“STOP PRESIDENT OBASANJO FROM THIRD TERM NOW.”
-ARMGON Tells President George Bush and Prime Minister Tony
Blair
The Association of Retired Military Graduates of Nigeria (ARMGON)
condemn unequivocally President Obasanjo’s bid to transmute to
life president, by changing the avowed Constitution of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria simply for fear of the unknown. The
recent visit of Nigeria’s president to America, one would have
thought will be to appraise the hailing socio-political trends
and near anarchy prevalent in the country, and warn President
Obasanjo, to douse the tension by quitting office on completion
of his two terms as enshrined in the Constitution. Rather,
Obasanjo has given Nigerians the picture of parley and approval
by the President of United States of America, the bastion and
custodian of democracy, by declaring his intention soon after
arriving Nigeria from U.S visit discountenancing the mass
protest at the White House. We are confident that President
George W. Bush is not an enemy of Nigeria, but a lover of
democracy who seek the good of Nigeria. Associating with
Obasanjo is the most dangerous thing any Western leader could
think of at this point.
As retired soldiers with sound educational background, we write
you as Nigerians who feel the impact of human right abuses and
selective justice and witch-hunting of perceived political
opponents, lop-sided privatisation policies, where public
properties ended up in the hands of the cronies of the
president. We submit that President Obasanjo has taken a cue
from his prison experience in 1995, being jailed by Gen Abacha
despite being a former Head of State, and thus afraid of
quitting office for his vindictive policies that might boomerang
on exit. What then is the option? Allow Obasanjo for selfish and
personal reason to hold on to power and create tension, that
might resort to war, or ask him to quit and have peace in
Nigeria and reduce asylum seekers & refugees problem in your
countries.
ARMGON wants to state categorically clear that asylum and
refugee cases would sour in Europe and it will amount to
hypocrisy if Nigerians are refused asylum for your failure to
act now.
Corruption in Nigeria has never been this bad as Obasanjo’s men
have been sacred cows. Chief Olabode George, a PDP stalwart,
embezzled the funds of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) running to
billions of Naira with impunity. Dr Makanjuola misappropriated
over N400m in few months as Director General at the Ministry of
Defence, yet none of these men were ever interrogated. The
former Works Minister, a friend of Obasanjo from the same state,
chief Ogunlewe, can not account for N300b on road construction
and dismissed under controversial circumstances, but allowed to
enjoy the loot to fund the campaign for Obasanjo’s Third Term.
Bags of monies in various currencies have been found in the
National Assembly meant to bribe the legislators all under
Obasanjo’s tenure to review the Constitution. We hereby declare
vehemently that President Obasanjo is the most corrupt Nigerian
leader, whose trade in stock is assassinating political
opponents. The assassination of Bola Ige, the Attorney General
and Minister of Justice is a typical example not to mention
Architect Layi Balogun, former presidential aspirant who lost
his life in the hands of assassins, Air Commodore Anthony
Ikhazobo former Minister and Chairman, NFA was killed in 1999
and his killers are yet to be identified.
Uche Orji a senatorial candidate of All Nigeria Peoples Party
ANPP for Imo state was killed in wake of the 2003 elections
nobody has ever been apprehended. In 2005, two murder cases were
reported; the state Nigeria Bar Association Chairman was killed
in Anambra state, Arthur Nwakwo's younger brother was killed,
the killers are still at large.
Chief Harry Marshal, a former chieftain of People's Democratic
Party and later coordinator of All Nigeria's Peoples party
presidential campaign in South South was murdered in his Abuja
home.
We of ARMGON therefore call your attention to this time-bomb
planted by Obasanjo that will detonate any moment and create
opportunity for the already heated polity to go into flames.
Experience has taught us that we the soldiers both serving and
retired, will be the one to prosecute this ill-conceived war at
the end of the day. We are by this open letter saying a stitch
in time saves nine.
"Retrospectively, Adolf Hitler was able to wreck havoc on the
world as the chief cause of World War II because the rest of the
world turned deaf ears to clamours for intervention. Countries
like Liberia, Yugoslavia, Zaire and Iraq would have been saved
the massive loss of lives if the rest of the world intervened to
check the excesses of Sgt Samuel Doe, Milosevic, Mobutu and
Saddam Hussein. Perhaps, proactive intervention would have
served as deterrence to our current dictators, like Robert
Mugabe, Omar Bongo, Paul Biya, Museveni and developing
dictators, like General Obasanjo in Nigeria."
In conclusion therefore, the onus lies on the advance
democracies of the world to translate and transport their wealth
of experiences to African countries and other developing parts,
to act in time by identifying dictators and hardliners, stop
them from acquiring more power by not according them any
international recognition and support.
We therefore urge President George W. Bush, and Prime Minister
Tony Blair, to call on President Obasanjo not to rule beyond 29
May, 2007, in the interest of peace and tranquillity considering
the fragility and sensitivity of Nigerians to tenure extension.
Signed
Olusegun Oyewole,
(International Co-ordinator, U.K)
Richard Saunders
(Media Executive Officer, U.K)
07 April, 2006.
