December 20th 2013
His Excellency,
Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR
Agbe L’Oba House, Quarry Road,
Ibara, Abeokuta.
RE: BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE
I wish to formally acknowledge your letter
dated December 2, 2013 and other
previous correspondence similar to it.
You will recall that all the letters were
brought to me by hand. Although both of
us discussed some of the issues in
those letters, I had not, before now, seen
the need for any formal reply since, to
me, they contained advice from a former
President to a serving President.
Obviously, you felt differently because in
your last letter, you complained about my
not acknowledging or replying your
previous letters.
It is with the greatest possible reluctance
that I now write this reply. I am most
uneasy about embarking on this
unprecedented and unconventional form
of open communication between me and
a former leader of our country because I
know that there are more acceptable and
dignified means of doing so.
But I feel obliged to reply your letter for a
number of reasons: one, you formally
requested for a reply and not sending you
one will be interpreted as ignoring a
former President.
Secondly, Nigerians know the role you
have played in my political life and given
the unfortunate tone of your letter,
clearly, the grapes have gone sour.
Therefore, my side of the story also
needs to be told.
The third reason why I must reply you in
writing is that your letter is clearly a
threat to national security as it may
deliberately or inadvertently set the stage
for subversion.
The fourth reason for this reply is that
you raised very weighty issues, and since
the letter has been made public,
Nigerians are expressing legitimate
concerns. A response from me therefore,
becomes very necessary.
The fifth reason is that this letter may
appear in biographies and other books
which political commentators on
Nigeria’s contemporary politics may
write. It is only proper for such
publications to include my comments on
the issues raised in your letter.
Sixthly, you are very unique in terms of
the governance of this country. You were
a military Head of State for three years
and eight months, and an elected
President for eight years. That means you
have been the Head of Government of
Nigeria for about twelve years. This must
have, presumably, exposed you to a lot of
information. Thus when you make a
statement, there is the tendency for
people to take it seriously.
The seventh reason is that the timing of
your letter coincided with other vicious
releases. The Speaker of the House of
Representatives spoke of my “body
language” encouraging corruption. A
letter written to me by the CBN Governor
alleging that NNPC, within a period of 19
months did not remit the sum of
USD49.8 billion to the federation
account, was also deliberately leaked to
the public.
The eighth reason is that it appears that
your letter was designed to incite
Nigerians from other geopolitical zones
against me and also calculated to
promote ethnic disharmony. Worse still,
your letter was designed to instigate
members of our Party, the PDP, against
me.
The ninth reason is that your letter
conveys to me the feeling that landmines
have been laid for me. Therefore,
Nigerians need to have my response to
the issues raised before the mines
explode.
The tenth and final reason why my reply
is inevitable is that you have written
similar letters and made public
comments in reference to all former
Presidents and Heads of Government
starting from Alhaji Shehu Shagari and
these have instigated different actions
and reactions. The purpose and direction
of your letter is distinctly ominous, and
before it is too late, my clarifications on
the issues need to be placed on record.
Let me now comment on the issues you
raised. In commenting I wish to crave
your indulgence to compare what is
happening now to what took place
before. This, I believe, will enable
Nigerians see things in better
perspective because we must know
where we are coming from so as to
appreciate where we now are, and to
allow us clearly map out where we are
going.
You raised concerns about the security
situation in the country. I assure you that
I am fully aware of the responsibility of
government for ensuring the security of
the lives and property of citizens. My
Administration is working assiduously to
overcome current national security
challenges, the seeds of which were
sown under previous administrations.
There have been some setbacks; but
certainly there have also been great
successes in our efforts to overcome
terrorism and insurgency.
Those who continue to down-play our
successes in this regard, amongst whom
you must now be numbered, appear to
have conveniently forgotten the depths to
which security in our country had
plunged before now.
At a stage, almost the entire North-East
of Nigeria was under siege by insurgents.
