A Moment For Reckoning …That Obsanjo’s View On Chibok Girls Rescue

Buhari and Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo last week, fell short of tagging the Buhari administration’s optimism to rescue the Chibok Girls, abducted nearly two years ago, as deceptive. According to him, to achieve such feat after three days was futile and after as long as two years, unrealistic.
Pessimistic as the former military general’s position may appear at a time when Nigerians have invested all of their hopes on the current administration should worry the security community, the Federal Government and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Viewed from the standpoint that Obasanjo, all through the former government’s tenure, was a steady critic of the manner the war on terror was being prosecuted and repeatedly challenged it to do everything necessary to rescue and bring back home the girls, Obasanjo’s recent comments are defeatist and capable of discouraging the security community determined to die trying.
To some Nigerians, the former Head of State’s position should be seen as  a frank-talk that depicts the reality on ground but the question is : At what time did he come by this painful realization? Did he know this and yet blamed the failure to rescue the girls on the incompetence of the Jonathan administration and failure to take the right steps?.
If indeed the mission seemed impossible after three days, what advice did he give to the former government? Forget the search? Or the present, too unrealistic to continue?
Obasanjo was an open supporter of APC and for which he not merely withdrew as chairman of Board of Trustees of the PDP, he also allegedly tore his PDP membership card. A party that brought him to power and which kept him for eight years on corridor of influence and affluence.
Some of the reasons for Obasanjo’s preference for the APC over the PDP were among others, poor security, poor economic management, failure of the PDP administration under Jonathan to listen to wise counsels, the lack-lustre approach to the war on terror and the failure to accept head-on the challenge to rescue alive, the Chibok girls.
But all through the campaigns, at least after more than Obasanjo’s three day deadline’, the former President did not tell Nigerians that the promise by the APC to rescue the Chibok girls in no time, after assumption of office, was an impossibility, hopeful that it was possible to do what the Jonathan Presidency could not achieve, many Nigerians jettisoned the PDP and voted overwhelmingly for the APC, which premised its electoral promises on security, war on terror and corruption, drastic economic revival, aggressive investment in agriculture, infrastructure, education and power among many other promises.
Nearly a year after, Obasanjo has punctured the optimism of Nigerians to see the Chibok girls alive. Security still remains a major issue with increase in cases of kidnappings, armed robbery, religious conflicts, frequent battles between Fulani  herdsmen and farmers, oil theft and illegal bunkering, a shaky currency and an economy on its knees.
Although Nigerian troops deserve the people’s praise for the success recorded in the war against terror’ in the North East of the country, Boko Haram, which government promised would be no more after December 31, last years, is still alive killing many more at soft targets. The issues of the military and Islamic Shitte confrontation is under the carpet waiting to boom. Benue and Plateau States farmers have continued to raise alarm over attacks on them by herdsmen. Pro-Biafra agitators still pose a challenge to security in the South-East, imminent electoral shocks loom in parts of the South-South over rerun polls and the uncertainty that still hangs over young men in the South-West asking for amnesty.
In the areas of power, the Discos are still insistent that the  hike in electricity tariff announced February 1 must remain even after Senate and most Nigerians insist otherwise. And for this, no reasonable progress has been made in that sector.
What of the 2016 Federal Budget? Amidst accusations and counter- accusations of corrupt withdrawal from the National Assembly and padding, nothing has been heard on what to do with culprits, in a government that prides itself as fighting corruption. For instance, who exchanged the President’s copy to the Senate with another one and why? Who was responsible for the observed increases of allocations to some Ministries, Departments and Agencies there after?
But the area that has attracted the most criticism by Nigerians is the government’s approach to the war on corruption. It appears that more of the war is on pages of newspapers and intimidation of suspects who ought to be presumed innocent until proven otherwise.
In recent times, ‘Arm-Gate,’ has made most of the headlines as the anti-corruption  agency EFCC virtually relies on the accounts of the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col Sambo Dasuki to publish  names of opposition politicians and even professional bodies, as beneficiaries of a more than $2billion arm purchase vote. With proper probe, names like the Nigeria Guild of Editors, should not make the list.
The story round town is that some of those named have since made refunds, to avoid detention while  others continue to insist on their innocence in the midst of all these, there are accusations as that court decisions granting bail to some suspects were being disobeyed or deliberately delayed to punish opposition politicians.
These are serious accusations that should worry the present Federal Government, considering the nature of democracy that brought it to power. If court orders can be violated, like that which granted bail to proprietor of the Pro-Biafra radio station, then, there is trouble. Sadly, President Buhari himself, faulted the judiciary when in an interview aired on national television, he described the action of the Biafra radio operator as treason, an end which is the exclusive right of the judiciary to proclaim. And assured he cannot be released on bail.
To succeed therefore, the APC government must revisit its campaign promises to Nigerians and see what it has achieved and can.
This is not what pre-election propagenda can resolve because Nigerians are no fools. Already, some have started counting their losses in votes cast wrongly.
This is not good for a political party that created and highlighted both real and imaginary dangers which if not given the chance to address could bring the country to its knees. The long delay in search for ready-made Ministers, the protracted newspaper-based war on corruption, the shaky Naira and the dwindling economy are issues that did not add-up with the nature of readiness APC promised Nigerians, if elected.
With nearly a year almost gone, the question is: can the APC government truly claim that it has indeed matched its campaign rhetoric with action? Which major promise can the party claim to have met or do so soon?
The Chibok girls rescue was to be achieved very soon once in government. And with what Obasanjo has said, will ‘soon’ ever be ‘soon’? When will APC look at its blueprint to pick and choose items to address for Nigerians to know government is working?
My Agony is that even the war against corruption which should endear the government to the people, is gradually losing its original popularity on account of the fact that it has worn the toga of a war on opponents.
Time is not the APC government’s friend. Because it is getting to the time when the people will hold them to account for unfulfilled promises.

Soye Wilson Jamabo