As Nigeria is about to enter another era that we all have come to embrace and have so much faith in, I can’t help but express my fear and frustration about the same cankerworm that has ravaged Nigeria for the past 16 years being among those championing it. If OBJ is part of the change both GMB and APC are fronting for us, then I see no changes, just a recycled political propaganda theatrics. Before I continue as this will be a long ride, I want to state that I do not hate or have anything against you Sir, I only hate what you represent and portray.
Just like many other Nigerian youth, I need a job or funds made available to pursue my business ideas and above all, conducive environment to make that happen, and that is what GMB should be allowed to concentrate on and not on possessive cabals like you. Am I scared writing this? Sure I am, but it is better I die fighting for my right and what I deserve than to live another democratic four years in penury just like millions of Nigerians out here.
Dear OBJ, I hope you deduce the pain and frustration of this concerned Nigerian youth from this piece rather than the damage it might cause your supposed untouchable political greatness. Grandpa, it is time you pack your belongings and everything you have, relocate to the village full time to allow younger generations enjoy the breeze of this promising new era.
You have always craved to be relevant in every administration when you have nothing concrete to contribute except imposing your unending greed for power. In the words of a western diplomat “You intend to sit in the passenger seat giving advice and ready to grab the wheel if Nigeria goes off course”. You flaunt yourself as both Nigeria’s political god and patriot of the highest order when all you care about is your selfish interest. Just like they said, you can give the devil power as long as you are in control.
For Nigerians that do not follow history, every bad thing happening to Nigeria presently originated from your administration. When GMB say PDP has raped Nigeria for the past 16 years, I keep wondering why he still harbours you as an ally. You conducted the worst general election in the history of Nigeria that even your beneficiary late President Yar’Adua (God rest his soul) acknowledged. NIPOST, NITEL, NEPA, Nigerian Airways, Nigerian Railway Corporation, and many other industries were shut down during your administration, leaving millions of Nigerians unemployed. Ibeto cement was shut down throughout your administration if not for the intervention of late President Yar’Adua. RainbowNet, Cosmo FM, etc. were all shut down and folded because of your taste for power, always eager to show people you can frustrate them when they err you, thereby relieving so many Nigerian citizens of their jobs yet you claim to have our interest at heart. What happened to selling off the companies to investors just to keep Nigerians employed?
Our refineries completely died under your watch. Still under you, Nigeria started importing oil. Do we talk about the petrol price that kept rising almost every month while you alone, the all-knowing Baba was both the President and Minister of Petroleum at that time. When we complained all you could tell us was as long as we can afford one bottle of beer, then we should be able to afford it. Which sane leader talks that way to the people he claim to love and lead? Do we talk about the numerous plane crashes that happened under your administration? The said award of $2.2billion worth of energy contract and others like it? Charles Taylor? Or the godfatherism you introduced into Nigeria’s politics especially how to impose candidates on the masses, and what happened to all the Abacha loot that was returned to Nigeria when you were still President? How can we forget how bribery and corruption entered our National Assembly, in your book you claimed it was your Vice President who started it but you failed to mention how you contributed.
The bribery and corruption that followed your third term bid where former Senate President Ken Nnamani said you released around N10 Billion to bribe the National Assembly was really alarming considering the condition of those you were leading. Under your administration you had 5 different Senate Presidents because there was so much money to throw around for impeachment, you changed Ministers like GEJ changing Police IGs, making the position look like it meant nothing. Same fate would have befallen your Vice President if it were easy for you. You were so much engulfed in power tussle that you never cared if Nigerians were suffering. I watched your speech where you said if you were President Jacob Zuma that Xenophobia would not have arisen, is it because Nigerians are not that barbaric? Did you handle militancy in the South-South better? Was it not during your tenure that the great writer Chinua Achebe rejected receiving the National Award from you twice because of the predicament we were suffering then? Can you still remember what he said? Nigeria’s condition became too critical that Eedris Abdulkareem sang “Nigeria Jaja Jaga” and instead of addressing the issue, you had him run into exile for fear of being jailed or maimed. Unlike Eedris, I have nowhere to run to, I do not even have an International passport so you or your boys are free to do whatever you want with me. Nigeria is for all of us, either I live to enjoy what it has for us all or die fighting for it.
Leave GMB’s administration alone so that Nigerian youths will benefit from it. He does not need your advice or research; he was once a Head of State so he knows better. He also has his team to help him if need be. It’s high time you end this your political prostitution. Quit killing your generations political ambition, Nigerians now believe that anyone with your blood will end up being extremely selfish, greedy and overbearing like you. Go back to Ota, gather your family together and create a relationship with your grandchildren, that’s what grandfathers do.
