While the country [Nigeria] grapple with the oily grips from the quibble between a political godfather and a political godson, little is made of the actual behind the scene factors that led to the crack in the formerly rosy relationship. Information available to 247ureports.com through sources close to the principal actors within the warring camps reveal what appears an unspoken truth – that dates back to the fall of Biafra to the Nigeria troops led by the then Olusegun Aremu Obasanjo in Owerri, the then capital of the federal republic of Biafra.
According to the consortium of sources who spoke on the true causative factors responsible for the turn in demeanor in the former People Democratic Party [PDP] godfather, General Olusegun Obasanjo towards President Jonathan, indicate that the chief reason for the effort to halt Jonathan’s presidency before 2015 points to the formerly agreed upon policy towards the former eastern region – which later became the Biafra territory – that then lost the war the Nigerian troops.
According to a competent source, the self – acclaimed victors of the Nigerian civil war, the likes of Buhari, Babangida, Obasanjo, Gowon, Murtala Mohammed and company – had an agreed upon policy of under-development of the region – to aide sedated the urge for another agitation group to find its footing. The policy was particularized for the south east zone.
Such policies focused on denying the region of an international airport, ability to source crude oil and refine, ability to access international trade and technology – among other sensitive developmental vectors. Through the successive government that followed after the military fall of the Biafra effort, the policy was implemented without error. Obasanjo’s regime during the civilian era ensured that the marginalization policy remained unchanged.
The talk of locating an international airport at each geopolitical zone in Nigeria saw a defiant Obasanjo when the discourse included South East region. The Obasanjo regime also saw the placement of an oil refinery in the South East as going against the agreed upon policy of the winners of the Nigeria/Biafra war. The exploration of crude oil deposits around the Kogi/Enugu/Anambra belt remained abandoned during his regime.
The surprise and uncharacteristic coming of Dr. Goodluck Ebelemi Jonathan to the presidential seat brought an anomaly into the equation. The said owners of the country did not expect what his presidency may result to – as per the agreed upon policy towards the south east region. Obasanjo had promised his “co-owners” that he would be able to “control” the excesses of President Jonathan – “that Goodluck was his boy” and will be held with a short leash. Obasanjo’s northern partners were able to rest their nerves in that President Jonathan will serve a mere one term and that by 2015, he will step down from the mantle of leadership and allowed for the owners of Nigeria to continue along the path already set out by General Gowon.
A source close to Obasanjo told 247ureports.com that the former head of state had stated in serious discussions that Jonathan chances putting Nigeria at risk over his conversion of Enugu Airport to International Airport because of the history of the area. He also mentioned the opening of the Orient Petroleum oil drilling and refining services as near treasonable – because it allows the region access to precious cash commodity [as crude oil] should the region chose to declare independence from the Nigerian Union again. The source pointed out that Obasanjo sees himself as a defender of the present day Nigeria dating from post Nigerian civil war. The sources continues that Obasanjo sees himself as responsible for ensuring that the country stays together as one unit. In his mind, the eagerness of the Jonathan presidency to ease the tariff placed against the former Biafran region points to a dangerous precedence that may be copied by other leaders – if not checkmated.
The recent open letter to the President of the federal republic of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck E. Jonathan by the former president, General Olusegun Obasanjo is believed by our source to be part of the program to halt the trend of easing the economic blockade against the south east and south south region. One of the principal fears – according to the source – concerns the upcoming national census exercise scheduled for 2016. The recent public utterances by the former top boss of the national population commission, Odumegwu, stating that the previous census figures were either wrong or falsified, exacerbated the fear harbored by the self-proclaimed owners of the country. It lead to the likes of Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso into issuing threats to the President charging that he sack the census commission boss – or face the consequences. President Jonathan bowed and unceremoniously sacked Odumegwu.
But Jonathan’s body language of wanting to continue his leadership past 2015 has the former president and one-time coup-plotter unsettled. Both President Jonathan and Obasanjo are reported to have met severally behind closed doors over the upcoming 2015 elections – with Obasanjo impressing on Jonathan that his desire to contest will throw the country into bloody revolution. At a recent secret meeting in Abuja [not Aso Villa], the two were said to have met at a home belonging to a high personality in Asokoro – where Obasanjo continued to remind President Jonathan that he will be embarking on a potentially catastrophic mistake should he continue to be adamant about the 2015 venture. Some of Obasanjo’s northern partners were reported to be present at the meeting – when President Jonathan responded that a truly democratic Nigeria must not be allowed to degenerate to bloody chaos over constitutional rights and freedoms. The President was reported to have made it categorically clear that Nigeria remains a free democratic society for every citizen regardless of which geopolitical zone one originates “justice must fear no evil” – to which Obasanjo retorted, “You may not survive this”.
