IS OBASANJO A SAINT OR THE MESSIAH?...READ AUDU OGBE'S LETTER TOO

The controversy generated by  the letter written by ex – President, chief Olusegun Obasanjo to President Goodluck Jonathan accusing him of  taking actions calculated at destroying Nigeria, it will be recalled that Chief Audu Ogbeh, the then Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in 2014, wrote similar letter to him drawn his attention to their government for being responsible for the attack  in Anambra state as a way of dealing with the then governor of Anambra state, Senator Chris Ngige, following  which Obasanjo’s government came under the most scathing and blithering attacks.

In the stated letter, Chief Ogbeh seems to lay credence to the fingers pointed Ngige fell out of favours with the powers that be and several crisis which culminated in his abduction from the Anambra Government House kept ravaging the state.

It will also be recalled that no sooner than Obasanjo received the letter, Chief Audu Ogbeh was removed as chairman of the PDP. This too shows that Obasanjo is not a messiah or a saint.

Though, the points raised in Obasanjo’s  letter if it was true,  would require the action of the President Jonathan.

The letter from Chief Audu Ogbeh to Obasanjo in 2004 is reproduced below:

His Excellency,
The President, Commander-In-Chief,
Federal  Republic of Nigeria, Abuja

RE: ANAMBRA AND RELATED MATTERS

About a month ago, the nation woke up to the shocking news of a devastating attack on Anambra State resulting in the burning down of radio and television stations, hotels, vehicles, assembly quarters, the residence of the state Chief Judge and finally, Government House, Awka. Dynamite was even applied in the exercise and all or nearly most of these in the full glare of our own police force as shown on NTA for the world to see. The operation lasted three days.

That week, in all churches and mosques, we, our party, and you as Head of Government and Leader of this Nation came under the most scathing and blithering attacks. We were singly and severally accused of connivance in action and so forth. Public anger reached its peak.

Recommendation:

You set up a reconciliation committee headed by Ebonyi State Governor, Dr. Sam Egwu, and we all thought this would help calm nerves and perhaps bring about some respite. But quite clearly things are nowhere near getting better. While the reconciliation team attempted to inspect damaged sites in Anambra, they were scared away by gun fire, further heightening public anger and disdain for us.

Bomb Explosion in Government House, Awka:

On Tuesday, the 30th day of November, 2004, another shocking development; a reported bomb explosion in Government House Awka. Since then, the media, public discourse within and even outside of our borders, have been dominated by the most heinous and hateful of expletives against our party and your person and government.

It would appear that the perpetrators of these acts are determined to stop at nothing since there has not been any visible sign of reproach from law enforcement agencies. I am now convinced that the rumours and speculations making the rounds that they are determined to kill Dr. Chris Ngige may not be unfounded.

The question now is, what would be the consequences of such a development? How do we exonerate ourselves from culpability, and worse still, how do we even hope to survive it? Mr. President, I was part of the second republic and we fell. Memories of that fall are a miserable litany of woes we suffered, escaping death only by God’s supreme mercy. Then we were suspected to have stolen all of Nigeria’s wealth. After several months in prison, some of us were freed to come back to life penniless and wretched. Many have gone to their early graves un-mourned because the public saw us all as renegades.

I am afraid we are drifting in the same direction again. In life, perception is reality and today, we are perceived in the worst light by an angry, scornful Nigerian Public for reasons which are absolutely unnecessary. Mr. President, if I write in this vein, it is because I am deeply troubled and I can tell you that an overwhelming percentage of our party members feel the same way though many may never be able to say this to you for a variety of reasons.

But the buck stops at your table and in my position, not only as Chairman but also as an old friend and loyal defender of your development programmes which I have never stopped defending, I dare to think that we can, either by omission or commission allow ourselves to crash and bring to early grief, this beautiful edifice called democracy.

On behalf of the peoples Democratic Party, I call on you to act now and bring any, and all criminal, even treasonable, activity to a halt. You and you alone, have the means. Do not hesitate. We do not have too much time to waste.

A.I. Ogbeh, OFR
National Chairman, PDP.