Your Excellency, Assalam Alaikum. It has
been over six months since you
graciously invited me to your office in
Abuja. I must note once again that I was
truly honoured and humbled by our one-
on-one meeting. We spoke and interacted
like two old buddies. What was more, I
was all alone with you without a third
party in the room. We spoke candidly and
cracked jokes freely.
I remember presenting you with an advance
copy of my forthcoming book and you even
requested me to autograph it for you which I did
with such pride and gratitude in me. We took
loads of pictures before and after the meeting. I
left you reassured in my belief that Nigeria is in
safe hands.
Sir, a lot has happened since that meeting took
place. In fact, so much water has passed under
the bridge. Let me take you down memory lane a
bit. You started contesting the Presidential
election as far back as 2003. For three
consecutive times, you lost and it seemed all
hope had evaporated. In 2011, we were co-
contestants.
I was driven to your house one night by Prince
Lanre Tejuoso (now a Senator) who wanted me
to tone down my criticism of you and opposition
to your candidacy. I was totally disarmed by
your humility and simplicity. You spoke softly
and candidly. I felt you were too old to return to
a post you left nearly 30 years ago but you were
certain you still have so much in you to offer
Nigeria.
The Jonathan government that won the election
at that time was ushered in with so much hope
and promise. After that election, you said that
you would never seek elective office again. After
three arduous attempts, you must have felt it
was all a bloody waste of time seeking an
opportunity to rebuild an irredeemable country
that seemed determined to be plunged into the
abyss by those you were convinced did not
mean well for the country.
But the government that promised us fresh air
soon lost its sail and floundered aimlessly. It
wobbled and fumbled till it became obvious that
something had to be done to avert a
monumental catastrophe, the kind that you had
foreseen. The situation became so bad that
most of us were left with no choice but to see
you as our only God-sent redeemer.
This was how the stone previously and
repeatedly rejected by the builders suddenly
transfigured into the much needed cornerstone.
Your most caustic critics soon became your
ardent fanatics. We were hypnotised and
mesmerised by your new look.
You were repackaged as a reformed and born
again democrat. We studiously ignored your
military credentials and dictatorial proclivity. The
young and old screamed your name from the
rooftops. Many youths were ready to march for
you and even die in the process.
The last time we witnessed such a phenomenon
was in 1993 when Chief Moshood Abiola
contested and won the June 12 Presidential
election which was later annulled by your former
colleagues in the army.
You and your political party enjoyed a whirlwind
romance with Nigerians. The covenant was
based on mutual trust and the hope that you
had robust knowledge of Nigerian history as well
as vast experience in governance. Your avowed
integrity was the icing on the cake. We expected
you to inspire us as a veritable example of
honesty-personified. The election came and you
won almost effortlessly. What mattered to us
was for someone to liberate and remove us from
the suffocating yoke of the PDP. You looked the
perfect man to do it.
Of course, to whom much is given much is
expected. The burden of proof and expectation
hung around your neck like an albatross. Soon,
it seemed Nigerians thought and assumed that
they had voted for a magician and so expected
miracles to happen instantaneously. Trouble
started very early. You inherited a government
with plummeting revenues as the crude oil which
greased the economy had suffered a massive
collapse in price thus emasculating our country’s
fortune and reserves. In addition, just before you
returned to power the outgoing government had
twice devalued the Naira leaving you with a
currency that was set for free fall. In short the
Government that you assumed control of was
one which was like a disaster waiting to happen.
Nigerians are generally impatient. We are action-
packed and expect talismanic results.
Unfortunately that has not happened and is not
likely to happen soon no matter how hard you
try. Sir, let me stop the introduction and go
straight to the crux of the matter. While I do not
want to sound like a doomsday prophet, I wish
to alert you that there is fire on the mountain.
This is not a subtle or covert attempt to create
any panic. As a war General, I’m certain you
have enough liver to withstand shock. But what
I wish to say without mincing words is that we
are yielding grounds to the enemies. Hard core
supporters of your campaign like me are being
derided by those who feel you are not living up
to expectations. I know your handlers are likely
to dismiss this as crying wolf where there is
none but please, don’t listen to them.
The situation is very critical and may even get
out of hand if not carefully and delicately
managed. You are going to be told the usual
tales and rigmarole of how corruption is fighting
back. Yes, perhaps corruption is fighting back
truly but it is because you did not prepare
adequately for the backlash. The style and
manner of the war you are waging has not been
novel. The approach has been a rehash of the
Obasanjo era with Nuhu Ribadu in charge.
What would I have done differently if I were
you? I would have traced and located the loot as
much as possible before launching my attack.
