Obasanjo tackles Ogbeh over state of nation
ASHARP disagreement within the leadership of Nigeria came into the open at the weekend with President Olusegun Obasanjo and Chief Audu Ogbeh, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party chairman exchanging angry letters over the state of the nation.
President Obasanjo rejected assertions by Ogbeh that his administration was not doing enough to arrest the slide towards anarchy by the country, especially in Anambra State.
The President was particularly displeased that the claims were coming from the national chairman of his party, PDP.
Obasanjo, in a December 10, 2004 letter to Ogbeh, said that he was "amused and not surprised" by the national chairman's letter of December 6, 2004, containing the allegations.
Accusing Ogbeh of exhibiting less than noble intentions with the claims, the President said: "After playing hide and seek games over a period of time, you have finally, at least in writing, decided to unmask and show your true colour."
Ogbeh, had, in a December 6 letter to the President, expressed concern over the handling of the Anambra crisis by the Federal Government and the Police.
Entitled: "Re: Anambra and Related Matters," the letter was copied to the Vice President, the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the PDP, and the House of Representatives Speaker.
Ogbeh had drawn the President's attention to the July 10, 2003 abduction of the Anambra State governor, Dr. Chris Ngige and the subsequent indictment of a PDP chieftain, Chris Uba, as the mastermind. The PDP national chairman also listed the recent armed attacks on the governor, torching of state property by political hoodlums and the bombing of the governor's lodge among others as incidents that ought to have attracted firm actions from the Federal Government.
Ogbeh, in the letter, said that the PDP was attracting public discontent similar to what preceded the fall of the Second Republic and urged Obasanjo to halt the slide.
The PDP national chairman said in the letter: "About a month ago, the nation woke up to the shocking news of a devastating attack on Anambra State resulting in the burning down of radio and television stations, hotels, vehicles, assembly quarters, the residence of the state chief judge and finally, Government House, Awka."
Noting that dynamite was used by hoodlums in the "full glare of our own police force," Ogbeh said: "That week, in all churches and mosques, we, our party and you as Head of Government and Leader of this nation came under the most scathing and blithering attacks. We were singly and severely accused of connivance in action and so forth. Public anger reached its peak."
He declared that the Governor Sam Egwu-headed reconciliation team raised by the Federal Government over the matter had failed to achieve its purpose as more cases of attacks were being recorded in the state.
Ogbeh said: "It would appear that the perpetrators of these acts are determined to stop at nothing since there has not been any visible sign of reproach from law enforcement agencies," adding that he was convinced that rumours of plans to assassinate Ngige were not unfounded.
He queried: "What would be the consequences of such a development? How do we exonerate ourselves from culpability and worse still, how do we even hope to survive it?"
Ogbeh recalled that he was a member of the defunct Second Republic that was sacked by the military on December 31, 1983, saying, "memories of that fall (by the political class) are a miserable litany of woes."
He continued: "We (politicians) suffered, escaping death by God's supreme mercy. Then we were suspected to have stolen all of Nigeria's wealth. After several months in prison, some of us were freed to come back to life penniless and wretched."
Expressing concern over the action of the nation under Obasanjo, Ogbeh said: "I am afraid we are drifting in the same direction again," adding that "in life, perception is reality and today we are perceived in the worst light by an angry scornful Nigerian public for reasons which are absolutely unnecessary."
But the President, in his letter dated December 10, not only explained his role in the Anambra saga, and accused Ogbeh of not being forthright in the matter, his choice of words did not hide his displeasure with his party chairman. "... You have finally, at least, decided to unmask your true colour," the President told Ogbeh.
Obasanjo, in a tone dripping with anger, recalled that he refrained from being personally involved in the process through which governorship candidates of the party emerged for the 2003 election, except in Anambra where he took exception to the possibility of the then governor, Chinwoke Mbadinuju, being returned, having been proven with his woeful performance, to be grossly unfit for the office.
Obasanjo said that on the emergence of Ngige as the governorship candidate, he worked with him the same way he did with other candidates. And on emerging the governor, the President added that he helped Ngige constitute a non-partisan honorary Committee of Elders funded by the Presidency.
Not long after, the President said, the Chairman of the committee, Igwe Alex Nwokedi of Achalla, reported that it "was impossible to advise or work with" governor Ngige.
Obasanjo also acknowledged being shown three different purported resignation letters by Ngige, including a video tape. He also recalled that on one occasion, at a meeting with the duo, Uba pointedly told Ngige that the election was rigged for the governor.
The President said that he got the "real shock of my life when Uba looked Ngige straight in the face and said, "you know you did not win the election" and Ngige answered "yes, I know I did not win." Obasanjo said further: "Uba went further to say to Ngige 'you don't know in detail how it was done'. I was horrified and told both of them to leave my residence."
The animosity between Ngige and Uba is traced to the former's refusal to abide by some purported agreement on assumption of office.
Obasanjo continued to Ogbeh: "The incident was reported to you because although constitutionally, Ngige had been declared winner, for me and, I believe, for you there remains a moral and dilemma both as leaders in Nigeria and leaders of our party. You did not consider it important enough to do anything or talk about it."
The President added: "I told Ngige that the only way I could live with this moral dilemma since he had been constitutionally declared as Governor is that I will continue to deal with him in his capacity as the Governor of a state in Nigeria purely and strictly on formal basis either until he runs out his term, he decides to follow the path of honour or until any competent authority declares otherwise."
Obasanjo said he had told both Uba and Ngige that theirs "was like the case of two armed robbers that conspired to loot a house and after bringing out the loot, one decided to out-do the other in and the issues of fair-play even among robbers became a factor."
He continued: "The two robbers must be condemned for robbery in the first instance and the greedy one must be specially pointed out for condemnation to do justice among the robbers."
Faulting Ogbeh's argument on his relationship with Ngige, Obasanjo said: "Contrary to your belief and insinuation, just today, December 9, the governor of Anambra came to me to seek my opinion and advice on whether or not to constitute a Commission of Enquiry into what happened in the state. I did not hesitate to advise and encourage him to do so in order that all the facts would be exposed and verifiable truth be established, rather than trading in rumours."
Querying Ogbeh's motives, the President said: "Let me also say that it is, indeed, unfortunate that you make so many unnecessary and unwarranted insinuations in your letter about our great country. I have taken judicious note of the ominous comparisons you made between a government in which you participated that was overthrown in a coup d'etat and this present administration."
He then continued: "I wonder if that is your wish since you may not now go out penniless. But whatever agenda you may be working at, God is always in charge and in control. Warped perception created and manipulated for a sinister purpose cannot be reality."
The President added: "One thing I will never stop doing is praying for Nigeria in general and Anambra in particular. May God continue to bless and prosper Nigeria. In spite of the malevolence of some Nigerians, Nigeria is moving to the cruising level and cruising speed. That is the work of God and what all Nigerians and friends of Nigeria should do is to join hands in hastening the work of God in Nigeria at this juncture."
