helped in building?
Like all human beings, the former President has his own shortcomings. The most prominent of these is his pay-back mentality for any request scorned or denied.
He believes so much in the myth that he is a superhero. As Nigeria’s patron saint, he believes that he is the best President this country ever had.
Today, Obasanjo’s call for a Nigerian type Arab Spring has revealed his short-sightedness.
The Arab Spring or Arab Uprising started in Tunisia on December 18, 2010 when a Tunisian unemployed graduate Mohamed Bouazizi set himself ablaze to protest police corruption and brutality.
The ensuing protest spread throughout Tunisia with increased violence. The result was that the then Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was forced to flee to Saudi Arabia on January 14, 2011.
The protests spread through North Africa and the Gulf States engulfing Egypt, Algeria, Libya, Yemen, Bahrain and Syria. Echoes of the Arab Spring resounded in Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Djibouti, et cetera.
Today the dregs of the Arab Spring are yet to settle. President Hosni Mubarak was forced to flee on February 11, 2011. And till date, Egypt does not have a stable government as Tahrir Square has become a symbol of the peoples’ solidarity.
Even with the democratic election of President Mohammed Morsy of the Moslem Brotherhood, Egypt is as unstable as an ancient blackboard standing on three legs, with the hind leg broken off.
Obasanjo’s call for a revolution because of youth unemployment is misplaced. People like him should not pray for a revolution, not even for their children because revolutions are cataclysmic, destructive and unpredictable. The no-nonsense former President needs some tutorial on revolutions.
In his recent role as the moderator for Bishop Ayo Oritsejafor’s 40th anniversary on the pulpit, he lambasted President Goodluck Jonathan’s weak response to the Boko Haram crisis.
Obasanjo flaunted his genocidal and criminal demolition of Odi in Bayelsa State, where unidentified militants killed 19 soldiers. Some day, he will appear at the War Crime Tribunal at the Hague to answer for heinous crimes against the residents of Odi.
The former President speaks of unemployment, but he has forgotten that he laid a solid foundation for this by wasting $16bn on electricity generation without any impact on Nigeria’s electricity generation and distribution.
At the time he handed over to the late Umaru Yar’Adua, Nigeria’s electricity megawatts was a paltry 2000 for a population of 140 million people while South Africa boasts 50,0000 megawatts for its 45million people.
Industries started folding up and relocating to Ghana during Obasanjo’s government with hundreds of thousands of workers thrown into the unemployment market. He built a personal library in Abeokuta worth N7bn and coerced Nigeria’s richest businessmen, some of who are his business partners, to bank-roll the project which he cunningly named the Presidential Library Project.
What more can we mention now? Is it the pauperisation of Nigerians due to the increase in the price of commodity items like rice, sugar, cement, flour and noodles, which were licensed to only one man to import, or the quarterly increase in the price of petroleum products?
God save Nigeria.
•Nanaghan, wrote in from Lagos via bennanaghan@yahoo.com
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I think Baba is old that is why he must hv mistkenly said that. But come to think of it, I think we need revolution in this country to consume all those people that hv made our lives miserable. And when such come, Obasanjo, IBB and others who hv ruled us in the past will go wt d revolution. Thx Baba for reminding the youth on what to do to move Nigeria forward.
ReplyDeleteWhy cant GEJ arrest Obasanjo if there is evidence against him for such mentioned corrupt practise while in Office .
ReplyDeleteNa wa for toothless man ( GEJ).
Really , i am not convince that Baba Iyabo was good to poor Nigerian in his policy while in office .
If i have law in my hand ,all ex-president or head of State and GEJ (except Buhari, Yaraduha and Muritala ) will be confined to an angle in correction house.
I m highly convince that many Politician in Nigeria will never never never taste fruit of paradise .
Do you know your crime ?
you spoil life of present generation and unborn generation .
When country like Swizerland , Netherland ,UAE and the rest are Planning for their unborn generation , here in Nigeria ...
Obasanjo should stop inshiting the yuoths of our contry cos he is part of those that take this contry to where we are today, if he do's not kwon what to say he should shotup and keep quayet. nonsence.
