Former Senate President, Ameh Ebute, has lambasted former President
Olusegun Obasanjo for his response to apologies purportedly offered him
by the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Senator Ebute, who is the Pro-Chancellor/Chairman, National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), said Obasanjo’s assertion with respect to the apologies smacked of great hypocrisy and apparent insincerity.
In a statement entitled: “Open Letter to Former President Olusegun Obasanjo,” Ebute berated Obasanjo for establishing a culture of impunity when he held sway as the president of the country.
The former Senate president recalled that Obasanjo in his press statement referred to the PDP gesture as a “cacophony of appeals and pleadings” and added that one of the reasons he was angry with the party was because a certain drug baron was made leader of the party in his zone, South-West.
He said even though Obasanjo never mentioned the fellow he was referring to, it was common knowledge that the alleged drug baron was no other person than Prince Buruji Kashamu, a man he had a robust personal and political relationship with till 2011.
Ebute recalled that when the former governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, seized the PDP structure from Obasanjo in 2008/2009, it was the alleged drug baron he (Obasanjo) aligned with to create a parallel party structure and instituted legal action against the party.
Ebute’s letter read in part: “It was this same man who secured the court judgment that eventually got your faction of the PDP recognized by the national leadership ahead of the 2011 general elections.
“Your daughter, then Senator Iyabo Obasanjo, worked closely with this same Prince Kashamu to protect and defend your sagging and diminishing political interest and relevance in your local turf in the state.
“This was a period when Buruji’s frequent visit to your Abeokuta Hill Top residence was always greeted with celebrative feasting on bowls of pounded yam and egusi soup.
“The question is what were you telling your ‘foreign friends’ about this man?
“While I do not intend to hold brief for Prince Kashamu, I am constrained to ask how come you just suddenly realized that this was a notorious drug baron unworthy of being associated with?
“It will appear sir, that the past 2011 election squabbles when you characteristically decided to selfishly appropriate political appointment slots given to Ogun State to the exclusion of your former allies was the only reason you so much want Prince Kashamu excommunicated by the PDP leadership and not the ‘honour and integrity’ mantra you have put forward in your public posturing.”
The former Senate president observed that Obasanjo in the press statement said: “Today, Nigeria needs all hands on deck to deal with our pressing problems of widening inequality, infrastructure, impunity, corruption, poverty and youth education, skill acquisition, empowerment and employment.”
He said according to Obasanjo, all those problems accounted for his anger against the PDP.
Ebute said Obasanjo’s reasons for his anger against the PDP remained the biggest self-indictment ever written by a Nigerian leader.
He added: “While agreeing with you that these are indeed problems that ought to be firmly addressed by the leaders of our country, it is rather unfortunate that you had an unusual opportunity of making impacts in these areas for three years as military ruler and then eight years as a civilian president but you either forgot that posterity will call you to account as the longest serving leader this country has ever had or you simply neglected to ‘do the needful’ as you now advise others to do.
“Baba, if I may ask, what better definition of impunity can one have than the gale of orchestrated impeachments (some carried out with less than 10 legislators in hotel rooms) and serial violations of civil liberties orchestrated by you during your tenure as civilian president? “You will recall that the National Assembly, because of your unrelenting and undemocratic actions embarked on a process of impeaching you. It took the intervention of my humble self and few other compatriots to save you and keep our nascent democracy on course. For this, you personally thanked me in writing.
“It amazes some of us that a person who had been so favoured by God and man should refuse to heed the simple words of the leaders that those who had the fortune of having their palm kernel cracked for them by some benevolent spirit should not forget to be humble.”
Ebute further added: “Your Excellency was quoted inter alia: ‘For instance, as a former president of Nigeria, the chairman of West Africa Commission on Drug and a member of Global Commission on Drug, I cannot accept that the zonal leader of my political party, and worse still, in my zone, will be an indicted drug baron wanted in America. How do I explain that to friends outside Nigeria? This is only one of the many issues that I have pointed and still pointing out. I have national and international standard to maintain and reputation to keep and sustain.”
