Gen Obasanjo has accused Mr. Jonathan of "placing over 1000 Nigerians on political watch list and training snipers and other armed personnel secretly and clandestinely acquiring weapons to match for political purposes like Abacha and training them where Abacha trained his killers”- North Korea.
He also charged that the Presidency was providing assistance for a murderer to evade justice.
“Presidential assistance for a murderer to evade justice and presidential delegation to welcome him home can only be in bad taste generally but particularly to the family of his victim,” Mr. Obasanjo said. “Assisting criminals to evade justice cannot be part of the job of the presidency. Or, as it is viewed in some quarters, is he being recruited to do for you what he had done for Abacha in the past? Hopefully, he should have learned his lesson. Let us continue to watch.”
What many people may ignore is the fact that General Olusegun Obasanjo has been close to the corridors of power from 1968 till date. He has been around for a long time and so he has his contacts and informants, and rightly so. Perhaps, he already knows that Major (Brigadier) Al Mustapher has visited North Korea at least twice since his release from prison. Perhaps he also knows the real purpose why Al Mustapher got out of jail and accord a presidential reception.
General Obasanjo has been involved in wars and mini wars (Biafra, Odi and Boko Haram) and coups. He has been instrumental to the 'selection' of at least three presidents, (Shagari, Yar'Adua and the incumbent president Jonathan) so his charges are not empty and they are very serious charges coming from a man who can easily pass as one of the most powerful men in Nigeria as at today; you don't archive such enviable position by speculation and political antics. The particular charge of treason are well informed, even if the messenger lack the moral right to make other charges relating to "good governance, party activities and economic sabotage"- but the charge of treason remains a serious one.
Inevitably, the content of Gen. Obasanjo's letter comes across to me as the first real test to the presidency of Goodluck Jonathan; for never before has anyone presented a sitting president and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces with such grievous charges. And Nigerians are demanding for a response from their president. Don't send your advisers! Come to think of it, Generals IBB, Abacha and even OBJ himself would have considered such letter much the same as incitement and thus tantamount to "attempted coup" and would react as such.
Another interesting dimension that is emanating from Gen. Obasanjo's letter is the fact that, some years ago, the Central Intelligence Agency (the US external intelligence gathering agency) made a dire prediction that Nigeria was likely to splinter along tribal and sectarian lines in 2015..." Gen. Obasanjo's letter has revealed some of the inherent fault lines that must be mended, properly managed and controlled to avoid the disaster.
However, although many people like me still believe in the Nigerian enterprise and that we Nigerians have the uncanny capacity to take a punch and still stick together, keeping the nearly 100 years of fragile peace and unity, there is still the need for genuine leadership.
Therefore, while I trust that the things that bind us together as one nation are greater than those that divide us, if President Jonathan fails to personally respond appropriately and constructively to these charges, many other Nigerians may begin to believe that a president accused of treasonable offences such as "training snipers in a foreign country to use against his compatriots and of stock pilling weapons for a secessionist bid" is indeed unfit to be the President of Nigeria- the same country that he intends to destroy. Once Nigerians come to this conclusion on this president, surely, president Jonathan will attempt to fight back and the dire CIA prediction may as well come to pass because, history tells us that, no one man or one tribe can fight Nigeria and Nigerians and win.
The only way forward for the president should be, to pledge to all Nigerians that he intends to meet the responsibilities of his oath of office, which he has now sworn to on two occasions, with all of the strength and wisdom he can command in accordance with the hopes of Nigerians and assure us that he is mindful of our concerns and expectations. In so doing, the president can hope that he will be sustained by the prayers and kind wishes of all Nigerians, Muslims and Christians and atheists, the support of Northerners and Southerners, and the encouragement of PDP and APC members, APGA and Labour Party members. Nigeria we Hail Thee!!!
By:Mike Ikem Umealo
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Opinion