Control yourself from writing GMB, the one you wrote GEJ is enough. Give up that your holier than thou antics. GMB does not need your letter, he can handle himself. If he needs letters, he should run an open office where citizens can send him letters, which he or his VP can always make time to address such letters once in a month if they want their administration to be successful. Such letters should not come from cabals like you sir. If I had my way I will advise GMB to contract Ordinary Ahmed Isah (President, Brekete Family) or any other genuine Nigerian that has patience and the passion to run it, the letter should only be received through NIPOST as to resurrect it and create more employment for Nigerians.
Nigerian youths have tried coming into politics to change things but have been bullied out and told that they lack experience by power brokers like you. These youths went to various tertiary institutions and have graduated. Some graduated with high grades but instead of giving us jobs, we are left clueless and unemployed. Some are called oil thieves (oil bunkers) when our leaders steal our oil, take it overseas, refine it and come back to sell it to us at an expensive price. Some are called cultists, they are only trying to survive in a country where the man with the highest gun power rules. Why blame the youths who are only trying to survive? Some are called fraudsters (yahoo boys); they are only collecting our money from countries that harbor our myopic leaders investments since they embezzle money meant for building factories that would create massive employment. The stupendous wealth they amass can only be traced to their offshore accounts. Investing and building estates abroad, paying taxes to those who only collect from them. As far as I know, 90% of our politicians are illiterate and clueless which makes Nigeria and Nigerians look stupid and unworthy in the eyes of the world. You will not develop your own country but prefer travelling to a developed country to appreciate what they have and enjoy yourselves, lavishing our money while your people suffer. Nigerian youths are neither bad nor thieves, we are just the mirror image of our leaders. We are only trying to survive in the environment that our government put us in.
Grandpa what I am saying in plain language is, we are tired of you and your overbearing power romance. Everything that originates from you always has its way of going from bad to worse. You handed over to Shehu Shagari and he did not last in office, you appointed late President Yar’Adua and he died in office, now GEJ is being haunted while people are forgetting to take note of your fingerprints all over these things. Luckily, you have also been a beneficiary from people’s demise. If Murtala Muhammed was not murdered you would never have become the Head of State and you got the Presidency on a platter of gold because of MKO Abiola. Be grateful that thus far God has brought you through and go live the rest of your life peacefully with your family.
Rule of Law was late President Yar’Adua’s legacy, GEJ’s was Freedom of Speech which I am enjoying now (though I am not promised the freedom after this), yours was EFCC which was invented to haunt down your enemies because just like the devil, you can never give without collecting. For me EFCC has never really prosecuted any politician even with the high level of corruption in our government. All they do is sample Yahoo boys while leaving the main culprits to walk freely.
You dumped GEJ because he stopped listening to you because of too many selfish and greedy advise that always counter yours, typical you like being overall. If GEJ failed, then you failed too because he is your product. You have failed as a President and PDP BOT Chairman just in case you are taking pride in PDP’s demise. Stop making people believe you helped GMB win; you knew GEJ and PDP were already sinking ships so you jumped. Knowing that if GMB wins, he will bring you in and if GEJ won, it was still easy to go back to PDP knowing with his weak heart, he will always take you back. Clever move right? So you know, as much as I hate to say it, the Bola Tinubu you tried to frustrate back then is now the new political Kingpin you have always pushed to be and the failed GEJ you claim to be happy he lost is the new face of Africa’s leadership. If you will be honest with yourself, you never wanted GMB to win because you have always wanted to be the only Rtd. General that came back as Nigeria’s President. You only aligned yourself with him because it was beyond you.
QUIT going on international media to snitch on Nigeria or a sitting President when they cut you off their administration. No one tried it during your tenure so stop sabotaging other people’s tenure in the name of your love for Nigeria. You might think you are making yourself relevant in the international community but they are only using you to pull down Nigeria. Aren’t they the ones that said Nigeria will disintegrate by 2015? They didn’t stop there but fought tooth and nail to make it happen. These people don’t care about us; they are only using us to enlarge their interest. Stop hanging Nigeria’s dirty linings outside. Late Abacha might have been a monster but I understand why he jailed you, always showing up where you are not wanted and putting your mouth in other people’s affairs. It’s very unfortunate we Nigerians hardly ask questions. With all your atrocities, the international community only allowed you go free because you mortgaged Nigeria’s future to them during your tenure and it is making you feel you are above the law. You have been writing books and acting all knowing, stating people’s problems and how they failed. Well, since no one has told you yours, here it is in black and white!
