Femi Fani-Kayode, the former Minister of Aviation has, yesterday, replied those criticising former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s submissions that there are plots to islamize the nation.
Fani-Kayode, in a statement titled “press statements on Obasanjo’s submissions and my response to Sule Lamido’s comment on them,” expressed sadness over their comments, adding that the former President has done more for the core North, Lamido’s Fulani tribe and Nigerian unity than any other former President or Head of State in the history of Nigeria.
“President Olusegun Obasanjo remains the only politically active southern and Middle Belt leader that understands what is really going on, the grave danger that we are in and what lies ahead. He is deeply courageous and his latest contribution that there is an agenda to Fulanise West Africa and Islamise Africa says it all.
“OBJ needs say no more. History and posterity will be kind to him for speaking the bitter truth and saying what almost every other Southern and Middle Belt politician and leader knows to be true but is too timid and too scared to say publicly.
“With his latest contribution he has vindicated yours truly and many others. I saw this coming in late 2013 and I told the world. Nnamdi Kanu saw it coming in 2014 and he told the world. Asari Dokubo saw it in 2015 and he told the world.
“Afenifere, OPC, YOLICOM, PANDEM, MEND, the Middle Belt Forum, the Niger Delta Avengers, IPOB, MASSOB and Ohaeneze saw it in 2017 and they told the world. The Christian Elders Forum, CAN and the Church saw it in 2018 and they told the world.
“Sadly, the world refused to listen, left us on our own and, instead of rising to the occasion and confronting the evil, Nigerians went on bended knee to the powers that be and acted as if they were not saddled with a major problem that was bound to eventually consume them all. Now they know better even though most of them are still in denial,” he said.
The former Aviation Minister said that those, who refused to speak out must now live with the consequences of their indifference, ignorance, cowardice and stoicism, adding, “what a pity.
“It is a tragedy of monumental proportions that a nation that is so blessed with extraordinary human and mineral resources should end up going this way.
“I hear one or two people like Sule Lamido are not too happy with what OBJ said and have called him out for saying it. That is sad and unfortunate because Obasanjo has done more for the core North, Lamido’s Fulani tribe and Nigerian unity than any other former President or Head of State in our history. He also fought in a civil war to keep the country together.
“For anybody from the core North to call him names for speaking the truth and baring his mind over what is unfolding in Nigeria today tells you how blinded by power, insensitive and callous some of these people are.
“It is only those that subscribe to the Fulanisation and Islamisation agenda that will criticise or oppose Obasanjo’s observation and describe him as ‘a bigot’ for making them.
“What OBJ said was timely and necessary and millions are commending him for it. He spoke the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.”
Meanwhile, former President Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed a grand plot by some elements to foist a Fulani and Islamic agenda on Nigeria and other West African countries, just as he called for global action against terrorism and other organised crimes.
Obasanjo, a one-time military Head of State and two-term civilian president expected to be privy to local and global intelligence on terrorism, said lack of education and employment for the youths could no longer be advanced as the reason Boko Haram insurgency still festered.
“It is no longer an issue of lack of education and lack of employment for our youths in Nigeria which it began as.
“It is now West African Fulanisation, African Islamisation and global organised crimes of human trafficking, money laundering, drug trafficking, gun trafficking, illegal mining and regime change,” he said.
The former president made the revelation on Saturday while speaking on the topic Mobilising Nigeria’s Human and Natural Resources for National Development and Stability, at the second session of the Synod of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, held at the Cathedral of Saint Paul’s Anglican Church, Oleh in Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State.
He knocked the Federal Government for allowing the Boko Haram and herdsmen’s attacks to fester by treating the matter with kid gloves, urging President Muhamamdu Buhari to rally local and global stakeholders in seeking solution to the fight against terrorism.
The former president tasked Buhari to take the issue of insecurity seriously at all levels and address it at once “without favouritism or cuddling.”
“Both Boko Haram and herdsmen’s acts of violence were not treated as they should at the beginning. They have both incubated and developed beyond what Nigeria can handle alone. They are now combined and internationalised with ISIS in control.
“Yet, we could have dealt with both earlier and nip them in the bud, but Boko Haram boys were seen as rascals not requiring serious attention in administering holistic measures of stick and carrot.
“And when we woke up to the reality, it was turned to industry for all and sundry to supply materials and equipment that were already outdated and that were not fit for active military purpose.
“Soldiers were poorly trained for the unusual mission, poorly equipped, poorly motivated, poorly led and made to engage in propaganda rather than achieving results.
“Intelligence was poor and governments embarked on games of denials while paying ransoms which strengthened the insurgents and yet governments denied payments of ransoms.
“Today, the insecurity issue has gone beyond the wit and capacity of Nigerian government or even West African governments.
“Government must appreciate where we are, summon each group that should make contributions one by one and subsequently collectively seek the way forward for all hands on deck and with the holistic approach of stick and carrot.
“There should be no sacred cow. Some of the groups that I will suggest to be contacted are: Traditional rulers, past heads of Service Chiefs (no matter how competent or incompetent they have been and how much they have contributed to the mess we are in), past heads of paramilitary or organisations, private sector and civil society.
“Others are community leaders particularly in the most affected areas, present and past governors, present and past local government leaders, religious leaders, past Heads of States, past Intelligence Chiefs, past heads of Civil Service and relevant current and retired diplomats, members of the opposition and nay groups that may be deemed relevant,” he said.
On the poor state of the economy, Obasanjo advised the Buhari-led government to wriggle itself out of the temptation of excessive borrowing and the attendant devaluation trap.
“What have we gained from moving Nigerian currency value from one naira to almost two dollar to N360 to one dollar in one generation’s impoverishment?” he asked.
“The synod called on the President to show compassion and empathy for the abject conditions of the citizenry. The synod observed that the widening gulf between the rich and the poor does not speak well for the future of this great nation.
“The synod admonished government to consider bailing out our manufacturing companies to aid industrialisation. This will yield positive results, as it will reduce violent crimes and other forms of criminality and further engage the teeming youths profitably.”
Similarly, the Anglican Archbishop of Lagos Province, the Most Reverend Olusina Fape, said there was more corruption in the nation’s system under President Buhari’s administration.
Fape, who doubles as the Diocesan Bishop of Remo, Ogun State, said this in a presidential address he presented to the 3rd Session of the 12th Synod of the Diocese of Remo (Anglican Communion), at the All Saints Anglican Church, Irolu-Remo, Ogun State, on Saturday.
The bishop added that the government’s fight against corruption ought not to be selective, saying “the ‘war’ must be fought holistically without any fear of favour; regardless of political affiliations of those found culpable.”
He said, “The present government rode to power on the goodwill of the people, because of the promise to fight corruption to a standstill and bring about positive change. Unfortunately, four years after, there seems to be more corruption in the system than they identified when they came in.
“The past four years have been devoted to blame games; accusing the past government of one wrong or the other. Nobody elected anybody to come and complain. People elected to govern should sit up and start addressing the perennial problems besetting this nation.”
Speaking further on the resolve of the synod with the theme; “The Glory of the Crucified Life,” Bishop Fape said the country was no longer a safe place, considering the nefarious activities of the Boko Haram sect and murderous herdsmen.
“There seems to be no respite for our nation, as far as the security situation is concerned. It is our prayer that God will expose those behind these evil groups and disgrace them out of our country,” he prayed.