Elder statesman and former Publicity Secretary of the defunct National Party of Nigeria, NPN, Chief Simon Shango has slammed ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, for his recent attack on the government of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Chief Shango was reacting to Sunday’s press conference where Obasanjo attacked the Buhari Government and labeled it another Sani Abacha era.
The former NPN scribe said Obasanjo has no dignity to be a patriot and and an elder statesman.
Shango in a statement entitled
Re: Points For Concern And Action By Olusegun Obasanjo, called on the ex-leader to desist from the habit of spreading falsehoods and half-truths on the pages of newspapers to the detriment of peace and tranquillity.
He asked rhetorically , “Who is an Elder statesman? Should an Elder statesman conduct himself in public with dignity? Should an Elder statesman continue to throw spanners in the wheels of progress to advance his selfish cause?
“The above question is for discerning Nigerians to answer as regards the recent outburst by no other than the self-serving and all righteous Olusegun Obasanjo titled “Points for Concern and Action.”
“Olusegun Obasanjo in his characteristics manner made so many allusions as regards the state of affairs in the country. He cleverly tried to depict a picture of despair and with no solution in sight. While it is understandable that his sympathy is towards his former enemy turned friend, Atiku Abubakar, with whom they caused considerable damage to Nigeria in the eight years they held sway, he nonetheless failed woefully.
“It is my considered opinion that Olusegun Obasanjo lacks every moral standing to contribute to the debate about Nigeria because in truth, his actions and inactions while he held sway as a military head of state and also as an elected president contributed a great deal to the disintegration of Nigeria that he claimed in his tirade.
“I want to assume that Olusegun Obasanjo did not take out time to read the epistle before taking credit for the by-line. He probably was too much in haste to cast aspersion on the personality of President Muhammadu Buhari to attract public sympathy for his partner in crime.
“Olusegun Obasanjo also castigated the government’s fight against corruption as if while he was president, Nigeria did not experience one of the worst lootings of the treasury. How and where did he get monies to establish the Bells University? How and where did he get the money to develop his humongous Ota Farms? Where and how did he get the money to build his Presidential Library? Did he not use his position as president to solicit for funds to construct the Obasanjo Library?
“I think the time has come for Nigerians to disregard the entity called Olusegun Obasanjo, the self-righteous one that wanted a third term in office and seeing that he could not get it, bequeathed to Nigeria a crisis that set us back donkey years just because he wanted a stooge he could control.
“It is on record that there has never been a time that Olusegun Obasanjo didn’t criticize a president once he does not have his way on national issues. This dates back to the Shehu Shagari years, to the Umaru Yar’Adua era, the Goodluck Jonathan era and now the Muhammadu Buhari era.
“My concern for Olusegun Obasanjo is the fact he has a penchant for peddling falsehoods to fulfil his desires which are not necessarily in the interest of the general public. But he would whip up emotions and sentiments that make him appear as that Elder statesman that he is not. And would never be.
“After reading the disjointed epistle, I came to the conclusion that indeed Olusegun Obasanjo has Histrionic Personality Disorder (HPD) which is characterized by a long-standing pattern of attention seeking behaviour. Someone with histrionic personality disorder wants to be the centre of attention in any group of people, and they feel uncomfortable when they are not. And this is Olusegun Obasanjo’s anger and nothing more. It is also sure that he needs prayers to be able to overcome the self-destruct path he has toed.
“Still, on the tirade, Olusegun Obasanjo inferred that the security institutions are being misused to fight all critics and opponents of Buhari and to derail our fledgling democracy. While this is quite uncharitable, the fact that it is coming from someone like Olusegun Obasanjo speaks volume of a drowning man that needs spiritual intervention before it gets too late.
“Olusegun Obasanjo for either mischief or dementia purposes stated that the security situation has deteriorated with kidnapping everywhere and Boko Haram more in action and nobody should deceive Nigerians about this. In my opinion, Olusegun Obasanjo also attempted to play down the success recorded so far by the Nigerian military in the fight against insurgency in North East Nigeria. Just maybe he is feigning ignorance of the exploits of the army or perhaps he is envious of how President Muhammadu Buhari has led the war against Boko Haram terrorist in the country.
“I beg to ask Olusegun Obasanjo that if as a retired general, and one resident in this country, he would pretend not to be aware of the various military operations by the Nigeria Army in keeping the country safe and secured then it means something fundamental is wrong with his grasp of current issues, and it can thus be understood on how he denigrated to this point and his ill-fated involvement the failed Third Force Movement.
“Olusegun Obasanjo should at this time of his existence and haven benefited immensely from Nigeria right from his days in the military, should desist from the habit of spreading falsehoods and half-truths on the pages of newspapers to the detriment of peace and tranquillity. I am still marvelled at what he stood to benefit from such dishonourable endeavours.
“Ordinarily, I should not have penned this rejoinder to Olusegun Obasanjo, but I was alarmed with the way and manner he was unashamed in his writing about the state of affairs, especially as it concerns the ongoing efforts by the government towards protecting the territorial integrity of Nigeria.
“The Olusegun Obasanjo that I know would stop at nothing to pull down anyone who seems to have better knowledge or performed better than him. He always wants to remain in the limelight and to be seen as that one who has done better for Nigeria and Nigerians. But in truth, Olusegun Obasanjo is nowhere near called a patriot because a patriot would not peddle lies and half-truths not minding whose ox is gored. Nigerians know better now.”