• See full statement on Pages …….
Senator Ebute, who is the Pro-Chancellor/Chairman, National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), said Obasanjo’s assertion with respect to the apologies smacked of great hypocrisy and apparent insincerity.
In a statement entitled: “Open Letter to Former President Olusegun Obasanjo,” Ebute berated Obasanjo for establishing a culture of impunity when he held sway as the president of the country.
The former Senate president recalled that Obasanjo in his press statement referred to the PDP gesture as a “cacophony of appeals and pleadings” and added that one of the reasons he was angry with the party was because a certain drug baron was made leader of the party in his zone, South-West.
He said even though Obasanjo never mentioned the fellow he was referring to, it was common knowledge that the alleged drug baron was no other person than Prince Buruji Kashamu, a man he had a robust personal and political relationship with till 2011.
Ebute recalled that when the former governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, seized the PDP structure from Obasanjo in 2008/2009, it was the alleged drug baron he (Obasanjo) aligned with to create a parallel party structure and instituted legal action against the party.
Ebute’s letter read in part: “It was this same man who secured the court judgment that eventually got your faction of the PDP recognized by the national leadership ahead of the 2011 general elections.
“Your daughter, then Senator Iyabo Obasanjo, worked closely with this same Prince Kashamu to protect and defend your sagging and diminishing political interest and relevance in your local turf in the state.
“This was a period when Buruji’s frequent visit to your Abeokuta Hill Top residence was always greeted with celebrative feasting on bowls of pounded yam and egusi soup.
“The question is what were you telling your ‘foreign friends’ about this man?
“While I do not intend to hold brief for Prince Kashamu, I am constrained to ask how come you just suddenly realized that this was a notorious drug baron unworthy of being associated with?
“It will appear sir, that the past 2011 election squabbles when you characteristically decided to selfishly appropriate political appointment slots given to Ogun State to the exclusion of your former allies was the only reason you so much want Prince Kashamu excommunicated by the PDP leadership and not the ‘honour and integrity’ mantra you have put forward in your public posturing.”
The former Senate president observed that Obasanjo in the press statement said: “Today, Nigeria needs all hands on deck to deal with our pressing problems of widening inequality, infrastructure, impunity, corruption, poverty and youth education, skill acquisition, empowerment and employment.”
He said according to Obasanjo, all those problems accounted for his anger against the PDP.
Ebute said Obasanjo’s reasons for his anger against the PDP remained the biggest self-indictment ever written by a Nigerian leader.
He added: “While agreeing with you that these are indeed problems that ought to be firmly addressed by the leaders of our country, it is rather unfortunate that you had an unusual opportunity of making impacts in these areas for three years as military ruler and then eight years as a civilian president but you either forgot that posterity will call you to account as the longest serving leader this country has ever had or you simply neglected to ‘do the needful’ as you now advise others to do.
“Baba, if I may ask, what better definition of impunity can one have than the gale of orchestrated impeachments (some carried out with less than 10 legislators in hotel rooms) and serial violations of civil liberties orchestrated by you during your tenure as civilian president? “You will recall that the National Assembly, because of your unrelenting and undemocratic actions embarked on a process of impeaching you. It took the intervention of my humble self and few other compatriots to save you and keep our nascent democracy on course. For this, you personally thanked me in writing.
“It amazes some of us that a person who had been so favoured by God and man should refuse to heed the simple words of the leaders that those who had the fortune of having their palm kernel cracked for them by some benevolent spirit should not forget to be humble.”
Ebute further added: “Your Excellency was quoted inter alia: ‘For instance, as a former president of Nigeria, the chairman of West Africa Commission on Drug and a member of Global Commission on Drug, I cannot accept that the zonal leader of my political party, and worse still, in my zone, will be an indicted drug baron wanted in America. How do I explain that to friends outside Nigeria? This is only one of the many issues that I have pointed and still pointing out. I have national and international standard to maintain and reputation to keep and sustain.”
• See full statement on Pages …….
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Ameh Ebute lambasts Obasanjo |
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