Dele Sobowale, Vanguard
RALPH Waldo Emerson, an American poet, essayist and philosopher, was born in Boston and died in Concord. But between birth and death, he had given to the world a body of philosophical sayings which have passed the test of time. At death, he was acknowledged as the sage of Concord. Few men in history have had a better grasp of the limitations of human beings which many of us still fail to accept.
RALPH Waldo Emerson, an American poet, essayist and philosopher, was born in Boston and died in Concord. But between birth and death, he had given to the world a body of philosophical sayings which have passed the test of time. At death, he was acknowledged as the sage of Concord. Few men in history have had a better grasp of the limitations of human beings which many of us still fail to accept.
Among his most famous observations was: " Every hero becomes a bore at last." Which brings me to the subject of today's sermon on these pages: Babangida, Obasanjo (two heroes rapidly becoming bloody bores at last) and the manner the former, IBB, who failing to recognise his limitations as a human being, had tried to influence the course of Nigerian history in his favour. Like others before him, he had forgotten the warning by Karl Marx: "Men make history, but not just as they please." What follows could easily be called Current History or Evolving History. But, I am afraid Professors Ajayi, Obaro Ikime and Tamuno, among other world-class historians Nigeria is blessed with, might take exception to an Area Boy, even if president of that tribe of rascals, practicing their honourable profession.
If you are like me, you must be enjoying the dribbling, not to talk of the bashing, that IBB is receiving from Obasanjo. He and the other northern leaders, especially the Gang of Four, deserve the punishment, The Gang of Four, if you don't know consists of retired Generals Babangida, Gusau, Danjuma and the last military head of state, Abubakar. Those were the people who imposed Obasanjo on Nigerians in 1999. Other northern leaders merely followed the generals. Let me take you down memory lane, in case you have forgotten the sequence of events resulting in Obasanjo's emergence as PDP presidential candidate in 1999.
On June 27, 1998, former military President Ibrahim Babangida visited recently freed former head of state, Obasanjo, at his Iyalode, Abeokuta residence undoubtedly to inform him that he was the choice of the military and the North as the successor to General Abubakar. According to IBB: Obasanjo is "an elder statesman and my big brother... I am very grateful that General Obasanjo is now very much with us. He is one of the men this country needs." IBB was not alone. Generals Gusau, Danjuma and Abubakar were also working round the clock to gain support for Obasanjo among the northern political elite.
On September 22, 1998, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku confirmed the decision of the North to draft Obasanjo. Said Atiku: " I think we are getting to a stage that when he gets back from his overseas tour, we will approach him to accept the presidency. Nigerians will like to elect somebody who sees himself as a national leader... I believe by coincidence, Obasanjo fits that bill." On September 26, 1998, Chief B. B. Apugo, was echoing the sentiment of the North when he announced that: "This is the man who the North believes in. They see him as a man who they can trust...".
On November 13, 1998, presidential aspirant Obasanjo, just a few weeks out of jail and made nearly destitute by Abacha, doled out an incredible N130 million to the PDP during its fund-raising and he has refused till today to name the donors. But, it requires no Ph.D in Finance and Economics to know that the money came from his northern promoters and a few southern co-conspirators. All these activities were based on one conviction: that the North knew Obasanjo. But, did they? As far back as 1998, the North was warned that it was embarking on a costly and mistaken adventure - for two reasons. First, having been the ruling class for almost forty years, they have become totally complacent and have lost the common touch. Second, they were completely ignorant about the mentality of somebody jailed, whether pardoned or not. From my own vantage point, as president of Area Boys, I observe people going to jail and returning from there on a daily basis.
Humility becomes the newly released ex-convict who is also almost destitute. But, within a few weeks, after some successful "operations" ( pocket-picking, hand bag snatching, break-in and entry (B&E) etc ) at CMS, Oshodi, and Obalende bus stops, as well as other parts of Lagos, and with other people's money burning a hole in his pocket, the humility disappears and the real man begins to show once again.
The Obasanjo who was taken round the capitals of the North to receive the blessings of the northern political elite, I was sure, was not the authentic Obasanjo; that was the pretender. Meekness becomes a man fresh out of the gaol. Since, I have received street wisdom resulting from years of associating with common people, I am always the type to "keep my head when others around me are losing theirs" (Rudyard Kipling, 1865-1936); including northern power brokers. So, I was certain that Obasanjo would surprise the North eventually and not in any way that would endear him to them. In a Sunday Vanguard column of February 22, 1999 titled: To My Brother, Alex Ekwueme; I not only predicted that the former Vice-President, Alex Ekwueme, who was then the chairman of the Board of Trustees, would be driven out of the PDP which he helped to midwife, I also made this prediction: "All those who now are supporting Obasanjo's presidential bid, especially in the North, will live to regret it."
As, I predicted, more than seven years ago, Maradona had been dribbled silly by a player who he thought possessed two left feet. So in addition to being the president of Area Boys, I have now become, like Emerson, the Sage of Jankara. Do I hear a round of applause? And please wait for the outcome. The game has just started. And guess what? The sage of Jankara can tell you the outcome even now. Please, let me have another round of applause.