Bombings of churches and public
buildings in the North and the federal
capital became an almost weekly
occurrence. Our entire national security
apparatus seemed nonplussed and
unable to come to grips with the new
threat posed by the berthing of terrorism
on our shores.
But my administration has since brought
that very unacceptable situation under
significant control. We have overhauled
our entire national security architecture,
improved intelligence gathering, training,
funding, logistical support to our armed
forces and security agencies, and
security collaboration with friendly
countries with very visible and positive
results.
The scope and impact of terrorist
operations have been significantly
reduced and efforts are underway to
restore full normalcy to the most affected
North Eastern region and initiate a post-
crisis development agenda, including a
special intervention programme to boost
the region’s socio-economic progress.
In doing all this, we have kept our doors
open for dialogue with the insurgents
and their supporters through efforts such
as the work of the Presidential
Committee on Dialogue and the Peaceful
Resolution of the Security Challenges in
the North-East. You also know that the
Governor of Borno State provided the
items you mentioned to me as carrots.
Having done all this and more, it is
interesting that you still accuse me of
not acting on your hardly original
recommendation that the carrot and stick
option be deployed to solve the Boko
Haram problem.
Your suggestion that we are pursuing a
“war against violence without
understanding the root causes of the
violence and applying solutions to deal
with all the underlying factors” is
definitely misplaced because from the
onset of this administration, we have
been implementing a multifaceted
strategy against militancy, insurgency
and terrorism that includes poverty
alleviation, economic development,
education and social reforms.
Even though basic education is the
constitutional responsibility of States, my
administration has, as part of its efforts
to address ignorance and poor education
which have been identified as two of the
factors responsible for making some of
our youth easily available for use as
cannon fodder by insurgents and
terrorists, committed huge funds to the
provision of modern basic education
schools for the Almajiri in several
Northern States. The Federal Government
under my leadership has also set up nine
additional universities in the Northern
States and three in the Southern States in
keeping with my belief that proper
education is the surest way of
emancipating and empowering our
people.
More uncharitable persons may even see
a touch of sanctimoniousness in your
new belief in the carrot and stick
approach to overcoming militancy and
insurgency. You have always referred to
how you hit Odi in Bayelsa State to curb
militancy in the Niger Delta. If the
invasion of Odi by the Army was the
stick, I did not see the corresponding
carrot. I was the Deputy Governor of
Bayelsa State then, and as I have always
told you, the invasion of Odi did not solve
any militancy problem but, to some
extent, escalated it. If it had solved it,
late President Yar’Adua would not have
had to come up with the amnesty
program. And while some elements of
the problem may still be there, in general,
the situation is reasonably better.
In terms of general insecurity in the
country and particularly the crisis in the
Niger Delta, 2007 was one of the worst
periods in our history. You will recall
three incidents that happened in 2007
which seemed to have been orchestrated
to achieve sinister objectives. Here in
Abuja, a petrol tanker loaded with
explosives was to be rammed into the
INEC building. But luckily for the country,
an electric pole stopped the tanker from
hitting the INEC building. It is clear that
this incident was meant to exploit the
general sense of insecurity in the nation
at the time to achieve the aim of
stopping the 2007 elections. It is
instructive that you, on a number of
occasions, alluded to this fact.
When that incident failed, an armed
group invaded Yenagoa one evening with
the intent to assassinate me. Luckily for
me, they could not. They again attacked
and bombed my country home on a night
when I was expected in the village.
Fortunately, as God would have it, I did
not make the trip.
I recall that immediately after both
incidents, I got calls expressing the
concern of Abuja. But Baba, you know
that despite the apparent concern of
Abuja, no single arrest was ever made. I
was then the Governor of Bayelsa State
and the PDP Vice-Presidential candidate.
The security people ordinarily should
have unraveled the assassination attempt
on me.
