Thursday 11 December 2014

"My Watch": What is the "Dirty Secret" in Obasanjo's Book? Read excerpt


It is a great deal that our leaders past are documenting the details and history of the political sphere in Nigeria. Chinua Achebe did so in "There was a country"; Now Former president Olusegun Obsanjo in  "My watch".  How much of the information in this Book is true?
What is in Baba's Book that the politicians do not want Nigerians to know? They have gone extra-mile to make sure that the success and launch of the book is stalled. From what i have gathered the books has details of happening' s during the Obsanjo's tenure, from 1999-2007. Also, there are spilled secrets about  the third term bid and those behind it, and the betrayal of the former Deputy president Atiku. Here, is an excerpt from the book culled from LIB. You all Should read this... Share your thoughts.

"By the Constitution, I had to inaugurate or prorogue the National Assembly on June 4, 1999. The most important officer in the National Assembly is the senate president and that office had been zoned to the South-east. And here was where Atiku Abubakar, my vice-president,first showed his hand and his character.

“Without seeking my view or approval, he started planning the installation of Chuba Okadigbo as the senate president. I did a background check on Chuba including his past as a student and made enquiries about him in the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) under (President Shehu) Shagari and no one would recommend him for the post of senate president.

“I left Atiku to go on his chase while I carried out a meticulous and detailed investigation and background check on each senator from the South-east. The one that appeared most appointable was Evan Enwerem. I canvassed the senate across the board for his election and he was elected. Atiku did not expect it and he felt sore.

“He began to strategise for Enwerem to be removed and Chuba Okadigbo to be installed. His strategy worked because I was at Abuja airport to receive a visiting head of state when the news reached me that the Senate had impeached Enwerem and elected Okadigbo. I was not perturbed. I came to understand from some senators including Florence Ita-Giwa, who later became my Special Adviser/ Liaison Officer to the National Assembly, that Atiku distributed US$5,000 each to some senators to carry out the ‘coup’.
“That was the beginning of bribing the legislature to carry out a particular line of action to suit or satisfy the purpose or desire of an individual or a group. The National Assembly had tasted blood and they would continue to want more. From the day I nominated Atiku to be my vice, he set his mind not for any good, benefit or service of the country, but on furiously planning to upstage, supplant or remove me at all cost and to take my place.

“That was what I brought him for, but he was impatient and over-ambitious.He was not ready to learn and to wait. His marabout, who predicted that despite being elected as governor, he would not be sworn in as a governor, which happened, also assured him that he would take over from me in a matter of months rather than years.

“All his plans, appointments of people and his actions were towards the actualization of his marabout’s prediction. Once I realized his intention and programme, I watched him like a hawk without giving any indication of what I knew and letting down my guard. I could not succumb to the distraction, diversion and malevolence of an ambitious but unwise deputy.

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