The honeymoon between President Muhammadu Buhari and former President Olusegun Obasanjo seems to have ended.
For the one and a half
year that Mr. Buhari has been in power, Mr. Obasanjo remained one of his
staunchest backers, visiting him repeatedly and publicly defending most
of his actions.
But speaking in Lagos Wednesday, Mr. Obasanjo
served signal that the era of being soft on the administration Mr.
Buhari leads is over.
Delivering the keynote at the First
Akintola Williams Annual Lecture, Mr. Obasanjo lashed at the Buhari
administration for repeatedly lumping the country’s three previous
administrations (including the one he, Obasanjo, led) together and then
accusing them of misgovernance.
He also advised Mr. Buhari to
stop dwelling on the past, saying since he was elected to change the
country, he should concentrate on clearing the mess he inherited.
“The
blanket adverse comments or castigation of all democratic
administrations from 1999 by the present administration is uncharitable,
fussy and uninstructive. Politics apart, I strongly believe that there
is a distinction between the three previous administrations that it
would be unfair to lump them all together.
“I understand
President Buhari’s frustration on the state of the economy inherited by
him. It was the same reason and situation that brought about cry for
change, otherwise there would be no need for change if it was all nice
and rosy.
“Now that we have had change because the actors and the
situation needed to be changed, let us move forward to have progress
through a comprehensive economic policy and programme that is
intellectually, strategically and philosophically based,” Mr. Obasanjo
said.
“It is easier to win an election than to right the wrongs
of a badly fouled situation. When you are outside, what you see and know
are nothing compared with the reality.
“And yet once you are on
seat, you have to clear the mess and put the nation on the path of
rectitude, development and progress leaving no group or section out of
your plan, programme and policy and efforts. The longer it takes, the
more intractable the problem may become.”
The former president also criticised plans by Mr. Buhari to take about $30billion loan.
“I
am sure that such a comprehensive policy and programme (that will move
Nigeria forward) will not support borrowing US$30 billion in less than
three years. It will give us the short-, medium- and long-term picture.
“Adhocry
is not the answer but cold, hard headed planning that evinces
confidence and trust is the answer. Economy neither obeys orders nor
does it work according to wishes. It must be worked upon with all
factors considered and most stakeholders involved.
“The
investors, domestic and foreign, are no fools and they know what is
going on with the management of the economy including the foreign
exchange and they are not amused. The Central Bank must be restored to
its independence and integrity. We must be careful and watchful of the
danger of shortermism.
“Short-term may be the enemy of medium-
and long-term. We must also make allowance for the lessons that most of
us in democratic dispensation have learned and which the present
administration seems to be just learning.”
The former president
did not spare the National Assembly which he says stinks to high heavens
and the Nigerian military, which he said needed to be purged.
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