t was John Emerich Edward Dahlberg (1834-1902), the 1st Baron Acton of Aldenham ,in his Letter to Bishop Mandell Creighton, on April 3rd, 1887, who lamented that; "Great men are almost always bad men… There is no worse heresy than that the office sanctifies the holder of it". Nothing can be far from the truth! Some great men are truly bad men and they spell bad omen on the society and in the process they find themselves consumed by their actions, mostly because they suffers self-centered bondage.

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General Olusegun Aremu Obasanjo – a former Nigeria Army General, Ex-Head ofState, Ex-civilian President and now an Elder stateman of international repute, a merchanized farmer, a university/school proprietor, an ex-this and ex-that; is to say the least, an enigma indeed. It shows surely that he gave fate a nudge and by so doing, fortune laughed on him. He should be seen as one of, if not, the luckies Nigerians, nay Africans, that has ever live. He has everything going for him in life and whenever life seems ending for him, fate will never allow him to become a failure.

But when a man with the above criteria could be seen as someone who had seen it all, there is one ambition in his life that he is likely not going to achieve; to become the Asiwaju of Yorubaland. In Yoruba language, Asiwaju means Leader of his people, both home and abroad.. As the Law of Karma, the same Law of Reciprocity will have it: It is this same man of substance, who, in the heat of the 1979 Presidential Election battle, had this to say:"The best candidate may not or does not necessarily has to be the winner". He was indirectly referring to the avatar and sage of our time, the Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo. Fortunately, the first acclaimed Premier of the old Western Region and first Asiwaju of Yorubaland.

So, it is very true that best glory of a man and a leader for that matter, is to have a solid and strong political base in his hometown. Now as fate will have it, after Obasanjo has attained all of the above life achievemenst; it is rather unfortunately that he does not enjoy or command the full respect of his people at home in Yorubaland like the Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo. General Obasanjo allowed pride to enter his head and in the same vein, he is so self-centered that this two 'virtues' of people and self-centeredness has become cankerworms that has eaten deep into his mental fabrics. Now Obasanjo has achieved all but one and when Awolowo was not able to become Nigeria President due to the conspiracy, jealousness and envy of people like Obasanjo; thank God, Awolowo achieved this feat at the home front: He was unarguably the first Asiwaju of Yorubaland. The much-sought-after 'throne' that General Obasanjo may never mount.

Again, like he did said of Awolowo in 1979, and typical of a son who used his left hand finger to point to his father’s house; pride and self-centeredness are the twin problem of our own General that in the heat of the Presidential Election of June 1993, when the whole world had agreed that Late Chief M.K.O Abiola was the acclaimed winner of the most popular, freest and fairest Presidential Election in Nigeria and Nigerians and the whole world expected man of international image like General Obasanjo to come out and defend the truth by surmounting the courage to just confirm that: Abiola is the winner! But as usual of him and to the contrary, General Obasanjo opened his mouth in far away Kampala, Uganda and goofed by saying: "Abiola is not the messiah Nigeria needs now!". What a shameless talk! This is M.K.O Abiola, who hails from the same Abeokuta, Ogun State, where Obasanjo also was born.

Anytime that General Obasanjo perceives that any other Nigerian, and not only a Yoruba man or woman wants to meet and/or beat his records, he comes out the hard way to either destroy you or at worse, clip your wings. Examples abound in our national political history of recent times: Former Vice-President Abubakar Atiku is a case study. If not for God in His infinity mercies and with the support of many reasonable Nigerians, by today, Atiku would have become history! And if Obasanjo should know that you want to cut an edge for yourself and become another national hero, he will bring out the P.H.D (Pull Him Down) syndrome in him. For instance, despite the achievements of the Late Rev. Ransome-Kuti, his wife – Late Chief Mrs Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti(The Iyalode - Women Leader of Egbaland) and again coming from the same Abeokuta with this same Obasanjo of a man, it is very disheartening to know that in 1977, Obasanjo as the sitting military Head of State and an estranged soldier - commander, brought out his soldiers, ordered them to level down Fela Anikulapo-Kuti's music empire. The order was not to just send out the occupants, but to kill and maim them. It was during this crisis that Obasanjo’s 'mad dogs' threw out from the window, Fela's mother – the nationalist who fought for the emancipation of Egba women during the colonial days.

