STATE OF THE NATION: OBJ, IBB reach out to past heads of state, eminent Nigerians

Ex Nigerian president, Olusegun Obasanjo

*Inaugural meeting to hold after Ramadan
*’Why peace move may hit brick wall’
*Prof. Akinyemi proposes Eminent Persons Group

Consequent upon the continuing insurgency in the northern part of Nigeria, coupled with the “internecine crises raging across the land”, former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Ibrahim Babangida have intensified efforts to mobilize other former heads of state.

This latest mobilization drive by both men would be extended to cover other national leaders of thought in the country.

Though our source was not told the modalities that would be used to “determine how the leaders of thought would be selected”, it was nonetheless suggested that “both men are reaching across the broad spectrum of Nigeria’s leadership cadre with a view to finding lasting solutions to the plethora of highly combustible issues confronting the present administration”.

Possibly, according to what was suggested by information made available by a very dependable source close to both men, the inaugural meeting of the leaders, expected to hold immediately after this month of Ramadan, “may crystallize into a new body whose mandate would go beyond solving the immediate challenges confronting Nigeria”.

AKINYEMI ON NATIONAL EMINENT PERSONS GROUP, NEPG
Former Foreign Affairs Minister, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, had told our source in September 2010, at the height of the zoning crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, that “time has become ripe for Nigeria to have a NATIONAL EMINENT PERSONS GROUP, NEPG”.

According to Akinyemi, who spoke to our source again yesterday, “The proposal I made in 2010 is today very much relevant because the time has come for Nigeria to have such a body.  You would recall that in an interview with you in May, I reminded you of the same idea which would go a long way to help resolve some of the problems confronting the government of the day; as well as some of the perennial challenges that are becoming a part of Nigeria’s crises-laden life”.

He continued: “Such a body would be completely apolitical and would operate separately and distinctly from the NATIONAL COUNCIL OF STATES, NCS.  In the NCS, you have state governors and past leaders some of whom have openly shown their preference for political platforms and as such, some of the arguments and discussions at the NCS would likely be shaped by party positions.

“But a NATIONAL EMINENT PERSONS GROUP would be constituted in such a way that political cleavages would not be brought in since almost all the leaders in such a body would not be known to have political affiliations.  These leaders would also be the ones to go back to their respective communities to preach peace as well and give a feed back to the body on the potential issues that are likely going to create larger national crises.  Though it would be advisory, such a body is likely to go very far because it would be divorced from the day to day politicking that seems to becloud everything we try to do in this country”.

On Obasanjo and Babangida’s peace initiative, Professor Akinyemi said “any initiative at a time like this for peace to reign in the country makes a lot of sense”.

WHY PEACE MOVE MAY HIT BRICK WALL
In separate interviews with some national leaders, our source was made to understand that whereas the move initiated by Obasanjo and Babangida is a welcome one at a time of national crises like this, the “down side is that it did not enjoy broad consensus”.

A two-time minister from North West Nigeria, who insisted on talking on condition of anonymity, said: “I think both men know what they are trying to do but they should have involved past leaders like General Yakubu Gowon, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, General Muhammadu Buhari, Ernest Shonekan and General Abdulsalam Abubakar.  If they had collectively issued that statement of last Sunday, it would have carried more weight.

“The two leaders are known members of the PDP.
“One had served for eight years as President while the other attempted to get the party’s ticket on two separate occasions.  Now, when the two men come out to issue a statement on the state of the nation and the need for peace, is it not their party that is at the centre of governance?  The roles of the two men while they were leaders, when looked into critically, can not be divorced in any way – just as roles played by all past leaders – from the present state of affairs in the country”.

Another very vocal Second Republic legislator told our source that “they should have broadened the scope of their move.  It would sound funny if you now begin to say Buhari or Shagari has joined forces with both men to seek peace.

BROADENING OF SCOPE
As if mindful of the sentiments voiced by those concerned about the stature of Obasanjo and Babangida, a source close to both men said: “Moves are already on and contact being made with past leaders.

“Both leaders know that the challenges confronting Nigeria today require all hands to be on deck and they suggested that in their statement of last Sunday.

“Yes, a tree can not make a forest and that is why they are also reaching out.  What is wrong in a peace initiative?  This is Nigeria and whatever people do, some are bound to find faults.  The country needs all hands to be on deck now”.

Last Sunday, both former presidents had issued a statement raising concerns about the state of the nation and all but said the present administration was clueless.  They advised that President Goodluck Jonathan should scale up his efforts.

Ibrahim Babangida, former Nigerian head of state

Insecurity: Mixed reactions trail Obasanjo, IBB warnings

Olusegun Obasanjo ask for peace

Mixed reactions ranging from commendation to criticism, yesterday, trailed Sunday’s joint declaration of former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Ibrahim Babangida on the state of insecurity in the country.

While regional groups, including the Arewa Consultative Forum and Afenifere welcomed the intervention of the two elderstatesmen, the intervention received  thumbs down from Ohanaeze which flayed the duo for failing to take heed during their separate stewardships of the country.

The Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, in its reaction dismissed the intervention as nothing new even as it affirmed that its national leader, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, himself a former Head of State, would not team up with the former rulers in their campaign.

The CPC spokesman, Engr. Rotimi Fashekin told our source yesterday that Buhari had already categorized the Boko Haram insurgency as a variant of three forms with the political variant, allegedly embedded within the Goodluck Jonathan administration.

Former President Obasanjo and former military President Ibrahim Babangida had in an unprecedented joint statement on Sunday appealed for peace in the country and suggested a strategic engagement with community stakeholders towards resolving the crisis.

Dialogue is the answer — ACF

Welcoming the joint plea of the former rulers, the ACF spokesman, Anthony Sani said: “What we have said is that there is no where in the world where force has ever worked on terrorism. We gave examples of Iraq, Palestine, Afghanistan and we have given example of Somalia and we came back home and said Yar`Adua used force in 2009.

“It was against that experience that we said let us try talking to them and we have been very consistent on that. We don’t want to give it a northern or religious colouration.

We support their idea — Afenifere

Afenifere leader, Chief Reuben Fasoronti while welcoming the intervention said: “It is a bit late as we had expected it before now. We were all waiting for that because they had to speak. I had once said the leaders who were supposed to speak have not done so because the Boko Haram is a menace and we cannot just look on and watch. I am sure that people will respect their views and halt these dastardly things.”

They are hypocritical —  Ohanaeze

Ohanaeze Ndigbo on its part described the effort of the two former leaders as largely hypocritical, saying that the dialogue they are canvassing was never allowed during their respective tenures.

Engr. Ralph Ndigwe, National Publicity Secretary of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation told our source: “There is nothing special about Obasanjo and Babangida calling for national dialogue or constructive engagement.

“When Obasanjo was in government for eight years, people were clamouring for national conference. Odi people reacted, they went and finished the whole village, ransacked every where and killed everybody because they killed one soldier. Today, he is out of government and talking about dialogue. Babangida did the same thing.

“Babangida and Obasanjo are senior members of the Council of States let them go to the Council of State and ask the council to call for dialogue; they don’t have to continue to deceive us through all these paper talks”.

The CPC also demurred, saying that there was nothing new in the joint statement from the two former leaders.

It said: “These people have not said anything new, except we want to be economical with the truth. Quite a number of people have said it in the past ”

Insisting that the situation demands a political solution, he said the CPC national leader would not join the refrain of the two men, saying that Buhari was a marked man by his critics who would twist anything he says to suit their political tunes.

“The unfortunate thing is that there are many people who are waiting to hear what Gen. Buhari says and use it for cheap political points and that is why the man has often refrained  from making statements because he knows that we are not dealing with sincere people but we are dealing with very dishonest people, the party said.”

“Buhari is not like one of the normal Nigerian people that are ready to lie through their teeth. Buhari has never believed that getting political power is a do-or-die affair. He behaves in true service to the Nigerian people.”

Affirming that Buhari would not join the chorus of the two former leaders, he said:
“You don’t need to expect a statement from him because he has said Boko Haram is in three parts, Boko Haram is in three variants and one of the variants is the political variant which the Jonathan government represents.

He also said there is the original Boko Haram formed by Yusuf and that original Boko Haram is disgruntled and is seeking its pound of flesh from the Nigerian state for killing its leader extra-judicially and then you have the criminal Boko Haram that is involved in all sorts of criminal activities.”

Retired General Babangida also appeals for peace.

GANIAT FAWEHINMI FAULTS JONATHAN`S UNILAG NAME CHANGE

L-R Agboola Abiola, Wale Okuniyi and Ganiat Fawehinmi addressing the audience durning the June 12, rally in honour of late Abiola his residence at Moshood Abiola Crescent in Toyin Street Lagos Nigeria on June 12, 2012.

Some pro-democracy groups converged today June 12, 2012 at the Moshood Abiola Crescent in Toyin street Ikeja Lagos, Nigeria in honour of the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 presential election, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola whose credible election was annuled by former Nigerian head of state, General Ibrahim Babangida. This unfortunate incident led to the detention of Moshood Abiola who unfortunately died in the struggle in 1998.

On May 29, 2012, the president of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan decided to honour him by renaming the Unversity of Lagos after Abiola. This change of name brought about widespread protest by students of University of Lagos and other pro-democracies groups.

Right there in the house of the Late business mogul, the Matriach of the Fawehinmi`s urged the government to listen to the voice of the students of the university of Lagos by not changing the name of the university as annouced by the president last month.

She suggest that instead of renaming UNILAG government should rather upgrade Moshood Abiola polytechnic into a Federal University with every single meaningful faculty of a first class University like University of Lagos so that it grows like the foremost federal universities in Nigeria namely: University of Lagos, University of Benin, University of Ibadan,University of Nigeria(Nsukka), Obafemi Awolowo University(Renamed by decree promulgated by Ibrahim badamosi Babangida IBB), University of Jos, Ahmadu Bello University etc.

Late Abiola`s grave

A cameraman on duty.

A photojournalist doing his job.