Love him or hate him, former President Olusegun Obasanjo is an enigma. Ayodele Kusamotu, a barrister, chairman and principal counsel at Kusamotu & Kusamotu Law firm (The Greenfish Chambers), in an interview with BDSUNDAY described the former president as such.
“In all honesty, General Obasanjo is an enigma of sorts. A military head of state and two-term civilian president, he is renowned around the world. The international community usually seeks his opinion,” Kusamotu said.
Beyond that, Obasanjo is a gadfly. In simple explanation, a ‘gadfly’ refers to a person who intensely and constantly criticises others for the purpose of getting such people to do the right thing.
Plato (the Athenian philosopher during the Classical period in Ancient Greece and the founder of the Academy, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world) in his ‘Apology’ for the life of Socrates reminds us that all societies need a ‘gadfly’ to sting the ‘steed’ of state into acknowledging its proper duties and obligations:
“I am the gadfly of the Athenian people, given to them by God, and they will never have another if they kill me. And now, Athenians, I am not going to argue for my own sake, as you may think, but for yours, that you may not sin against the God by condemning me, who am his gift to you.
“For if you kill me, you will not easily find a successor to me, who, if I may use such a ludicrous figure of speech, am a sort of gadfly, given to the state by God; and the state is a great and noble steed who is tardy in his motions owing to his very size, and requires to be stirred into life. I am that gadfly which God has attached to the state, and all day long I and in all places am always fastening upon you, arousing and persuading and reproaching you. You will not easily find another like me, and therefore, I would advise you to spare me,” Socrates said.
When former President Olusegun Obasanjo used the opportunity of his 82nd birthday anniversary celebration in Abeokuta last Tuesday to announce that he would continue to criticise President Muhhamadu Buhari until he (the president) improves his style of governance, he put everyone on notice that he was not going to be cowed or intimidated into licking the boots of anybody.
He thus, confirmed his gadfly status when he said he was qualified to criticise any government policy and leader found wanting in the discharge of his or her duties.
That was his response, after the Alake of Egbaland, Adedotun Gbadebo, reportedly urged him to stop criticising President Buhari.
In the last three-and-a-half years, Obasanjo has written a number of letters, passing a no-confidence vote in the Buhari administration. Apart from written documents, he has on several occasions tongue-lashed the Katsina-born president on the same score.
At the lecture to mark his birthday, the Alake of Egbaland had urged Obasanjo to sheathe his sword, saying: “You all know that I was an officer under General Buhari, so each time Obasanjo criticises my boss, I always stand to say, my senior (OBJ), please leave the president alone! At 82, Baba is still fighting on, please fight less and be a consultant to everybody.”
In response, Obasanjo said: “In democracy, there is always room to criticise a policy, government or a leader if (they are) not doing well”.
“In a democracy, you criticise a policy, a government or a leader. Democracy is not a family affair, even if it’s my brother that is there, and he is not doing what I believe he should do, he must be criticised that is what democracy is all about; criticism,” he added.
“So when I say something, I know what I am saying. So if I say anybody in government in Nigeria is not doing well, let that government prove that it is doing well.
“It’s not anything personal, so Kabiesi (king), your boss Buhari, there is nothing personal between him and me. Just as you say, he is your boss. I am his boss with all due respect. Now the point is that I have been in that position longer than any Nigerian will ever be there.
“So, when I say something, I know what I am saying. Kabiesi, any time you say, leave my boss alone, I say he is your boss, but I am also his boss so you can also ask your boss to leave his boss alone and do the right thing,” Obasanjo said.
Underscoring the enigmatic qualities of the personality of Obasanjo, Mangosuthu Buthelezi, the guest lecturer and president of the Inkatha Freedom Party of South Africa, said that African leaders have a lot to learn from the leadership style and wealth of experience of Obasanjo.
Buthelezi made the observation in his lecture ‘Colonialism, Apartheid, Freedom and South Africa Rising’, insisting that Obasanjo has a distinguished heritage “worthy of emulation by those in positions of authority”.
