BATTLELINES: Adventures in Journalism And Politics’ Olusegun Osoba, Diamond Publications, 2018, pp.280-294
My conclusion: Obasanjo was naturally configured to betray others and be selfish toward himself only no matter the cost....
How Obasanjo Deceived Us In 2003
- Aremo Olusegun Osoba, former Governor of Ogun State
“As it turned out, unwittingly, we had handed Obasanjo ( Chief Olusegun Obasanjo,then President of Nigeria) a tool with which he later dealt with us too. After “stooping to conquer” the National Assembly, and surviving the impeachment plot, he later “stooped to conquer” the AD governors and Afenifere.
After he survived the impeachment plot, he never showed any sense of remorse. We could not believe his new bellicose approach when in a national broadcast he described the impeachment plot as “joke carried too far”
The attempt to impeach him eventually won him some sympathy in Yorubaland. It was after this experience that Obasanjo began a frontal attempt to woo the AD governors. He came to Lagos to attend the Convocation at the University of Lagos and then invited all the AD governors to a meeting later in the night same day. Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Lagos was the contact between us and Obasanjo over the arrangements for the meeting....
2....
We met him in the old office of the head of state at Dodan Barracks. The only person who accompanied him to the meeting was the Director of the State Security Services (SSS), Col. Kayode Are. At the meeting, he directly requested support from all the six AD governors. He said he wanted an understanding between us and himself because he faced some serious challenges that were likely to create some upheaval in the political terrain and in the country at large. Therefore, he wanted an understanding and a working relationship with us.
We analysed the situation in the country and told him a few home truths. Firstly, we told him that even though we were head of governments, we had leaders and elders in the party that he must discuss with, if he needed any kind of understanding with us. Secondly, we wondered what the basis of our understanding with him would be when his term was coming to an end with no prospect of his securing his party’s ticket for a second term. We made it clear that a working relationship between the two groups was beyond us. A decision of that magnitude would have to be reported to Afenifere leaders who had the authority to take a final position on it. We immediately reported the proceedings to Chief Abraham Adesanya who convened a meeting where it was debated with serious reservations amongst the leadership about fraternising with Obasanjo.
The Afenifere and AD leadership were not going to give their heart and soul to support Obasanjo’s second term ambition without extracting some major political commitment from him. A meeting was held in Lagos where the conditions for negotiating with Obasanjo were agreed upon. After the meeting at his home, Adesanya, he led a team with Afenifere charter of demand to Ota to discuss with Obasanjo.
3....
The delegation to Ota included Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Senator Femi Okunrounmu and Cornelius Adebayo. Okunrounmu and Adebayo were mandated to speak on behalf of AD and Afenifere. Adesanya called and asked me to join them at Obasanjo’s Ota Farm, from my station in Abeokuta.
The conditions presented to Obasanjo amongst others were: the restructuring of the Nigerian federation, devolution of power, including moving some items from the exclusive to the concurrent list and ensuring fiscal federalism. Obasanjo was to organize a credible and transparent national census. Merit must be followed alongside federal character and quota system in the recruitment to federal positions across the country.
Obasanjo assured us that he identified with them. He explained that he had even started implementing the issue of merit in federal appointments indirectly through the privatization of many public enterprises which were run for many years without respect for merit. With the privatization and the enthronement of a culture of merit, he expected many Nigerian professionals abroad would return home to run the privatised enterprises. He affirmed that privatization was a part of enthroning meritocracy.
Obasanjo said arrangements had been completed to ensure a genuine, transparent and acceptable headcount. He told us the satellite mapping of all Nigeria cities, towns and villages was in the making. Even without a headcount, he explained that with satellite mapping, it was possible to count the number of houses everywhere in the land and with that get a rough idea of how many people live in the house and in the country. He said he would lay the issue of census to rest in the second term, through GOOGLE, the days of census inflation were over.
I listened to EVERYTHING FESTUS OSIFO the PENGASSAN President said in this 37 minute interview.
I have never had a complete package tutorial around Oil and Gas issue like this👌👌
No Meda personality has ever brought this level in clarification to the issues around Dangote Refinery, NNPC, Pricing, Crude Supply, TAM in NNPC, Downstream sector, FX floating etc....
FESTUS OSIFO the Pengassan President giving real breakdown of how Oil and Gas costing is calculated and other issues around Dangote PMS price and why NNPC is the one buying alone for now....
FESTUS OSIFO 👌👌👌
Now, it's ok not to agree with everything he said, but don't block your mind from learning, unlearning and relearning....
The conversation must continue UNTIL we know what we want. There is practically no other way to get a cheap price of PMS outside SUBSIDY. All these noise and emotional talks are just not making any logical sense.
ALL the leading Presidential candidates said SUBSIDY MUST GO & WE ALL VOTED FOR THEM......We simply agreed with ANYONE who won to remove subsidy, that's what it means.
We cannot spend $40bn on subsidy and less than half on education & health - Peter ObiLabour Party's presidential candidate on @ARISEtv
You see all those new argument about, "I will put some things in place before removing subsidy" is just illogical brain dots....
The question was clear enough before election & the answer by Tinubu the winner, Atiku and Peter Obi was CLEAR enough...By June 2023, Subsidy would go.
Every other gymnastic statement AFTER the winner removed subsidy was just lazy talk without any substance, Nigerians and I meant all of us would have felt the pain EXACTLY the way we are feeling it now irrespective of who won and removed subsidy with FX market unification.
The Old Argument by individuals who didn't want to go straight about removal was that "at least I will ensure LOCAL REFINERY is in place before removing subsidy"....
That in itself is a RED FLAG of a deceiver seeking to be elected by all means, NO PRESIDENT sworn in among them in May29 2023 could have fixed anything in LOCAL REFINERY in June their 1st month.
That's a Presidential candidate propaganda. You couldn't have shit before removing subsidy you promised to remove IMMEDIATELY.
FG RICE REVOLUTION POLICY AND WHY THINGS MESSED UP....
I have found out that once you join emotional drama of pointing accusing fingers at the Politicians ONLY, everyone seems COOL & OK.
Ok, let me say Politicians messed it up so that you will be happy & you can logically join this conversation....
Buhari started something in 2016 that the Elites were against when he said we must produce what we consume....A task force was set up.
A panel was set up and every stake holder was involved in 2016....
The purpose of this policy well defined:
"A policy document seen by Reuter late last year showed that the Government aims to be self sufficient in both rice and wheat production within three years"
HELLconomists on Social Media with big big degrees were everywhere & they were against everything...."Why closing border, you want to kpai Nigerians"
When Govt stopped importation, we were against it, When Govt plans to start importation, we are against it.....We are against EVERYTHING but that's not even the focus now🤣🤣
By August 2019, Govt had moved further to close border and the purpose of that closure among other things, was to encourage LOCAL PRODUCTION....