I wasalready a young man when OBJ/ATIKU regime took off in 1999. The expectation washigh as expected because it was a transition from Military regime to a civilianregime although the military packaged the new president from Prison toPresidency.
Thesignature of OBJ/ATIKU first term was the introduction of GSM and severalscandals while the second term was about reforms and scandals too.
In fact,one can successfully summarized the OBJ/ATIKU regime as simply scandalousbecause everything they touched, scandals erupted.
Let usstart!
1) Elections under OBJ/ATIKU.Everythingthat could go wrong went wrong under them during the 2003 elections, theydeployed practically everything unimaginable to install their puppet inopposition states.In factunder suspicious circumstances leading opposition leaders were murdered fromChief Bola Ige, Harry Marshal, etc while Chuba Okadigbo did not survive thetear gas he suffered during a rally against OBJ/ATIKU regime.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/1746863.stmNigerian wanted for minister's murder.https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/usaafricadialogue/jghXqp6r_QoBola Ige Daughter says Obasanjo Haunted by Father's Ghost !http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/2821299.stmSenior politician killed in Nigeria-A leading opposition politician has beenshot dead in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, ahead of general elections in April.https://dawodu.com/aluko34.htmThe Political Assassination of Harry Marshall -A Compilationhttp://videonews.guru/video/jWClM7oLBgd/Atrocities-Of-The-Olusegun-Obasanjo-Regime-FULL-INTERVIEW.ht...The do ordie concept was the only way elections were conducted under them, severalexamples abound mainly in the opposition states especially in the South West ofNigeria.https://www.thecable.ng/atiku-i-could-have-delivered-lagos-to-pdp-in-2003-but-i-decided-to-leave-it-...
2) Oil licenses allocation underOBJ/ATIKU.There is nobetter way to explain this than the recent interview of Chief Wole Soyinka.https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/08/obasanjo-awarded-oil-blocks-for-sex-wole-soyinka/Some of thecases relating to the oil licenses are still in court till today including thefamous OPL245.Variouscorruption scandals broke out under Olusegun Obasanjo's presidency, includingone of international dimensions when his vice president was caught in cahootswith a US Congressman stashing cold hard cash (literally) in freezers. Inaddition to this, the KBR and Siemens bribery scandals broke out under hisadministration, which was serially [clarification needed] investigated by theFBI and led to international indictments indicating high-level corruption inhis administration. According to reports,[29] "while Nigeria dithered, theUnited States Department of Justice on January 18, 2012 announced that aJapanese construction firm, Marubeni Corporation, agreed to pay a $54.6 millioncriminal penalty for allegedly bribing officials of the Nigerian government tofacilitate the award of the $6 billion liquefied natural gas contract in Bonny,Nigeria to a multinational consortium, TSKJ". They paid bribes to Nigeriangovernment officials between 1995 and 2004, in violation of the United StatesForeign Corrupt Practices Act.Some otheracts of corruption tied to Olusegun Obasanjo included the Transcorp sharesscandal that violated the code of conduct standards for public officers, andthe presidential library donations at the eve of his exit from power thatpressured associates to donate.[30] Obasanjo was also said to widely lobby forhis failed campaign to alter the constitution to get a third term by activelybribing the legislators.[31] further deepening corruption at the highest levels.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corruption_in_Nigeria
3) Abuja Stadium / COJA under OBJ/ATIKUThe scandalaround the building of the 54billion stadium was ongoing when the actual gamesactually took place and that was ridded with scandal too.
4) LNG / Power projects under OBJ/ATIKUhttp://nationaldailyng.com/heads-may-roll-as-buhari-reopens-halliburton-siemens-cases/‘There areindications that the scandal which has passed through year 1994 under GeneralAbubakar Abdusalami administration to 2004 under President Olusegun Obasanjoadministration, entails bribes by Kellogg, Brown and Root, KBR, Halliburtonsubsidiary to secure the $6 billion contract to build the Bonny Island NaturalLiquefied Gas Project for the Federal Government.Theinvestigative report show that “A network of secretive banks and offshore taxhavens was used to channel US$182 million in bribes to Nigerian officials inexchange for US$6 billion in engineering and construction work for aninternational consortium of companies that includes a then Halliburtonsubsidiary.”HSBC Bankin London was disclosed to be the conduit for the bribes.A prominentname in the United Kingdom (UK) had featured constantly in the Halliburtonscandal. Essentially, Jeffrey Tesler, a UK-based lawyer, was indicted forhaving very close ties with corrupt leaders in Nigeria. He was said to bereputable in the estate business in Nigeria.’