It was also his belief that Obasanjo’s legacy would outlive him, noting that development and growth will flourish if leaders “displayed determination, and give a continuous hope and insightful governance”.
Perhaps, President Buhari also understands the innocuousness of Obasanjo’s virulent criticisms of his style of governance, hence his brotherly greetings and fair words, describing the former head of state as “a passionate and great patriot who deserves accolades for his immeasurable contributions to our democracy and national unity.”
The President was large-hearted when he acknowledged that “regardless of our political differences with Obasanjo, I still hold him in the highest esteem because his contributions to the development of the country overshadow those differences. Chief Obasanjo gave a good account of himself and inspired his juniors with his wit and other leadership skills.”
He also noted that “Nigeria’s successful transition to democratic rule in October 1979 was one of Obasanjo’s remarkable contributions to national development.”
In his tribute posted on his facebook wall, Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), scripted: “No living Nigerian has given as much to Nigeria in peacetime and in war as you have.
“May almighty God grant you many more years in good health and continued service to Nigeria and the world at large.”
As a human being, some of Obasanjo’s positions on some issues may have been misunderstood even by his closest allies. But as it is said, in politics there is only permanent interests and neither permanent friend nor foe.
Three years ago, when the former president marked his 79th birthday inside the same Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) in Abeokuta, some apparatchiks of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led by Segun Oni, the then deputy chairman, South, were in attendance. The opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) members led by Godswill Akpabio, the then Senate minority leader (who has since decamped to the APC), among other dignitaries, converged on the venue to pay homage to the former president.
At the event, Rotimi Amaechi, former governor of Rivers State and minister of transportation, extolled the virtues of the celebrant.
“Nigerians agreed that you love Nigeria and I have never seen a Nigerian that disagrees that you love Nigeria. So, they believe that at all times you want to save Nigeria and that is where the disagreement starts.
“As you want to save Nigeria, areas you may take a decision, some will support, others will not support. I think Nigerians will agree that you’ve made a lot of infrastructural contributions to the development of Nigeria. Until recently, during the Military regime you served first, a lot of the assets Nigeria had, if they mentioned the names, they will mention your name,” he said.
Amaechi also noted that, “anytime you are out of government and you withdraw, crises come, you come back to the scene to help out and to ensure that we are not destroyed as a country and because of those roles, Nigerians have continuously prayed for you.”
On his part, Godswill Akpabio declared that Akwa Ibom would have remained the same and under-developed if Obasanjo had not allowed his governorship candidature in 2007 as powerful political cabal at that time in the state would have truncated his chance of becoming governor.
He said: “I think all of us are in one accord that the man (Obasanjo) is a nationalist and he remains the President of Nigeria forever. What you don’t know is that in my state, Obasanjo remains the man of justice in the annals of our history. When I was about to contest for the governorship with some powerful politicians, I didn’t know anybody in the Aso Rock, except the gateman.
“I only knew the gateman because he was from Akwa Ibom State, but I was contesting with the former ministers, people from NNPC and some very influential people, but immediately I saw Baba Obasanjo through the gateman, he spoke with me and assessed me as well as the other contestants and stood for justice, that was why I became the governor of Akwa Ibom.
“It was through him (Obasanjo) that I transformed Akwa Ibom State; this is a place where you will see a 70km road without a pothole and you also see an Airport with the best and longest runway with the best lighting system like that of Heathrow in London. Through Obasanjo, we have done a lot for Akwa Ibom and we now tag our state, land of uncommon transformation.
“We are forever indebted to him and I want to say that government and the people of Akwa Ibom State, will be grateful forever for what Obasanjo did for us through me.”
As Nigerians wish him Happy Birthday with many happy returns, many have also urged him never to relent in his role as the “Conscience of the Nation.” According to those who hold this view, “without such critical roles played by Obasanjo, it could have been worse” for Nigeria and Nigerians.
Zebulon Agomuo
