HOW TO BE OLUSEGUN OBASANJO - HIS WATCH AND HIS LEGACIES

Olusegun Obasanjo was 21 years old when he joined the army in 1958. That time, he probably didn’t know he’ll become one of the most influential leaders in Nigerian history. But he went on to play a lead role in the civil war, become head of state twice, initiate landmark reforms and spearhead crucial democratic transitions. His legacies have been truly remarkable — and paradoxical.

Obasanjo first became head of state by chance in 1976 through a failed coup, and he could have hung on to power for long if he wanted to. But he committed himself to democracy, planned a transition to civilian rule and organised elections within three years. Then he retired and quit politics. This was a vital step forward in Nigeria’s democracy.

Nigeria was at its lowest point ever when Obasanjo became president in 1999 and the future was dim. It looked like democracy would never work. The army had ruled for about 30 out of 39 years since independence, and the country had been perpetually unstable. So people thought the soldiers would soon grab the government again and the trend would continue like that. But Obasanjo reorganized the army and weakened its coup machinery. Now, Nigeria has had a stable democracy for 15 straight years.

Obasanjo said in a recent interview, “Many people thought I would be the last president of Nigeria and that after me Nigeria will be no more. But I’m proud

that I’m not the last president of Nigeria, because after me there have been two presidents and there will always be presidents of Nigeria and Nigeria will continue to exist.”

Obasanjo also tried to have the constitution changed in 2006 so he could run for a third term and extend his tenure to twelve years. Then when that didn’t work and it was certain he had to go, he picked two obscure governors and helped them win the presidential election. The way he tried to perpetuate himself in power and his handling of the following election betrayed his commitment to democratic progress. So on one hand Obasanjo has engineered democratic progress, and on the other hand he’s made moves that possibly undermined it.

Before Obasanjo came on in 1999, the economy had been nosediving  and infrastructure had been practically abandoned. But he made policies that focused on private sector growth and job creation. The economy grew impressively under his watch too and inflation was moderate. However, infrastructure hardly improved in key areas such as education, transportation, power and security.

Obasanjo set up the EFCC to fight corruption in 2003 and the commission performed remarkably during his tenure. The EFCC went after corrupt officials and politicians, and some high-profile prosecutions went through. Nigerians were pleased with the commission’s work under Obasanjo. But in time it began to look like he was using the commission to hunt opponents and favour allies, and by the time his own tenure ended in 2007, he was far richer than he was before he became president. Many people believe that he too was corrupt.

It’s now seven years since he finished his tenure, but he’s been persistently critical concerning President Goodluck Jonathan and his administration. Interestingly, most of the problems he criticises the president for are problems he passed on to the president and his predecessor Umar Musa Yar’Adua. He didn’t set commensurate examples for others to follow. He set legacies that he’ll be remembered for long after he’s gone. However, in doing so he also tarnished those legacies, and he marred his authority to correct others and show them the way forward.