Former President
Olusegun Obasanjo on Monday said he
would not reply President Goodluck
Jonathan’s December 20 letter accusing him of threatening national
security.
Obasanjo, who addressed a news conference through his media aide, Tunde Oladunjoye,at
his Hilltop Mansion in Abeokuta, Ogun State, said in spite of requests by Nigerian and
international media for him to reply the President, he would still maintain his “serenity.”
But he made it clear that
he had through his December 2,2013 letter to Jonathan, done his duty to
the President, the Peoples Democratic Party and the nation, as a former
President and an elder statesman.
Obasanjo, had in his
18-page letter titled “Before it is too late,” accused the President, among
other things, of placing 1,000 Nigerians on a watch list and training snipers
to assassinate his political opponents.
He had added that Jonathan’s actions were capable of
derailing the country’s democracy.
But the President replied Obasanjo on Sunday, claiming
that his letter was
full of lies against him and his administration.
In a tone indicating that he was highly pained by the former President’s letter,
Jonathan wrote, “The allegation of training snipers to assassinate political
opponents is particularly incomprehensible to me. Since I started my political
career as a Deputy Governor, I have never been associated with any form of
political violence.
“Regarding the over
1,000 people you said are on a political watch list, I urge you to
kindly tell Nigerians who they are and what agencies of government are
‘watching’ them.
“Your allegation that I am using security operatives to
harass people is also baseless. Nigerians are waiting for your proof. That was
an accusation made against previous administrations, including yours, but it is
certainly not my style and will never be. Again, if you insist on the spurious
claim that some of your relatives and friends are being harassed, I urge you to
name them and tell Nigerians what agencies of my administration are harassing
them.”
He went on to add that
the letter by Obasanjo also suggested to him that landmines had been laid
for him.
But Obasanjo told
journalists in a two-page statement read by Oladunjoye , a former deputy
governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State, that he
had resolved not to make further comments on either his letter or Jonathan’s.
Immediately after reading the statement titled, ‘Re: Before
It Is Too Late,’ he rose from his seat, declining to entertain
questions from the journalists.
The statement reads,”
Since the publication of the letter written by the President,
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr.
Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, which was in response to the letter earlier
written by former President,
Commander-in-Chief, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR; we have received several
enquiries from local and international media asking to know Chief Obasanjo’s
reaction to Mr. President’s response.
“One, Chief Olusegun
Obasanjo, GCFR, acknowleges Mr.
President’s letter/response. However, Baba, as he already indicated in his
December 2, 2013 letter does not wish to make further comments beyond the
contents of his last letter to Mr. President or react to the said
letter/response from Dr. Jonathan. Let me quote from page 14, paragraph two of Chief Obasanjo’s letter
to Mr. President dated December 2, 2013 and titled Before It is Too Late: “I will maintain my serenity, because by this
letter, I have done my duty to you as I
have always done, to your government, to the
PDP, and to our country, Nigeria.
“Two, let me
reiterate here, that Chief Obasanjo has tremendous respect for the office of the
President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Oladunjoye added that Obasanjo “sincerely appreciates all of
you, my cherished colleagues; gentlemen and women of the media profession, who
have been very upright, ethical and robust on the subject matter.”
Obasanjo’s claim that
Jonathan was playing politics with the Africa Development Bank and World Bank Rivers State water project in
Rivers State was however
supported by Governor Rotimi Amaechi
during a rally by the All Progressives Congress at the Liberation
Stadium in Port Harcourt.
“If they tell us that it is
the ADB, tell them I said it is both ADB
and the World Bank. We have
completed everything we need to complete. They don’t want to sign, they want
you and I to die of hunger,” Amaechi told
APC supporters.
He added, “I will not lie, I drink table water. So the best I can do for you and the
best your President can do for you is to ask
the World Bank about the water project.
“All those that say they want South-South President, I
agree, you want South-South President. If a South-South President refuses to
give you water, you can still sweep him out. Let him tell us what project he has
done for us.”
Meanwhile, two
Northern groups – the Arewa Consultative Forum and the Coalition of
Northern Politicians, Academics, Professionals and Businessmen – have differed on Jonathan’s reply to Obasanjo’s
letter.
While the ACF said
Jonathan’s reply had given Nigerians an opportunity to judge, the
CNPAPB said it was a poor attempt to respond to ‘very serious’ issues raised
by a former President of the country.
The ACF spokesman, Mr. Anthony Sani, in an interview
with one of our correspondents, however
expressed reservations about the open nature of the altercations between the
two Nigerian leaders.
Sani said, “I have
read both letters and wish to state that such open altercations be avoided in
favour of confidential correspondence, especially when regard is paid to their
personal and political relationships which have profound effect on the pace of
development of the Nigerian project.
“But since the genie has been let out of the bottle, it is
good that Mr. President has replied the letter. It is now left for Nigerians to
pass their judgment in the larger interest of Nigeria.”
However, the
Convener of the CNPAPB, Dr. Junaid
Mohammed, cautioned Nigerians against taking their eyes off the issues made public by Obasanjo.
Mohammed said, “If Nigerians decide to take their eyes off
the ball until this issue becomes serious, then we have ourselves to blame.
“In addition, one of the inadequacies of the latter by the
President is that it was unlike
Obasanjo’s.
“Jonathan’s letter is
more of a civil service draft- a combination of all sorts of
contributions by half-baked politicians,
mediocre civil servants and journalistic thugs in the service of the President.
“Whether Obasanjo is liked or not; is beside the point, let
Nigerians insist that issues raised by Obasanjo
in his letter be properly
addressed.”
The medical doctor turned politician said the allegation that the Jonathan
administration was training snipers must not be glossed over.
But the Ijaw
National Congress said that Obasanjo should open up on the training of snipers.
Lauding the
President’s reply, it said that Nigerians could not be deceived by Obasanjo.
The INC spokesman, Mr. Victor Borubo, also said that Obasanjo was not in a position to advise
Jonathan on whether or not to run for the Presidency in 2015.
He said, “President
Jonathan is trying his best to develop the country. Obasanjo should not forget
that the PDP crisis did not start with Jonathan. Nigerians cannot be deceived
by his letter.
“Obasanjo is claiming that Jonathan promised to go for only
one term as President, but he (Jonathan) has told his critics to produce
evidence that he made such a promise.”
Also on Monday, a
former Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, appealed to
Jonathan and Obasanjo to close
ranks and proffer solutions to the country’s challenges.
Alamieyeseigha told
journalists in Yenagoa that even though Obasanjo’s motive for making the letter public was
unclear, the issues he raised in it were weighty and should not be ignored.
“The advice, through a letter to President Jonathan, no
doubt is coming from a respected person who has ruled the country both as a
military head of state and a two-time president of a democratic government,”
the News Agency of Nigeria quoted the
former governor as saying.
“We can concede to
him (Obasanjo). He has the in-depth knowledge of governance; he has seen it all;
and so a letter coming from him should not be taken on the face value,’’ he
advised.
Alamieyeseigha noted
that leadership and nation-building were
responsibilities that required the input of various stakeholders.
“President Jonathan is not a super human, so if the country
is drifting in the eyes of objective and patriotic persons in the country, they
can come out and proffer solutions after identifying the problems.’’ he said
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