5) PTDF scandals under OBJ/ATIKUBothPresident Olusegun Obasanjo and his deputy, Atiku Abubakar, were this morningindicted by the Senate Ad-Hoc committee which investigated the activities ofthe controversial Petroleum Trust Development Fund (PTDF).Thecommittee, which submitted its report to the Senate this morning, specificallyaccused President Obasanjo of abuse of office and diversion of PTDF fund topurposes other than for which the funds were meant. But despite indicting bothObasanjo and Atiku in the management of the funds, the committee failed torecommend any punitive measures for both, preferring the Senate to decide onthis. The Senatecommittee also recommended the need for the National Assembly to show moreinterest in the activities of PTDF by exercising its oversight functions on thefunds. The report also admitted in evidence testimony of the VP and this was substantiallyused by the committee to arrive at its conclusions.https://www.proshareng.com/news/Nigeria-Economy/Atiku--Obasanjo-took-PTDF-money-for-3rd-Term-Transco...http://saharareporters.com/2007/02/28/breaking-news-ptdf-scandal-senate-indicts-obj-atiku-impeachmen...
6) GSM licence to Glo OBJ/ATIKUThe posterprogram of their regime was affected by corruption scandal with the utilizationof FG money to pay for the licence through inside trading of FG’s money througha private bank from PTDF fund.
7) Refineries and other infrastructureunder OBJ/ATIKUTheyremained terribly inefficient throughout the 8yrs of their regime. a. Lagos-Ibadan Express Road - Not done in 16yrs.b. East-West road - Not completed in 16yrs.c. 2nd Niger Bridge -Not completed in 16yrs.d. Loto-Iweto Bridge in Benue - Not completed in 16yrs.e. No new refinery was built in 8yrs.f. Several multi million dollars TurnAround Maintenance for the refineries riddled with corruption.
8) Privatization of companiesunder OBJ/ATIKU‘Civilrights attorney, Femi Falana, has called on the Nigerian government toimmediately commence the prosecution of former president, Olusegun Obasanjo,his deputy and cronies involved in the criminal disposal of national assets.He wasspeaking to SaharaReporters yesterday at the conclusion of the hearing of thead hoc Senate committee which is probing the privatisation andcommercialization of government businesses since 1999.Giving theexample of the Delta Steel Company in Aladja Delta State, Falana said that the company was built with $3.2 billionby the Nigerian government, roughly translating to N480 billion, but was soldto a company believed to be fronting for Obasanjo for N7.5 billion ($120million).He furthercalled for the retrieval of the 128 nationally owned companies"privatized" by the Obasanjo regime to the federal government ofNigeria.’http://saharareporters.com/2011/08/12/how-obasanjo-and-atiku-destroyed-nigerias-privatisation-proces...http://saharareporters.com/2011/08/14/prosecute-obasanjo-and-others-involved-nigerias-privatization-...https://www.nigerianmuse.com/20071225100551zg/nigeria-watch/official-fraud-watch-towards-fraud-free-...
9) SAGEM and National Identity CardProject under OBJ/ATIKUA Frenchfirm, Safran, has been fined about N100 million (500,000 euros) by a court inParis for bribing public officials in Nigeria to secure the N33.5 billion contract for the printing ofmore than 70 million identity cards between 2000 and 2003. Safran, a Frenchaeronautics and defence group, was found guilty by the investigatingmagistrates, of giving bribes to Nigerian officials that helped it win the contract.https://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/09/n34bn-id-card-scam-french-court-fines-coy-for-bribing-nigerian-o...https://www.nigerianmuse.com/20061228122222zg/nigeria-watch/official-fraud-watch-towards-fraud-free-...
10) Third term scandal under OBJThird TermTakes Shape By Ademola Adegbamigbe President Olusegun Obasanjo perfectsstrategies to elongate his tenure The drama now has all the trappings of areversal of roles in its comic and serious dimensions. When General IbrahimBabangida, IBB for short, was military President, riding roughshod over hissubjects, manipulating politicians like a puppeteer and adopting all the tricksin the book to sit tight in office, Olusegun Obasanjo, a retired general tendinghis fowls and pigs in his Ota farm, was a pain in his neck.http://saharareporters.com/2006/02/16/obasanjos-3rd-term-agenda-and-those-behind-it-thenewssahararep...
In conclusion, democracyis a game of numbers where majority we have their way and minority their say.While itremains the responsibility of everyone to make a choice when it comes toleadership of a country but history will be kind when one makes genuine effortsto improve the quality of leadership of once country. It ispeople's choice to make whether to vote to A-ti-ku or not but for anyone whowas old enough to remember what transpired from beginning of that OBJ/ATIKUregime till the end to even contemplate voting for one of them, then the persondeserves the leader who or she elects after.Like seriously,one will honestly leave his or her house to vote for A-ti-ku to lead this greatcountry, it shall be well with US.
