LAGOS—With the polity still rumbling over the
exchange of letters between President Goodluck
Jonathan and his predecessor, Chief Olusegun
Obasanjo, the National Human Rights Commission,
NHRC, will meet next week. The meeting is to
consider the request by the Federal Government for
it to investigate the allegation by Obasanjo that
President Jonathan was training snipers and had
placed 1000 political opponents on his watch list.
Vanguard gathered that the commission’s extra-
ordinary meeting of its Governing Council, slated for
January 15, will discuss modalities and parameters
under which to proceed with President Jonathan’s
request.
The Federal Government through the Attorney
General of the Federation and Minister of Justice,
Mr Mohammed Adoke, SAN, had on December 23,
last year, asked the NHRC to probe former
President Obasanjo’s letter.
Adoke had said: “May I draw your attention to the
above and the attached State House memorandum
dated December 23, 2013 in respect of the above
subject matter (Before it is too late). I am to request
you to investigate the allegations bordering on the
human rights’ violations contained on pages 9-10 of
the letter written by former President Obasanjo to
President Jonathan, attached to the memorandum
under reference.
“In order to properly delineate the issues within
your sphere of competence particularly as other
issues raised in the letter are being investigated by
appropriate agencies of government, I have decided
to reproduce the relevant paragraphs below.
“Allegations of keeping over 1, 000 people on
political Watch List rather than criminal or security
Watch List and training snipers and other armed
personnel secretly and clandestinely acquiring
weapons to match for purposes like Abacha and
training them where Abacha trained his own killers.
If it is true, it cannot augur well for the initiator, the
government and people of Nigeria.
“Here again, there is lesson to learn for anybody
who cares to learn from history. Mr. President
would always remember that he was elected to
maintain security for all Nigerians and not for
personal or political ambition or interest of anyone.
“The Yoruba race adage says, “the man with whose
head coconut is broken, may not live to savour the
taste of the succulent fruit”. Those who advise you
to go hard on those who oppose you are your worst
enemies. Democratic politics admits and is
permissible of supporters and opponents. When the
consequences come, those who have wrongly
advised you will not be there to help carry the can.
Egypt must teach some lessons.”
NHRC summons council members
Vanguard gathered from an authoritative source that
the commission had invited all members of its
Governing Council for meeting, which will decide
among other things, how to treat President
Jonathan’s request.
The meeting, according to the source, would also
decide who to invite during its investigation and how
to probe Obasanjo’s allegation and perhaps at what
level to invite the former president, if the need
arises.
Obasanjo to Jonathan
Obasanjo in his letter dated December 2, 2013 titled
“Before Its Too Late…” had said:
“Allegation of keeping over 1,000 people on political
watch list rather than criminal or security watch list
and training snipers and other armed personnel
secretly and clandestinely acquiring weapons to
match for political purposes like Abacha, and
training them where Abacha trained his own killers,
if it is true, cannot augur well for the initiator, the
government and the people of Nigeria.
“Let me repeat that as far as the issue of
corruption, security and oil stealing is concerned, it
is only apt to say that when the guard becomes the
thief, nothing is safe, secure nor protected in the
house. We must all remember that corruption,
inequity and injustice breed poverty, unemployment,
conflict, violence and wittingly or unwittingly create
terrorists because the opulence of the governor can
only lead to the leanness of the governed. But God
never sleeps, He is watching, waiting and bidding
His time to dispense justice.”
Jonathan to Obasanjo
Jonathan in his reply to Obasanjo’s letter, had
accused him of inciting Nigerians, saying
“Instigating people to cause problems and
disaffection within the party is something that you
are certainly familiar with. You will recall that
founding fathers of the Party were frustrated out of
the Party at a time. Late Chief Sunday Awoniyi was
pushed out, Late Chief Solomon Lar left and later
came back, Chief Audu Ogbeh and Chief Tom Ikimi
also left. Chief Okwesilieze Nwodo left and later
came back.
“In 2005/2006, link-men were sent to take over
party structures from PDP Governors in an unveiled
attempt to undermine the state governors. In spite
of that, the Governors did not leave the Party
because nobody instigated and encouraged them to
do so.
“Perhaps the most invidious accusation in your
letter is the allegation that I have placed over 1,000
Nigerians on a political watch list, and that I am
training snipers and other militia to assassinate
people. Baba, I don’t know where you got that from
but you do me grave injustice in not only lending
credence to such baseless rumours, but also
publicising it. You mentioned God seventeen times
in your letter. Can you as a Christian hold the Bible
and say that you truly believe this allegation?
“The allegation of training snipers to assassinate
political opponents is particularly incomprehensible
to me. Since I started my political career as a
Deputy Governor, I have never been associated
with any form of political violence. I have been a
President for over three years now, with a lot of
challenges and opposition mainly from the high and
mighty. There have certainly been cases of political
assassination since the advent of our Fourth
Republic, but as you well know, none of them
occurred under my leadership.
“Regarding the over 1000 people you say are on a
political watch list, I urge you to kindly tell Nigerians
who they are and what agencies of government are
“watching” them. Your allegation that I am using
security operatives to harass people is also
baseless. Nigerians are waiting for your evidence of
proof. That was an accusation made against
previous administrations, including yours, but it is
certainly not my style and will never be. Again, if
you insist on the spurious claim that some of your
relatives and friends are being harassed, I urge you
to name them and tell Nigerians what agencies of
my administration are harassing them.
“I also find it difficult to believe that you will accuse
me of assisting murderers, or assigning a
presidential delegation to welcome a murderer. This
is a most unconscionable and untrue allegation.
“It is incumbent on me to remind you that I am fully
conscious of the dictates of my responsibilities to
God and our dear nation. It is my hope that devious
elements will not take advantage of your baseless
allegation to engage in brazen and wanton
assassination of high profile politicians as before,
hiding under the alibi your “open letter” has
provided for them.”