I believe I have given your spokesperson Madam Oby Ezekwesili enough “Empirical Evidence” to admit that your administration was corrupt. Even with you guys UBE invention, education still crumbled under you. So before you release her again to blab and insult a sitting President, or ask Prof. Charles Soludo whose article I saw your finger written all over it to discredit and shame GEJ’s boast on his economic transformation, ask yourself if you did better than him.
You are not the only former Head of State or former Nigerian President we have. If Shonekan, Abdulsalami, Gowon, IBB, Shagari and GMB played political god like you, do you think Nigeria will stand as it is today? You are neither Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo nor Tafawa Balewa, neither are you their descendant yet you want to pocket the whole of Nigeria. You are not the father of Nigerian democracy and can never be, STOP assuming to be on same level with Mandela when you have not given up anything for Nigeria or Africa. Sir, I can share my write-up with you titled “The Legacy Called Mandela” to know that you are just a small knot in a Mast when it comes to equaling Mandela. Believe me sir, at this present state if you die today, the late Odumegwu Ojukwu that was considered a Nigerian rebel, his befitting burial will rank 5 times better than yours. The South-West do not see you as their own which is why they never supported you, the North are patiently waiting for the right time to put you were you belong, the East do not even know you exist, even Gowon who they should hate with passion has more respect than you down there, and the South-South will pay a bounty on your head just to get back all the oil you looted from them.
Go back home, make peace with your family starting from your son Gbenga whose forgiveness you need more than anything, lyabo who sounded so bitter in the open letter she wrote you. Judging by everything she said, you have really failed as a father and should make amends before you go to answer your Maker. At the end of the day family is all you have because once you become a vegetable, all this sycophants chanting your praise will join the next available train. Give more attention to your Ota farm, you are a well-known farmer even though GEJ achieved more in Agriculture than an established farmer like you but you can still make it right. Concentrate on feeding the nation and also give attention to the corruption rocking your foundation.
I am glad hearing you have retired from party politics, so am guessing I won’t be seeing you at Ambode’s re-election campaign because you looked pathetic and desperate fronting yourself at his campaign. Allow youths like Adeola Williams and his team to continue the wonderful work they did for GMB while campaigning. They are youths that can offer more than you at this present age, because while PDP were busy making GMB more popular by committing ad hominem against him instead of addressing critical issues on ground, his media team with the help of his daughter Zara were busy turning it around by showing us the softer version and better side of GMB which is something I think old folks like you should give way for, so that more of these young minds can be given various opportunities to exhibit their creativity in this administration.
All these might sound insulting to you but it is the hard truth, just like you write your books, open letters, grant interviews, etc. and believe you are exposing and correcting people, I also expect you to take this the same way. Believe me sir when I say Nigerians are beginning to see you as a political nuisance and liability. The amount of money and positions that will be used to settle you under GMB’s administration can comfortably give millions of Nigerian youths job and better lives. Out of 160 million Nigerians, conduct a vote and see if 150 million Nigerians do not agree with this. The rest 10 million are your sycophants.
So many things have been said about GMB, both positive and negative things. It is now up to him to prove to us who never experienced his previous regime that we can believe the positive. This tenure can make or mar him, so either he decides to rise with this opportunity or fade away just like the rest. I will leave him with this advice from a wise man that I admire “The key to successful leadership is to not surround yourself with a group of people who look exactly like you, think exactly like you, or act exactly like you. In order to be successful, you have to have a diverse group, with varied perspectives, beliefs and opinions”. — Bishop T.D Jakes.
I am a Nigerian citizen in my twenties who want what is best for my country, for me and my future generation. Just like many Nigerians, i am tired of politicians; we need leaders who can serve us. Not politicians who only serve those who fund them into power. We are in the era of change and this change begins with me as an individual, which is why I am speaking up, damning the consequences. It is time we Nigerians stop hiding under social media and confront whatever or whoever is Nigeria’s problem. I am not trying to become a martyr, neither am I speaking up for the voiceless but for those who want their voice to be heard just like me. The cowards that hide under their money can runaway instead of help tackle these problems or go give birth abroad to make their kids foreign citizens in a land these kids will still end up being abused and discriminated against. This is where I call home and have no other place to run to. You can consider this my own trekking for you and your likes. You or your people are free to do whatever you want with me after this but this is the hard truth that nobody else might want to face you with. In your own words from the open letter you wrote GEJ, you said “a good friend will tell you the truth no matter how bitter” and “don’t always consider critics on national issues as enemies”. If you can give up your pride and allow things fall in place for Nigerians, you can still end up as one of my heroes but until then, Nelson Mandela will always be the man after my heart and I will forever regret not meeting him before he gave up the ghost, but I hope to visit his grave someday.
Accept, Mr. President, from the kindest part of my heart, my honest opinion.
God bless Nigeria…
Chinecherem Okeh
