Chinedu Igwe ([email protected]), Bolton, England: I am a Nigerian student at the University of Bolton. Your article, "Obasanjo Gambles, Again" (August 26) brought back memories of OBJ's arrogance, and sanguine infallibility whilst he held court as grand master of the Aso Cavement. I still recall how he humiliated the managing director of an Apapa-based flour mill on national television during a supposed interactive session between him and Nigerian business community in April 2006. I still recall how he growled and yapped at the man because he raised doubts, as a professional miller, over how safe and practical it was milling and using cassava flour for bread-making and sundry bakery products.
In 1976 on a visit to one of the states in the east, he warned the people angling for more federal attention to rather be grateful to the Nigerian nation for 'sparing' them during the civil war. I'm also sure many easterners are yet to overcome the unrepentant genocidal instincts and tactics of the Obasanjo-led Third Marine Commando that have to their credit war crimes that would make Charles Taylor look like a saint.
It is Obasanjo's arrogance and political yob-mindset that have made most Nigerians here in England unwilling refugees. Yes, I know of traditional rulers and titled chiefs from Nigeria working as security-officers, a glorified name for 'watch-night'. I have equally met Nigerian PhD holders, engineers, qualified lab technicians, MBA holders, nurses and other professionals doing 'dirty' demeaning jobs here. I once worked with a Nigerian woman in Manchester as a clerk and I found out she earned her PhD nearly seven years back. For her, she would rather be in odd jobs here than go home. Many other Nigerians work as pot-cleaners, carriers, toilet-scrubbers, and scrap-pickers.
I keep asking myself why most Nigerians would rather live here where they are humiliated and despised each day? I'm sure none of us are happy doing jobs no one wants.
If only the federal government would do one thing, just one thing: A stable power supply! This to me is the most important thing that would solve all of Nigeria's problems. This is the miracle that Nigeria needs. Yes, more than any micro or macro economic policy, a stable power supply would revive the economy. The trick is, it is the artisans that drive economic activities in most countries. They are the engine room of most advanced and advancing economies from Singapore to China and the fuel that drives this is a steady power supply.
Dapo Ajose-Adeogun ([email protected]): I daresay your erudite ‘wordsmithing’, could be better put to use, exploring other ways to educate us for now and the future. Continuing to dwell just on the bad past and for example, how bad and ignoble President Olusegun Obasanjo has been and is, is a waste of time.
We would be better served with articles which guide ‘THE ORDINARY PUBLIC’, to handle our everyday problems, other than how to earn money, feed and clothe ourselves and our families. How to tackle the government and lodge complaints; how to take action about the Nigeria Police; PHCN; Water Corporation; LASTMA and KAI? What is a policemen empowered to demand of you as a pedestrian or a motorist? How do we seek redress for the assault and sometimes battery committed on us on the streets every day? What SHOULD we do? How do we DO it? If you don’t know, find out and tell us.
Ujab Arafura ([email protected]): l gave up on Obasanjo about two years into his first time because I had expected him to live up to his word to fight corruption to the last drop of blood in him. You journalists are wasting your time writing about him but he must be told the truth that he is a failed ruler. He must be told that rather than fight corruption; he took it to a greater height. He must be told that he was a 419ner of a ruler because he sold government houses where civil servants were staying under the guise of the so-called monetisation. The fact is that he destroyed the country and it will take many years to fix.
He must be told that but for the journalists, he would have been history today as he would have been killed by Abacha. Finally, I will always doff my hat off to the intelligent Yoruba people who told us in 1999 that Obasanjo was a fraud and that he will disappoint the country. He surely did that in style. He is an egocentric individual who loves to always hear himself. He will surely be held accountable when the time comes. He is like a leper now because he cannot associate. As you rightly observed, let him take a popularity walk and see the reaction of the people. Come to think of it, to show you how popular he was as the head of state, he lost the last election in his own ward.
Olusegun Claudius-adeniyi ([email protected]): There is no doubt there will be numerous responses to your well thought out and appropriate article on our dear General Olusegun Obasanjo, the unparalleled disaster that bestrode the Nigerian landscape for over a decade. Obasanjo has always been a gambler, and the Nigerian populace his unfortunate victim. The other core thing to address is the system that seems to endlessly spin out egocentrics like Obasanjo.
That Nigeria is sick is an understatement. That people like Obasanjo are still waxing strong in Nigeria is a double tragedy. The question is: what is the hope of the common man? Who will save us from this perpetual dilemma? To me, Obasanjo's acolyte (Yar'adua) seems not to have a defining parameter. He has made so many right statements and noises, but where is the action? Can we as a nation continue like this for the next ten years?
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ALOYSIUS OLUOHA ([email protected]), Montreal, Canada: "Obasanjo Gambles, Again" was an amazing piece of work. The truth needs to be told, no matter how. Keep it up because we need to know the truth before a Dictator springs up. It starts like this.
Stephen Adeoshun ([email protected]), London: You could not have been more accurate. You are actually a psychologist; your analysis of the thinking of that man
cannot be more accurate.
As Nigerians we have no other country but Nigeria, we have to continue to pray and hope that God will give us the leadership we deserve. The Nigerian press is the voice of the common man. On many occasions you have been able to change the course of history and influence Governmemt
decisions. You must not relent in doing this.
Chuks ([email protected]): You nailed the treacherous thinking of Obasanjo clearly when you wrote: "And he wants to bait the press into not reporting the full malfeasance of his eight years in office, as it begins to unravel. He will not get his wish." He thought by saying what he said the Press would in anger decide not to write anything about him again. But that shows how dwarfed in intelligence and thinking Obasanjo could be.
But I think he would come to understand why it is always foolery for an ignorant person to glorify his ignorance and think he has the better of sort of undercutting those who are clearly more intelligent than himself. I would not even make the mistake of comparing our learned Editors and Journalists with a figure like Obasanjo who we had the misfortune to have had as a President. Obasanjo's presidency is an insult to Nigeria. As with foolishness that arises from ignorance, he cites history often as a witness. And history indeed would eventually lay bare the tragedies that were Obasanjo's rulership, rather than leadership.
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