You also raised the issues of kidnapping,
piracy and armed robbery. These are
issues all Nigerians, including me are
very concerned about. While we will
continue to do our utmost best to reduce
all forms of criminality to the barest
minimum in our country, it is just as well
to remind you that the first major case of
kidnapping for ransom took place around
2006. And the Boko Haram crisis dates
back to 2002. Goodluck Jonathan was
not the President of the country then.
Also, armed robbery started in this
country immediately after the civil war
and since then, it has been a problem to
all succeeding governments. For a
former Head of Government, who should
know better, to present these problems
as if they were creations of the Jonathan
Administration is most uncharitable.
Having said that, let me remind you of
some of the things we have done to curb
violent crime in the country. We have
reorganized the Nigerian Police Force
and appointed a more dynamic
leadership to oversee its affairs. We have
also improved its manpower levels as
well as funding, training and logistical
support.
We have also increased the surveillance
capabilities of the Police and provided its
air-wing with thrice the number of
helicopters it had before the inception of
the present administration. The National
Civil Defence and Security Corps has
been armed to make it a much more
effective ally of the police and other
security agencies in the war against
violent crime. At both domestic and
international levels, we are doing
everything possible to curb the
proliferation of the small arms and light
weapons with which armed robberies,
kidnappings and piracy are perpetrated.
We have also enhanced security at our
borders to curb cross-border crimes.
We are aggressively addressing the
challenge of crude oil theft in
collaboration with the state Governors. In
addition, the Federal Government has
engaged the British and US governments
for their support in the tracking of the
proceeds from the purchase of stolen
crude. Similarly, a regional Gulf of Guinea
security strategy has been initiated to
curb crude oil theft and piracy.
Perhaps the most invidious accusation in
your letter is the allegation that I have
placed over one thousand Nigerians on a
political watch list, and that I am training
snipers and other militia to assassinate
people. Baba, I don’t know where you got
that from but you do me grave injustice
in not only lending credence to such
baseless rumours, but also publicizing it.
You mentioned God seventeen times in
your letter. Can you as a Christian hold
the Bible and say that you truly believe
this allegation?
His Excellency,
Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR
Agbe L’Oba House, Quarry Road,
Ibara, Abeokuta.
RE: BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE
I wish to formally acknowledge your letter
dated December 2, 2013 and other
previous correspondence similar to it.
You will recall that all the letters were
brought to me by hand. Although both of
us discussed some of the issues in
those letters, I had not, before now, seen
the need for any formal reply since, to
me, they contained advice from a former
President to a serving President.
Obviously, you felt differently because in
your last letter, you complained about my
not acknowledging or replying your
previous letters.
It is with the greatest possible reluctance
that I now write this reply. I am most
uneasy about embarking on this
unprecedented and unconventional form
of open communication between me and
a former leader of our country because I
know that there are more acceptable and
dignified means of doing so.
But I feel obliged to reply your letter for a
number of reasons: one, you formally
requested for a reply and not sending you
one will be interpreted as ignoring a
former President.
Secondly, Nigerians know the role you
have played in my political life and given
the unfortunate tone of your letter,
clearly, the grapes have gone sour.
Therefore, my side of the story also
needs to be told.
The third reason why I must reply you in
writing is that your letter is clearly a
threat to national security as it may
deliberately or inadvertently set the stage
for subversion.
The fourth reason for this reply is that
you raised very weighty issues, and since
the letter has been made public,
Nigerians are expressing legitimate
concerns. A response from me therefore,
becomes very necessary.
The fifth reason is that this letter may
appear in biographies and other books
which political commentators on
Nigeria’s contemporary politics may
write. It is only proper for such
publications to include my comments on
the issues raised in your letter.
Sixthly, you are very unique in terms of
the governance of this country. You were
a military Head of State for three years
and eight months, and an elected
President for eight years. That means you
have been the Head of Government of
Nigeria for about twelve years. This must
have, presumably, exposed you to a lot of
information. Thus when you make a
statement, there is the tendency for
people to take it seriously.
