Obasanjo did worse as president, say Balarabe Musa, CD

FORMER Kaduna State governor Balarabe Musa and a civil society organisation, the Centre for Democracy (CD) yesterday accused former President Olusegun Obasanjo of laying the foundation for impunity in the country.

The elder statesman accused Obasanjo of doing worse than the present government in terms of using instruments of state to harass political opponents or opposition.

He was reacting to the former president’s state of the nation press conference.

In a telephone interview, Musa said: “Not only harass his political opponents but killed them. Obasanjo did that. Obasanjo did worse than what is happening today. In fact he continued like his predecessors in laying the foundation for the present negative state of the nation.

“I have been aware of Obasanjo’s attitude towards those in power. Since he handed power as a military president, he has been consistently acting like an agent provocateur on behalf of international imperialism, particularly now that Nigeria has no alternative.

“It can’t rely on PDP; it can’t rely on the APC. They are both the same. They are both at the root of the present negative state of the nation and most unfortunately, there is no credible, demonstrative and qualitative alternative in view from the political system. Nigeria is now facing a calamity and Obasanjo is using it, apparently to serve the interest of imperialism.

“Watch it, instead of using his relevance as former head of state to correct things, he always wait until things are bad, and he makes it even worse.

CD’s President Usman Abdul, said Obasanjo is not a saint for criticising the President Buhari-led federal government.

Abdul accused the former president of doing exactly what he is accusing the Buhari government of doing.

He accused Obasanjo of highhandedness when he was president.

He said: “During the era of President Obasanjo too, you will agree with me that there were some unlawful and unwarranted highhandedness that happened. He is equally not a saint as far as democracy is concerned.

“You will remember vividly that the Lagos State funds were at his disposal till after he left that the late President Yar’Adua released those funds for Lagos state.

“That military mentality is still within those people despite being in a democratic setting. It is left for us the civil society to as a matter of urgency look for credible democrats to head or lead this country and take us to the promise land.”