“You are the real problem, troubling Yorubaland, Nigeria, the people of Nigeria, families and homes and the society at large. God gave you long life, good health, made you famous, gave you wealth, made you three times President of Nigeria, yet you couldn’t give us beautiful roads and 18 or 24 hours electricity which others could build on. All you do is fight, fight, fight every President who comes to power after you instead of embracing them as your loving children to be mentored, supported and guided by you to give us excellent service that will bring comfort to us all in the whole nation”.
This statement coming from Taiwo Obasanjo, one of the wives of the former military dictator vividly captures the picture of a man who has lost touch with his family, his community, state, country and humanity. The Holy Book tells us that a house divided amongst itself can never stand. No wonder Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and his immediate family members – wives, children and grandchildren – are always at war.
The late novelist, Chinua Achebe must, no doubt, had Obasanjo’s household in mind when he wrote “Things Fall Apart”.. This is about the tragic fall of the protagonist, called Obasanjo in whose house the falcon cannot hear the falconer.
The list we can say here is that the relationship between Obasanjo and his entire household has been severed. There is chaos, confusion and seeming war in a house that is supposed to be a family model in Nigeria and the world.
I tried to find out what could motivate Obasanjo to have condescended so low as to desecrate in the market square recently with the way he humiliated Oyo monarchs like a garrison commander in his now famous: Stand up. Sit down.
The disrespect for the Kings has generated wild condemnation at home and in the Diaspora even more than his inglorious letters to General Ibrahim Babangida on having human face for the Structural Adjustment Programmes, SAP, the numerous ones to General Muhammadu Buhari and several others.
Analyzing several criticisms against the enfant terrible, I quickly pitched my tent with those who concluded that Obasanjo can never be a Yoruba man. I also concur with those who called on the General to point to another family bearing Obasanjo anywhere in the world. I also try to riggle myself out of the confusion by concluding that the man is nothing but the black sheep of the Yoruba race. No more, no less.
Every race in the world has its own culture. The Europeans, the Indians, the Chinese, the Japanese. Any group of people without a culture is lost. That is why we have monumental places like the palace and relics of palaces all over the world and always kept as heritage or identity.
But with an iconoclast like Obasanjo destroying everything that has to do with the Yoruba culture, is there still a man that can beat his chest and say Obasanjo is a Yoruba man?
Looking at the antecedents of this man, who claims to come from Owu, since he came to the social and political limelight ,since 1976, when he became the Head of State and commander-in-chief, his actions have been targeted against the Yoruba race . His indigenisation and nationalisation decree was against the Yoruba race. The poorly conducted and manipulated elections of 1979 were against the Yoruba race. The election, which produced Alhaji Sheu Shagari, was stage managed by OBJ at the detriment of Chief Obafemi Awolowo. In 1993, he campaigned against the candidature of MKO Abiola’s victory of June 12. The man who came out of the dungeon became the greatest beneficiary of the June 12 annulment.
Obasanjo fought vehemently and refused to honour his kinsman and classmate at Baptist Boys High School who sacrificed his life in our modern political history. It was Gen Mohammadu Buhari, who eventually honoured him during his second term in office.
Obasanjo, ,during his two terms in office, did not embark on any major projects in Yorubaland. Even the major road from Lagos to Otta, where his farm is located, despite its state of disrepair, was abandoned. While he is yet to unravel the mystery surrounding his ethnic origin, despite demands by offices of the citizens of Nigeria, OBJ has continued to remain evasive to different enquiries about this.
The altercation he had with the former Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose at Olagunsoye Oyinlola event in Osun State, sometimes back, and his scuttled ambitions from becoming the Olowu of Owu by the leaders of Egba and Owu provided the compelling need for OBJ to set the record of his history straight before he quits this planet. .
Obasanjo has openly danced naked at the market square, by giving order to traditional rulers, to stand up and sit down. This is another show of shame by a man whose ethnic origin is still surrounded by myths and mystery. OBJ, who left office as the president of Nigeria 17 years ago, is yet to come to terms with the reality that he is just like any other citizen in the next street. He is still living in the euphoria of Mr. President.
