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Obasanjo's outburst at Ikeja Bomb scene is wrong and unpresidential

By EMMY EJEKAM

Exclusive to USAfrica The Newspaper, Houston
USAfricaonline.com and NigeriaCentral.com

The recent bomb explosions, followed by drowning disasters in Lagos, Nigeria, remind all of the fact that Nigeria, remains, sadly, a Third world country. It should never be compared to developed and Western nation, such as the U.S.A. In the developed world, the government provides safe infrastructure, and taxes are paid and accounted for the interest of public welfare. Even better, the president does not speak with such mindless arrogance and lack of responsibility on national crises as we have seen retired General Olusegun Obasanjo do on the issues of almost 750 dead Nigerians. He, President Obasanjo, told grieving and understandably concerned and restive Nigerians to: "Shut up... I don't need to be here..." at scene of bomb disaster!!!

My concern and astonishment hinge on the comments made by the Nigerian ruler to the grieving crowd that his presence at the disaster site was a favor; afterall, he stated that the Lagos State governor Bola Tinubu, chief of police, and other Lagos state cabinet members were there to take care of the situation.

Let's also look at the comments made on the BBC news on January 29, 2002, by the army spokesman, Col. Felix Chukwumah , when he was asked 'how many casualties did the army suffer?' He stated none; citing that the barrack had a prior knowledge and was told to evacuate. It boils down to what Nigerians have been crying for: a democratic situation where the populace is of utmost importance to the goverment instead of the men in uniform. Obasanjo is a retired General in the Nigerian army, and this ought to concern him. If the Nigerian army knew that the ammo depot was in danger of exploding, how come they did not alert the everyday citizen and the public, rather, the soldiers took care of their own at the expense of the masses. It confirms what I have been saying about our current president Obasanjo and his cohorts. Remember our late Afrocentric brother and internationally known star Fela named one of his albums "Army arrangement." Sadly, that arrangement continues with Obasanjo and his group. Unfortunately that is what we are and will continue to experience in Nigeria till a thorough-going revolution takes place in Nigeria.

When Obasanjo was released from prison and he came to Houston to address Nigerians, he pleaded that Nigerians should never let any ex-military/military person partake in the leadership of Nigeria again. i was not told. I was there and reported the events, exclusively, for USAfricaonline.com and USAfrica The Newspaper. He affirmed, too, that he had seen it all and will not go back to Nigeria's presidency. Few months later, he emerged as the PDP presidential nominee and eventually became another civilian-clothed quasi-dictator in our new democracy in Nigeria. Somehow, the international community continues to be fooled, as well as many Nigerians whose ethnic allegiances have confused and misdirected.

It is only in Nigeria that such outbursts of "shut up.. go to hell..." from its president Obasanjo would seem normal. It's sad. It seems that the man has never changed from army general to a humbled victim of the Abacha regime. He basically told the Igbos during a hurriedly arranged "townhall meeting" to "go to hell"; and in Odi (Rivers State) he poured pepper on their pain after having his soldiers demolish an entire town! Every democratic protest in Nigeria has been quelled with military might under his command.

And in the face of the most gruesome disaster in Lagos, he said to the grieving audience that his presence amounted to a favor. No wonder, his fellow Yorubas did not vote for him, even in his own local district and ward in Ogun State.

Yes, there were no emergency activities and equipment for the bomb blast crisis in Ikeja, and poor mechanisms for the response team. Anyone would have had a malfunction because of lack of maintenance.

I think that were the late Bola Ige alive, he would have said something more soothing than our president Obasanjo.

Well, my people: Igbo, Fulani, Hausa, Yoruba, Edo, Kanuri, Nupe, Annang, Ibibio, and all others, is this all our President Obasanjo is capable of doing and saying? Tell me otherwise if I am wrong.

In conclusion, Nigerians have seen from his comments at Ikeja and other events that Obasanjo is not only insensitive, arrogant and insincere; he is inhumane and your votes should reflect your feelings come 2003.

May the good Lord salvage Nigeria from the clutch of evil and those who pretend to be statesmen and good men and women! God bless Nigeria.
Ejekam, a leader of a major community organization in Houston, is a community affairs corrrespondent for USAfrica The Newspaper, Houston, and USAfricaonline.com. This exclusive commentary is edited for USAfricaonline.com, and archiving on any other web site or newspaper is unauthorized except with a written approval by USAfricaonline.com Founder; January 30, 2002. It will also appear in the February 13, 2002 edition of USAfrica.

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