OLUSEGUN OBASANJO, SHOULD FACE FIRING SQUAD?

How much is really too much and enough to make Nigerians so mad to call for rendering of account by the former president, Olusegun Obasanjo? It is shocking and disheartening that despite all the atrocities Olusegun Obasanjo committed while in office, he is still cockily walking the grounds of Nigeria a free-man? What then challenges the moral fiber of a Nigerian when such a maniacal disaster as Olusegun Obasanjo could not be brought to account for his stewardship amidst a mountain of evidence of his culpability?

As the president cum oil/petroleum minister of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo's hold on the Nigerian economy was so enormous that Icheoku says he is solely responsible for all that went awry with Nigeria including the plummeting value of the Naira which went from 75 Naira to a dollar in 1999 to the over 148 Naira per dollar when he was forced out of his third term dream land in 2007. His regime's sanctioned numerous assassinations and political murders does not help with mitigation at all in the "guilty as charged" verdict by many Nigerians on Olusegun Obasanjo. Now the mother of all Olusegun Obasanjo's litany of corruption has been unearthed - he awarded several oil-blocks worth several millions of dollars to some thirty-eight (38) unregistered firms during his ignominious regime. Holly macro! And Nigerians are still waiting? What for and what other evidence is needed before this medicine man of Otta is tied to the stake and shot for economic sabotage and crimes against Nigerians? The Odi and Zaki Ibiam communities in Bayelsa and Benue States, respectively, massacres carried out by his regime is substantive in this effort too. When the cession of Nigeria's Bakassi to Cameroon is added to the trachea of Obasanjo's crimes, then may be, his head will be delivered hoisted in a stake and paraded in a macabre-style at the Eagle square in Abuja. This Olusegun Obasanjo is a bastard son of a bastard father whose mother is a whore and does not deserve to live a free man in Nigeria. What example is his continued freedom showing to the rest of Nigerian leaders - that it is ok to be a very corrupt tyrant, provided you choose a stooge to succeed you, if forced out of office? Any Nigeria not enraged by Olusegun Obsaanjo's continued freedom, after all the ills that he perpetrated on Nigerians while in office, is either part of the reason why Nigeria is stunted all these years since her independence or is completely insane! How can it be that this army mechanic from Otta should be allowed to get away with all that he visited upon Nigerians during his reign? It really smells bad. What a putrid scumbag, Olusegun Obasanjo is?

This earth-quaking revelation that 38 oil companies, that were not even registered, won interests in 23 oil blocks during the 2005 oil-blocks bids exercise under the infamous Olusegun Obasanjo regime is mind-numbing indeed. A report by the Nigeria House of Representatives ad hoc committee that probed the oil sector from 1999 to 2007 (Obasanjo presidency) also showed that $2,629,275,667 was realised as signature bonus through the sale of additional 36 oil blocks during the bid rounds and have not been duly accounted for. The committee went frther to criticise President Olusegun Obasanjo who was also the then minister of petroleum for all these discrepancies. It was also established that companies that did not even register for the bid process were pre-qualified, and eventually awarded blocks in clear violation of both the Internal Memorandum and the Guidelines of the exercise under the supervision and order and approval of Olusegun Obasanjo. Obasanjo, while in office came up with a "clever by half" initiative to entice National Oil Companies (NOCs) from Asia including China, Taiwan, India and South Korea to acquire oil blocks for the first time in Nigeria. These Asian National Oil Companies (ANOCs) were given the Right of First Refusal (RFR) and discounted signature bonuses on a number of oil blocks in return for their commitment to invest in downstream and infrastructure projects in Nigeria to the sum of US$20 billion. In short Olusegun Obasanjo battered Nigeria's oil and gas for some promised investments.

A research carried out by Dr. Lillian Wong, an Associate Fellow in Africa Programme at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House London titled, "The Impact of Asian National Oil Companies in Africa", concluded that Obasanjo's messy oil deals were initiated to generate funds for his failed Third Term Agenda. "According to Dr. Wong, "There are credible reports of large sums paid to Obasanjo to support an extension of his tenure by certain beneficiaries (who will remain nameless) of the oil-for-infrastructure deals. Further, it is also believed that officials who negotiated the deals compromised the arrangement by putting personal profit above the national interest". The researcher opined that the recent decision by Yar'Adua-led government to revise the guidelines for oil block allocation, has put a spanner in Olusegun Obasanjo's stated grand-design to achieve a "development dividend" through the oil-for-infrastructure scheme with ANOCs; which it would appear, has now "fallen apart". As a result numerous projects attached to the deal has been cancelled including the Korean gas pipeline projects and the Lagos-Kano railway contract with China. This cancellation has now made the total sum of US$20 billion of investment promised by the ANOCs in 2005/2006 to be at risk." It would be recalled that former President Olusegun Obasanjo had also in addition, acted as the executive minister of Petroleum throughout his tenure. All decisions on the sector solely emanated from him being the absolute dictator he tired to be. Also the NNPC and the Department of Petroleum Resources, responsible for organising licensing rounds which is supposed to be the controlling organs in charge, acted on Obasanjo's directives only.

Reading what one commentator wrote about Nigeria, every sane Nigerian should demand for an immediate panacea to Nigeria's problems, irrespective of the price. According to this narrative, "Nigeria is a very dangerous country to live in. And I am beginning to be truly afraid. I am not talking about armed robbery, assassinations, murder, epileptic power supply and all others of our well known troubles. My worry this morning is the creeping herd mentality I am seeing in this country. You will agree with me that a country where every body thinks the same way; acts the same way and where no one appears to have the courage to be different, is a very dangerous country to live in indeed. If things continue the way they are today, I am afraid I may soon become an émigré! With this kind of referral, what NNigeria needs to do is take a very drastic burnishing measure to try and shore up its fast-evaporating image. Icheoku says that a good place to start is to tie Olusegun Obasanjo at the stake and send some hot-lead right into him; for all that he did wrong in Nigeria during his reign of infamy. This will truly go a very long way in making the crooked road once again straight in Nigeria. By such a courageous display of zero-tolerance for tyranny, Nigerians will have a reason to hope again. So President Umaru Yar'Adua, can you keep hope alive in the new year with the arrest, trial and possible execution of Olusegun Obasanjo for his crimes against humanity, the massacres of Odi and Zaki Ibiam and for his unbridled corruption and wrongful enrichment. Nigerians are looking for a deterrent, they get it and case closed! This will be the best New Year present for Nigerians, Mr President! So lets welcome 2009!