The seventh reason is that the timing of
your letter coincided with other vicious
releases. The Speaker of the House of
Representatives spoke of my “body
language” encouraging corruption. A
letter written to me by the CBN Governor
alleging that NNPC, within a period of 19
months did not remit the sum of
USD49.8 billion to the federation
account, was also deliberately leaked to
the public.
The eighth reason is that it appears that
your letter was designed to incite
Nigerians from other geopolitical zones
against me and also calculated to
promote ethnic disharmony. Worse still,
your letter was designed to instigate
members of our Party, the PDP, against
me.
The ninth reason is that your letter
conveys to me the feeling that landmines
have been laid for me. Therefore,
Nigerians need to have my response to
the issues raised before the mines
explode.
The tenth and final reason why my reply
is inevitable is that you have written
similar letters and made public
comments in reference to all former
Presidents and Heads of Government
starting from Alhaji Shehu Shagari and
these have instigated different actions
and reactions. The purpose and direction
of your letter is distinctly ominous, and
before it is too late, my clarifications on
the issues need to be placed on record.
Let me now comment on the issues you
raised. In commenting I wish to crave
your indulgence to compare what is
happening now to what took place
before. This, I believe, will enable
Nigerians see things in better
perspective because we must know
where we are coming from so as to
appreciate where we now are, and to
allow us clearly map out where we are
going.
You raised concerns about the security
situation in the country. I assure you that
I am fully aware of the responsibility of
government for ensuring the security of
the lives and property of citizens. My
Administration is working assiduously to
overcome current national security
challenges, the seeds of which were
sown under previous administrations.
There have been some setbacks; but
certainly there have also been great
successes in our efforts to overcome
terrorism and insurgency.
Those who continue to down-play our
successes in this regard, amongst whom
you must now be numbered, appear to
have conveniently forgotten the depths to
which security in our country had
plunged before now.
At a stage, almost the entire North-East
of Nigeria was under siege by insurgents.
Bombings of churches and public
buildings in the North and the federal
capital became an almost weekly
occurrence. Our entire national security
apparatus seemed nonplussed and
unable to come to grips with the new
threat posed by the berthing of terrorism
on our shores.
But my administration has since brought
that very unacceptable situation under
significant control. We have overhauled
our entire national security architecture,
improved intelligence gathering, training,
funding, logistical support to our armed
forces and security agencies, and
security collaboration with friendly
countries with very visible and positive
results.
The scope and impact of terrorist
operations have been significantly
reduced and efforts are underway to
restore full normalcy to the most affected
North Eastern region and initiate a post-
crisis development agenda, including a
special intervention programme to boost
the region’s socio-economic progress.
In doing all this, we have kept our doors
open for dialogue with the insurgents
and their supporters through efforts such
as the work of the Presidential
Committee on Dialogue and the Peaceful
Resolution of the Security Challenges in
the North-East. You also know that the
Governor of Borno State provided the
items you mentioned to me as carrots.
Having done all this and more, it is
interesting that you still accuse me of
not acting on your hardly original
recommendation that the carrot and stick
option be deployed to solve the Boko
Haram problem.
Your suggestion that we are pursuing a
“war against violence without
understanding the root causes of the
violence and applying solutions to deal
with all the underlying factors” is
definitely misplaced because from the
onset of this administration, we have
been implementing a multifaceted
strategy against militancy, insurgency
and terrorism that includes poverty
alleviation, economic development,
education and social reforms.
Even though basic education is the
constitutional responsibility of States, my
administration has, as part of its efforts
to address ignorance and poor education
which have been identified as two of the
factors responsible for making some of
our youth easily available for use as
cannon fodder by insurgents and
terrorists, committed huge funds to the
provision of modern basic education
schools for the Almajiri in several
Northern States. The Federal Government
under my leadership has also set up nine
additional universities in the Northern
States and three in the Southern States in
keeping with my belief that proper
education is the surest way of
emancipating and empowering our
people.
