Obasanjo is Dancing to Music which only he can hear - Bode George

Excerpts from a recent interview granted by PDP BOT member & leader of the National Ruling Party in the South West.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo is always at loggerheads with the Goodluck Jonathan administration. Why?

He is dancing to music which only he can hear. He has no need to be getting himself involved unnecessarily. Baba Obasanjo should stay in Ogun State, where we would all go to consult him. Look at former President Sheu Shagari and Gen. Abdusalami Abubakar (retd.), who many say birthed democracy. Abdulsalami is being praised today. You should do things that will make you be remembered for good tomorrow. After two terms and a glorious ending, he should be a father to all.

A backlash of criticism has greeted the Federal Government's handling of Chibok abduction. What's your view?

On the issue of Chibok, I look at it from both military and civilian perspective. In a typical warfare, you can discern but in this scenario, you don't know who the enemy is. They may be at the table with you, planning and discussing. In insurgency, the tactics is different. They are opening their mouths saying Jonathan does not know what to do. Bola Tinubu too is opening his mouth to say this. Does he know what to do? When he hears the sounds of a gun can he wait? Every Nigerian must be concerned about this. Our military has performed brilliantly in every part of the world they have been sent to. Now, do you think it's a matter of just going there and rooting them out? The President said something at the inter-party conference. He said he would love to be President but not at the expense of the life of one Nigerian. The Chibok case is a national disaster and should be of concern to all Nigerians. I detest the methodology adopted by Oby Ezekwesili, she is looking for cheap popularity. If it was her daughter that was there, she would not be castigating the government but her sympathy would be suggestive.

Nigerians have condemned the multi million naira pension being giving to some serving and ex-governors in the country. As a former military administrator, what's your say?

The Lagos State Guest House on Kofo Abayomi was given to Bola Tinubu as his parting gift. What did he do to deserve this? Does someone like him deserve pension after eight years in Government House? The pension law says that he must have two houses in Lagos, two in Abuja plus the financial benefit. When they said on the floor of the plenary that this was what was approved in Akwa Ibom. I called the governor and he said they have cancelled it and I said God will bless you. That is a man that respects the public opinion. but Tinubu is still collecting his own, he has not rescinded, he will say his Assembly approved it.

Culled - Punch
Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device from MTN