Surprise is one of the most effective weapons of
war. And you are without doubt an accomplished
General. It is only in Nigeria that investigators
announce in advance who the next set of villains
they are coming after will be. I would have gone
to the courts to seek permission to freeze the
looted funds.
Thereafter, I would have asked my operatives to
show evidence of the identified perpetrators and
located the looters and ask for their cooperation
in gently signing the purloined money back to
the State without hullabaloo. I will then
exchange a grudging handshake and tell them to
sin no more. Those who wish to be difficult
would be treated like hardened criminals and the
full weight of the law would descend powerfully
on such recalcitrant fellows. I would have kept
the promise you made prior to assumption of
office of drawing the line after being sworn in on
May 29 and punish any fresh acts of rascality
and irresponsibility.
I will ensure there is a uniform treatment for all
Nigerians, rich or poor, members of my party
and others. I will avoid anything that would
suggest I’m principally after my perceived
enemies and opponents. I will not create tension
and confusion within my own party and accept
the verdict of the people in their collective
wisdom or stupidity. A house divided against
itself cannot stand, I read in the Holy Bible.
I would also make sure that as much as
possible I would internalise the process and not
wash the country’s dirty linen in public. Such
tactics only tends to frighten away those who
would assist us and make life unbearable for
our citizens abroad. If we require assistance
from other countries to repatriate our looted
resources I would have engaged the leaders of
those countries privately and sought their co-
operation surreptitiously. I would have realised
that even if they desired to assist my
government they would be hampered by the rule
of law enshrined in their respective jurisdictions
and recourse would be required to the judicial
process in those countries.
My silent approach to the recovery of the looted
funds would also ensure that the expectations
of the people of this country would not be
unnecessarily heightened. The money Abacha
pillaged is still being recovered in staccato and
stuttering fashion almost 20 years after his
death.
It is important for you to realise that corruption
will fester and even explode when it is incubated
in an economy approaching a comatose state as
people seek to survive by all means possible.
I will therefore make the economy my utmost
priority. Trust me Sir, as important as the war
against corruption is wonderful, it pales into
irrelevance and insignificance where hunger,
deprivation, poverty, unemployment, poor
education, ignorance, diseases, insecurity of
lives and properties and other complications are
concerned.
Many people are going to hail you for arresting
the thieves but the same people will soon turn
around to attack you when they can’t feel the
effect of the war positively on their bodies and
souls. In case you are shielded from reading the
comments making the rounds, let me inform you
Sir, that people are already saying they would
rather have corruption back, out of the
desperation and suffering they are going
through. And these are not the so-called looters
but the ordinary Nigerians.
Nothing illustrates this more poignantly than the
video posted by Instablog9ja on Instagram and
other social media platforms yesterday showing
a man that looks like a taxi driver being
interviewed. The man said he is so frustrated
that he wants Nigeria to perish and all of us
with it instantaneously. He wished that we all
die simultaneously, at once and suddenly.
The clip has already gone viral globally.
Therefore, if anyone tells you only the elites are
grumbling, they are telling you a blatant lie, Sir.
The poor who were your best friends and
biggest supporters appear totally confused,
disillusioned and ostensibly tired of the endless
excuses coming out of your Administrations
spokespeople. I read somewhere that your foot-
soldiers will soon embark on town hall meetings
but I can assure you it won’t achieve anything.
Why do you want to engage in campaign after
election?
Some expert scammers would just collect money
for these jamborees. Nigerians want positive
change and not a cacophony of lies bandied at
stage managed, hurriedly assembled meetings
populated by sycophants and glory hunters.
They are ready to sacrifice but not when they
think things are going from bad to worse. There
is so much to do but without an agile economy
nothing tangible can be achieved. The economy
itself cannot be fixed in an atmosphere of
permanent strife.
One year will soon pass by next month and a
second year shall begin. It is time to bite the
bullet and take the economy head on. Forget
about all distractions and concentrate on what
really matters to the generality of our people.
You will find out that once the economy is
tamed all else will follow suit and the successes
that you crave in your corruption crusade will
start being manifested.
I pray you will hearken to my humble advice and
concentrate your energy on resurrecting the
economy instead of embarking on a war of
attrition. You will be judged ultimately by the
comfort you bring to your people and not the
self-immolating pain you inflict on real and
imaginary enemies.
May Allah grant you the wisdom of Nelson
Mandela who chose the path of reconciliation
and national rebirth above the tempting choice
of prolonging the horror of racial segregation.
My warmest regards to you and yours always.
I remain yours sincerely.
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