A Yoruba leader condemning Obasanjo in the social media says the old man is becoming terrible at old age. “All his success story has been from the quota of the Yoruba race, right from his enlistment into the Nigeria Army to his deployment to take over from the late Brigadier Benjamin Adekunle (Black Scorpion) as the 3rd Marine Commander. General Benjamin Adekunle actually fought the Biafrians to a standstill and won the war for Nigeria, only for Obasanjo to take the glory and receive the Biafra flag from General Effiong.
“He suppressed Brigadier Benjamin Adekunle’s glory till compulsory Retirement until his ultimate death! General Obasanjo became Chief of Staff Supreme Headquarters to late General Muritala Mohammed on Yoruba quota in the military, this led to his becoming Head of state when General Murtala Mohammed was assassinated by LT COL Buka Suka Dimka and his fellow coupists in 1976. All his appointments in the military was on Yoruba quota and yet he hates the race with passion. When General Abacha wanted to execute him alongside other Yoruba Generals in an alleged Coup, It was these same Yoruba Obas and other Yoruba leaders of thoughts that rose up for him before he was left in detention until the opportunity came knocking at the death of both Abacha and Abiola which led to his becoming the president in 1999 from the prison, yet on Yoruba quota (to pacify Yoruba people on the death of Abiola, and the annulment of June 12), yet he utterly refused to recognize the late MKO Abiola. He tried and wanted to be the Olowu Of Owu as a sitting President but was resisted by the Owu People because he is not an Owu Prince
“Could that have been the reason for treating the Oyo / Oke Ogun Obas the way he just did? He should be reminded that traditional rulers are revered all over the world. They are not political office holders and should not be seen as such. So, there is no basis for comparing traditional rulers with the office of the state Governors or the President! Former President Obasanjo should tread with caution on his behavioral onslaught against traditional institutions.”
Gone were the days when Royal fathers like Alaafin Adeyemi the Second had taught young politician Chief Bode Thomas of Oyo a lesson on how not to disrespect a royal father of substance like the Alaafin.
The truth of the matter is that the proliferation of royal fathers had lowered the respect, the dignity, the prestige and the aura of power of royal fathers all over Nigeria. If that were not so, the great Sardauna of Sokoto, a most likely successor to become the Sultan would never have turned down the chance to be elected the first Prime Minister of Nigeria instead of his loyal Deputy Alhaji Tafawa Balewa of Bauchi.
My Confrontation With Obasanjo by Fayose speaks volume about who Obasanjo is. “I saw Obasanjo was in Osogbo when there was a thanksgiving service for Olagunsoye Oyinlola. I got there and met General Ibrahim Babangida, Alao Akala, and a host of sitting governors. I remember Kenny Martins was also there. As I entered, Obasanjo sat at the extreme right, and Babangida sat at the extreme left.
“Then, I started greeting people from the centre towards the direction of Obasanjo. Then Governor Alao Akala of Oyo State told me, ‘can’t you see Baba sitting at the other side? And I said, ‘which Baba? Which one? He said ‘Obasanjo’
Before I could say anything, Obasanjo said ‘Ah, he cannot see me. You know he is a bastard’. Then I got really angry and faced Obasanjo and told him, ‘Baba, you are the bastard. You are the bastard and the father of all the bastards’. I said in Yorubaland and in Nigeria, tell me another family called Obasanjo. I told him, ‘You will find a Fayose in Ekiti, Akure, Ilesha, Kogi. Where is another Obasanjo in Nigeria? I challenge you to show me where there is another, which shows you are a real bastard’.
General Babangida was shocked. If you had dropped a cotton ball at that moment, you would have heard a sound. There was pin drop silence. I was really angry and I told him he was not going to leave where he sat. Oyinlola came and started begging me. I told him that Obasanjo was a former president and I was a former governor that it would end up in two fighting.
People had to plead with me to allow Obasanjo to leave the venue peacefully. I remember very well that afterwards, IBB came to me and shook my hands and said ‘young man, I have not met a brave man like you’.
The saying whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad is germane here.
His cup ís full and judgement day is at hand for all his atrocities against Yoruba race and Nigeria in general.
.Otunba Sola Olatunji, Chairman, Ikale Heritage Development Association, IHDA, writes from Lagos
