Former Nigeria Head of State, Olusegun Obasanjo has defended his persistent criticism of the Muhammadu Buhari government of Nigeria insisting that right-minded citizens of the country agree with his position.
The Former President noted that he criticises the government because he wants the best for the country and suggested that the Buhari administration’s attempt to discredit him will not gag him.
Olusegun Obasanjo is of the firm conviction that other Nigerians who have the country at heart will reason along with him.
In an interview with Kwabena Kyenkyenhene Boateng on ’21 minutes with KKB’, the former leader stressed, “I don’t worry about anything. If you are right thinking, fear-minded Nigerian who is concerned about the Nigerian situation you will agree with most of the points that I have made.”
He said with the benefit of hindsight, many people have come to understand, and now hail him, for his criticism of Goodluck Jonathan, during his tenure as President of Africa’s most populous nation.
Olusegun Obasanjo recounted that at the time, his ‘attacks’ were misconstrued with many suggesting he was unnecessarily criticizing a man he had campaigned for.
Obasanjo had campaigned for Goodluck Jonathan to be President of Nigeria, much to the surprise of many, including his party members who were stunned by the former military leader’s decision to campaign against his own party’s nominee for the presidency.
Soon after Goodluck Jonathan was voted president of Nigeria however, Mr. Obasanjo drifted from his earlier position of Goodluck Jonathan being the best person for Nigeria, citing corruption and other societal ills as his basis.
Obasanjo in 2015 publicly expressed support for the electioneering campaign of Muhammadu Buhari, his colleague in the military and a former military ruler and presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) having consistently criticized then President Jonathan since 2013.
Many say his endorsement went a long way to determining the fate of the Nigerian election that year.
But Olusegun Obasanjo with weeks to Nigeria’s 2019 election has turned the heat on Muhammadu Buhari, accusing him of corruption and incompetence.
Speaking in Ghana in an interview with Kwabena Kyenkyenhene Boateng on ’21 minutes with KKB,’ Olusegun Obasanjo said his interest is to see his country, Nigeria, progress under the best possible conditions, contrary to suggestions by many he is only focused on his personal gains hence the consistent criticisms.
“I cried wolf, I said Jonathan was not performing and some people said, again, he is crying wolf. Now with the benefit of hindsight, it is proved that Jonathan the areas that I pointed out were found to be true,” he said in the interview.
But the Buhari-led government will take none of the criticisms of Mr. Obasanjo describing him as an “I know it all” character.
Mr. Obasanjo is however not perturbed by the reprisal he gets from government officials and sympathisers of the Muhammadu Buhari-Government.
The Former Nigerian President, who was one time a military leader, insisted that he had faced all manner of retributions for airing his views on issues of national significance including serving a jail term thus, nothing would stop him from making his points known.
He questioned the attacks he receives for airing his views stressing that people should be allowed to criticise as the outcome of their criticisms may be justified or not with the passage of time.
“That is good. If I cry wolf and there is nothing to worry about, good. If you cry wolf and there is no wolf, good but if you cry wolf and there is wolf then we have seen there is no time that I have cried and nothing has not happened. I cried and I was arrested and gone to jail, don’t forget. I went to jail for almost three-and-half years and what did I cry wolf about? I said the military should not remain in power. Anyone in the military who wanted power should get out of the military, put down his uniform and contest election. We have arrived with that” he averred.
Olusegun Obasanjo, however, refused to publicly criticise Muhammadu Buhari or comment on his governance outside Nigeria.
He maintains that his views of the government have been aired in his native Nigeria and thus it is uncalled for to repeat his criticisms on a platform outside Nigeria.
He remarked on ’21 minutes with KKB’ that, “I normally don’t discuss the situation of Nigeria politically outside Nigeria. All that I need to say about Buhari’s administration I have said it in Nigeria. What I believe should be done I have stated in Nigeria and only yesterday I issued another which expresses my concerns and actions that I believe should be taken.”
The interview took place on the sidelines of a book launch at the conference room of the Center for Democratic Development in Accra, Ghana.
The book which is a sequel to the earlier published book titled “Making Africa Work” is co-authored by Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, Dr. Greg Mills of the Brenthurst Foundation in South Africa, Jeffrey Herbst, and Tandai Biti, with a foreword by H. E. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Former Liberia President.
The book titled, “Democracy Works: Rewiring Politics to Africa’s Advantage” is available at the moment on Amazon and is scheduled to be launched in several African countries.
source: Ghana Web
