By Baron Ike
The House of Representatives on Thursday, November 24 knocked former President Olusegun Obasanjo hard for saying that the National Assembly which they are part of oozes corruption, describing Obsanjo as the most corrupt Nigerian leader that is alive.
Obasanjo had on Wednesday, November 23 called on President Muhammadu Buhari to make haste to deal with issues he inherited a year and half ago and stop wasting time complaining about what happened in the past before he came on board.
Obasanjo who was delivering the keynote at the First Akintola Williams Lecture in Lagos accused Buhari’s administration of repeatedly lumping Nigeria’s three previous administrations (including Obasanjo’s era) together and then accusing all of bad governance.
He also said that the National Assembly (NASS) stinks of corruption, challenging Buhari to make haste to deal with the alleged corruption among the law makers.
But the Nigerian House of Representatives on Thursday announced that Obasanjo is the “most corrupt” Nigerian leader on the record.
“It is unfortunate that he has started his very familiar method of bringing down governments,” House spokesperson, Abdulrazak Namdas, said in a statement Thursday.
“He did it to Alhaji Shehu Shagari. He did it to Gen. Buhari. He did same to Gen. Babangida. He attempted to bring down Gen. Abacha before he imprisoned him for treason.
“He made frantic efforts to derail the government of President Ya’Adua when he couldn’t use him. He supported President Goodluck Jonathan but when he refused to take dictation, he turned against him.
“He supported President Buhari, but since he has sensed that Nigeria is having economic difficulties under him, he has pounced to derail his government,” the lawmakers said.
“He remains the grandfather of corruption in Nigeria and lacks the moral authority to discuss corruption or indeed abuse of office in Nigeria,” Namdas said in a statement.
Namdas said Nigerians would not forget in a hurry the loads of cash Obasanjo allegedly bribed members of the House of Representatives to impeach a former Speaker, Umar Ghali Na’Abba.
“Have we forgotten the sacks of money displayed on the floor of the House of Representatives being bribe money paid by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo to some honourable members to impeach Speaker, Rt. Hon. Ghali Na’Abba?” Namdas queried.
The lawmakers said the “greatly corrupt” and “morally bankrupt” former leader is effectively plotting to derail the government of Buhari, the same manner he did to successive presidents since 1979.
Obasanjo told Buhari to desist from dwelling on the past, but rather concentrate on dealing with the mess he inherited.
Obasajo said: “Now that we have had change because the actors and the situation needed to be changed, let us move forward to have progress through a comprehensive economic policy and programme that is intellectually, strategically and philosophically based.
“It is easier to win an election than to right the wrongs of a badly fouled situation. When you are outside, what you see and know are nothing compared with the reality.
“And yet once you are on seat, you have to clear the mess and put the nation on the path of rectitude, development and progress leaving no group or section out of your plan, programme and policy and efforts. The longer it takes, the more intractable the problem may become.”
Expectedly, Obasanjo knocked Buhari over his plan to take about $30billion loan, describing the approach as adhoc way of solving fundamental challenge.
He reiterated what he had always said concerning the National Assembly saying the body stinks to the high heavens just as he noted that the Nigerian military needed to be purged.
His words: “I am sure that such a comprehensive policy and programme (that will move Nigeria forward) will not support borrowing US$30 billion in less than three years. It will give us the short-, medium- and long-term picture.
“Adhocracy is not the answer but cold, hard headed planning that evinces confidence and trust is the answer. Economy neither obeys orders nor does it work according to wishes. It must be worked upon with all factors considered and most stakeholders involved.
“The investors, domestic and foreign, are no fools and they know what is going on with the management of the economy including the foreign exchange and they are not amused. The Central Bank must be restored to its independence and integrity. We must be careful and watchful of the danger of shortermism.
“Short-term may be the enemy of medium- and long-term. We must also make allowance for the lessons that most of us in democratic dispensation have learned and which the present administration seems to be just learning.”