ReplyDeleteIs this English? Just wondering!
ReplyDeleteNo it is french. Ode!
DeleteRevolution is not the answer. We should focus on policies that we move us forward.
ReplyDeleteObasanjo is senile. He fancies himself as our version of Mandela, losing sight of the fact that Mandela earned his reputation, not by menstruating from the mouth, but by his steadfastness in principles mankind judged progressive.
ReplyDeleteIn as much as I support revolution, I do nt think that Obj of all people should be the one calling for it, not at all. He personally pave way for this weak man call JEG into becoming president, he masterminded it all by bringing a sick man though a president with vision if not for his health(late Yaradua)to Asorock by a way of rigging election. Why is he now calling for revolution, is it because JEG is not taking order from him as he expected? OBJ and IBB are the genesis of the high level of corruption we are faxing today. If I have my way, both of them should be behind the bar but unfortunately, we have a focusless,educated but wisdomless and a drunkard who knows nothing about leadership as a president in power, a president that promised so much but now leading us into a state of abject poverty by allowing the few looting our nation resources at the expence of the mases. Let see how 2015 election will look like.God help Nigeria.
ReplyDeleteOBJ Can comfortably call for a revolution in Nigeria because he is not the one on power and also because he is good at running his mouth carelessly. If it were in his time as President of FRN, any jupiter credited with such statement would have been rounded up and taught the lesson of his/her life. I must say, OBJ is one of the sacred cows or shoul I say "Untouchables".
ReplyDeleteObasanjor is right. He should also bear in mind that he is most likely to be the first victim of the revolution. What positive impact did he make when he was in power? Make sure you don't run away when the revolution starts.
ReplyDeleteits a pity someone like obj is calin for revolutn cos of unemployment.the foundatn of corruption in Nigeria is d definition of obasanjo.I truly subscribe to a constructive revolution in Nigeria and if it must come to pass the first person dat shld go down wit d wroth of d constructive and well defined revolution shld b OBJ and his likes.
ReplyDeleteI am always proud to b a Nigerian irrespective of d derogatory remarks ascribed to nigerians.Integrity matters a lot.before criticising others, try as much as possible to mmend ur ways too and Naija wil b a better place for everyone
its a pity someone like obj is calin for revolutn cos of unemployment.the foundatn of corruption in Nigeria is d definition of obasanjo.I truly subscribe to a constructive revolution in Nigeria and if it must come to pass the first person dat shld go down wit d wroth of d constructive and well defined revolution shld b OBJ and his likes.
ReplyDeleteI am always proud to b a Nigerian irrespective of d derogatory remarks ascribed to nigerians.Integrity matters a lot.before criticising others, try as much as possible to mmend ur ways too and Naija wil b a better place for everyone
I read the article and the ensuing comments. Obviously the article was a one sided presentation the news. I guess u wanna drag Nigerians into d recent Tussle between OBJ n GEJ. Right now, this is not our business and please give us beta new next time not a one sided accusation. I long to hear about the achievement and results of our presidency. I still believe he has the chance to make a difference now maybe the so called revolution maybe be avoided.
ReplyDeleteAnd by d way, the solution to leadership n corruption problem in this country isn't just a revolution, I think after the revolution the youths and pple of Niger should have a list what policies they want established and which ones to be removed.
The revolution must start from Obasanjo because he did more harms than good for this nation.
ReplyDeleteObasanjo is not too old to make any statement in error. he meant what he said and GEJ needs to become wise,analytical and pragmatic. The unemployment rate is too high, his policies are anti-people and does not consider the common man...I pity GEJ, if things did not get better, he may be the worst president to be embarrassed out of office in Nigeria.
ReplyDeleteIf the likes of OBJ,IBB etc. are not eliminated from the corridors of power,This country will never know peace. No government installed will be giving enough space to really do good work for this country. If the revolution he's talking about would ever hold,I doubt if he will be spared except he escapes before time.
ReplyDeletethose who are near the grave tries to pull others down with them, every wise person should keep distance from such elders in this country,
ReplyDelete