More uncharitable persons may even see
a touch of sanctimoniousness in your
new belief in the carrot and stick
approach to overcoming militancy and
insurgency. You have always referred to
how you hit Odi in Bayelsa State to curb
militancy in the Niger Delta. If the
invasion of Odi by the Army was the
stick, I did not see the corresponding
carrot. I was the Deputy Governor of
Bayelsa State then, and as I have always
told you, the invasion of Odi did not solve
any militancy problem but, to some
extent, escalated it. If it had solved it,
late President Yar’Adua would not have
had to come up with the amnesty
program. And while some elements of
the problem may still be there, in general,
the situation is reasonably better.
In terms of general insecurity in the
country and particularly the crisis in the
Niger Delta, 2007 was one of the worst
periods in our history. You will recall
three incidents that happened in 2007
which seemed to have been orchestrated
to achieve sinister objectives. Here in
Abuja, a petrol tanker loaded with
explosives was to be rammed into the
INEC building. But luckily for the country,
an electric pole stopped the tanker from
hitting the INEC building. It is clear that
this incident was meant to exploit the
general sense of insecurity in the nation
at the time to achieve the aim of
stopping the 2007 elections. It is
instructive that you, on a number of
occasions, alluded to this fact.
When that incident failed, an armed
group invaded Yenagoa one evening with
the intent to assassinate me. Luckily for
me, they could not. They again attacked
and bombed my country home on a night
when I was expected in the village.
Fortunately, as God would have it, I did
not make the trip.
I recall that immediately after both
incidents, I got calls expressing the
concern of Abuja. But Baba, you know
that despite the apparent concern of
Abuja, no single arrest was ever made. I
was then the Governor of Bayelsa State
and the PDP Vice-Presidential candidate.
The security people ordinarily should
have unraveled the assassination attempt
on me.
You also raised the issues of kidnapping,
piracy and armed robbery. These are
issues all Nigerians, including me are
very concerned about. While we will
continue to do our utmost best to reduce
all forms of criminality to the barest
minimum in our country, it is just as well
to remind you that the first major case of
kidnapping for ransom took place around
2006. And the Boko Haram crisis dates
back to 2002. Goodluck Jonathan was
not the President of the country then.
Also, armed robbery started in this
country immediately after the civil war
and since then, it has been a problem to
all succeeding governments. For a
former Head of Government, who should
know better, to present these problems
as if they were creations of the Jonathan
Administration is most uncharitable.
Having said that, let me remind you of
some of the things we have done to curb
violent crime in the country. We have
reorganized the Nigerian Police Force
and appointed a more dynamic
leadership to oversee its affairs. We have
also improved its manpower levels as
well as funding, training and logistical
support.
We have also increased the surveillance
capabilities of the Police and provided its
air-wing with thrice the number of
helicopters it had before the inception of
the present administration. The National
Civil Defence and Security Corps has
been armed to make it a much more
effective ally of the police and other
security agencies in the war against
violent crime. At both domestic and
international levels, we are doing
everything possible to curb the
proliferation of the small arms and light
weapons with which armed robberies,
kidnappings and piracy are perpetrated.
We have also enhanced security at our
borders to curb cross-border crimes.
We are aggressively addressing the
challenge of crude oil theft in
collaboration with the state Governors. In
addition, the Federal Government has
engaged the British and US governments
for their support in the tracking of the
proceeds from the purchase of stolen
crude. Similarly, a regional Gulf of Guinea
security strategy has been initiated to
curb crude oil theft and piracy.
Perhaps the most invidious accusation in
your letter is the allegation that I have
placed over one thousand Nigerians on a
political watch list, and that I am training
snipers and other militia to assassinate
people. Baba, I don’t know where you got
that from but you do me grave injustice
in not only lending credence to such
baseless rumours, but also publicizing it.
You mentioned God seventeen times in
your letter. Can you as a Christian hold
the Bible and say that you truly believe
this allegation?
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