THIRD TERM TENURESHIP LIMITS TRANSITION IN NIGERIA.
by Austin chika
The President of Nigeria Chief Obasanjo as far as I
am concerned, is like an ordinary Nigerian, a retired General and
indeed a fellow citizen of Nigeria as 120 million other Nigerians are.
What I know is that he is an elder, a Chief and our able President in
all ratification. I have every reason to make comment on his seat of
Presidency as a Nigerian.
Chief Obasanjo, in 1976, as a General and Head of
State was a man of courage, planning and precision in decision making
and able to stand to the test of time. Though I was too little to know
of him as at then but records show that he is among many Nigerian that
have the nation at heart. His operation feed the nation and his honest
and gentleman ability to conduct election in the second civil republic
and handover to Alhaji Sheu Shagari made me to record him in my
personal Guinness book of record as a trustworthy military ruler ever
lived to transit a nation from military government to civil
government. Some military rulers in the past have tried it but never
show their honesty and gentlemanly as portrayed by military conducts.
If am to give instances, General Buhari and
irresistible blessed Brigadier Ideaghor government would have given
Nigeria and Nigerians a sense of reasoning and a possible direction
that will lead us to the promise land. Though their genuine effort was
stumbled and destroyed by General Babangida. The calculated and ever
promising government that never show Nigerians it’s honesty in its
affairs. The government of settlement, annulment, nullification,
prohibition and excessiveness in spending. Though the June 12th
mandate is still written on the surface of Nigeria and questions
not yet been answered still awaiting.
Going a step forward, the government of General
Abacha of blessed memory, would have given Nigerian a focus. If not
for his selfish reasoning, massive acquiring of wealth and his
proposed life presidential bid, General Abacha should have been the
icon of greater/better Nigeria. I still cherish and appraise his
aspiration for the Vision 2010 programs, planning and schemes mapped
out for a greater and better Nigeria. But never come to fulfillment
due to the tragicomedy that be- felled his questioned death. I still
believe that the Vision 2010 programs should have been a way forward
for Nigeria, if the next government has taken to it.
Which point am I driving to, firstly our past
military rulers and officers has failed us in every ratifications.
Dishonesty, selfishness, ungentlemanly and evil tendency have been
their building point, which have set Nigeria back.
Secondly, the Obasanjo’s civil government which is
characterized by militarisms is set to take to the footstep of his
predecessors, portraying the ideology and psychology of elongation in
power.
There are many things in his dictionary and
reasoning for now which were not there when he was military head of
state. The agenda of third term tenure ship and possible elongation in
office has been the gospel of the day. The apostle of these agenda are
the materials in his portfolio. Name them, "the Mantu’s
constitutionalism review/amendment", "the Anenih’s settlementalism
update", "the Kayode’s trumpet logy representation", "the governors
python fellowship", "the legislator’s grogginess" and "the judiciary
voiceless motions".
I believe that Obasanjo has been blindfolded to
take to some wrong decisions.
For goodness sake, what does senate deputy president Honorable Ibrahim
Mantu has to do with constitution amendment; doesn’t he know that the
constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is much older and
bigger than him? People like Joseph Wayas and Intellectual Chuba
Okadigbo, never thought of amendment at their own time; if not for the
sake of democracy what would Ibrahim Mantu come on the seat of
legislature to give amendment on what his fore fathers can not do. Let
him know that the Nigeria transition lies on the constitution, amend
or not amend, my view is that amending the constitution to favor the
incumbency without the peoples’ mandate would truncate the nation
transition and development.
Obasanjo should take his compass to North, South,
East and even the West to see if there is any support for his third
term in office, if there is ,fine let him continue but if not let him
give a gentle bow and step aside. For Mr. gentleman Femi Fani-Kayode,
let him know that what the elders saw from sitting position, young man
like him standing can not see. Only the grey hair men dance to the
drums beats of the moonlight and for him to dance along, his sure of
early grey hair. What does Mr. know of interpretation of history, is
it the history older than him or the history on his door step. Fani-Kayode’s
talks, representation, gesticulation and interpretation sounds to me
like the voice of sycophants, as experienced during Abacha’s episode.
I should have referred Chief Tony Anenih to interpret the history than
Mr... Well, my respectable Chief Anenih can the Obasanjo settlement
program gathers 1 million nigerian youths seeking for Obasanjo third
term tenure ship in office? You witness the Abacha’s 1 million match,
can it repeat itself? Well, this is the question very Nigerian is
asking, will settlements, fixing, amendments and seeking Mr Bush
consent bring Obasanjo to power again ?
The grogginess of the senators has also defiled my
trust for them. The governor’s python fellowship and the voiceless
motions of the judiciary have me to turn to the Almighty God for
intervention in the leadership affairs of Nigeria.
I still give kudos to Obasanjo’s government for his
steadfastness in transiting Nigeria from militarism to pre-democracy,
his irresistible ability for debt cancellation and moreover the
deregulation and privatization programs.
Chief Obasanjo should take a path of reasoning,
like Mandela of South Africa. Nelson Mandela was in prison for many
years and walked into power, saw power and later gave a gentle bow to
power in South Africa.
He should really listen to the voice of reasoning and the voice of the
people. For the voice of the people is the voice of God. The voices of
sycophants are the voice of demon. Sycophants are all over the place,
well reasoning and dissenting voice like mine is meant to shut up as
they don’t have the right to talk.
But, let me make my voice sound clear, that General
Abudu Salam Abubarkar handed over power to Chief Obasanjo on a
constitution that mandated him for two term tenure ship in office as a
civilian president. Lets allow peace to rain in Nigeria, why should
leadership and power be a born of contention in our life.
Let the voice in the wilderness be made high, a
voice for the Solidarity for peace, justice, equity and fair play. Let
the cry in the wilderness come to our awareness, a cry for the
Emancipation from militarized government, god Fatherism in politic,
corruption in offices and immoral social life. For God intervention in
Nigeria affairs is close at hand.
Long Live Federal Republic of Nigeria.