Sequel to the injuries sustained during this military invasion, the old Mama Africa died. The nation mourned. General Obasanjo's Federal Military Government came out to tell the 'gullible' citizens that the dastardly act was perpetrated by his own "unknown soldiers". Apart from the many lives that were lost, maimed, detained and like Fela later sang in his record: "The Unknown Soldiers" “They left tears,orrows and blood. Dem regular trademarks” Fela and his music empire lost assests worth over N25 Billion as at 1977, when the US Dollars exchange for 60 kobo and one British Pounds was to N1.20K.

General Obasanjo enjoys the masses suffering in the midst of plenty. Towards December 2002 and early 2003; the usual period of the year when he likes increasing fuel prices to make life unbearable for the generality of the populace, it was the vintage President Obasanjo who told a renowned journalist and now Chairman, Editorial Board of "The Guardian”, Dr Reuben Abati that: "I am the one who knows how much I am going to sell my oil". It now amazes one why President Yar'Adua Government has not fell down like a pack of cards, despite his not increasing the fuel prices since he came to power in May 2007. The difference between a dictator and a listening civilian is clear today.

Ditto, the same General Obasanjo, as a sitting President of the Republic, who punished the Lagos State Government under Senator Bola Ahmmed Tinubu as Governor when the later conducted election into the newly created Local Government Areas in Lagos State.These was after the constitutionally required 'referendum' has been conducted. Lagos State, has over 15 million population, but Obasanjo's Government said it has just little over 9 million. Wheresa, in some states in other party of the Republic, some states with just about 3 million population, has about 16 Local Government Areas! Obasanjo seized the Federal Allocation to Lagos States to the tune of over N34 Billion not until the Supreme Court of Nigeria delivered a judgement in favour Lagos State Government. Even at that, Obasanjo was unwilling to obey the court judgement until prominent Yoruba sons and daughters like the Late Chief Rotimi Williams, Prince Bola Ajibola, among others intervevened before N20 Billion out of N34 Billion was paid. Throughout Obasanjo's Second Term in Office, Eledua ngbo!( God I swear!), Obasanjo didn't pay the balance sum of N14Billion. Thank God, President Yar'Adua, came to the rescue of the Yoruba sons and daughters that constitutes over 80 per cent of Lagosians and other remaining 'foreigners', by paying the remaining N14Billion within five months of his Presidency. So, the same Obasanjo that starved sons and daughthers in Lagos State is now being muted as Yoruba Leader? It is a daylight dream - a pipe dream for that matter!

One will be surprised to learn that the same Chief Johnson Fasawe, a pillar of support for Obasanjo and his households during his dark days when his life was hanging in the hands of only two entities – Almighty God and the other smaller Almighty- the Calipha himself –Late General Sani Abacha of 'unblessed' memory! It will be an understatement to say that General Obasanjo is an ingrate. Ask Chiefs Dapo Sarunmi, Jibril Matins Kuye, Dr. Audu Ogbeh, Engr. Gemade and the amiable late Chief Sunday Afolabi. Then please, let's wake up the Cicero of Esa-Oke – Chief Bola Ige from his sleep. I bet in with my life- Uncle Bola will curse Gen. Obasanjo, if he were to be alive to hear what Obasanjo said about him. The above named VIPs are just few of the many who at one time or the other were with the enigma called Obasanjo. But as usual, General Obasanjo paid them with unsavoury tales too bitter to tell. For those who were fortunate enough to be alive today, they must just thank their God; while those who were not so lucky have now been covered with the dust of soil as their sleeping cover clothes. They will never pray to meet General Obasanjo either in heaven and/or in another world, if indeed there is one.

Then comes the hydra-headed dragon itself: The Third Term Debate. Baba, as he is fondly called, really turned himself to a political demagogue of our era. Having seen it all, he became consumed in power game. The jackals sold him a dummy the then Mr. President played to the gallery. After becoming a military Head of State for good three years and eight months between February 1976 to October 1979, and has fate will have it for him again, then becoming a civilian Executive President for good and solid eight years, General Obasanjo wanted to become the life President of the most populous black nation on earth, by securing the 3rd Term ticket! This remains Baba's undoing. He was fought to a standstill. Despite all his military powers and despotic designs, those who knew him very well told him to his face that: Yes, Mr. President, you are not the only person God created this country for. Sir, go and sit down in your farm in Ota till tomorrow and possibly for life. Chief Obasanjo will continue licking the political wounds forever!Even his hatchet man and former Deputy Senate President –theUndistinguished Senator Ibrahim Mantu was made to lick his own wound and to swallow the bitterest political bill in his life. Kudos to the principled people of Plateau State, who made sure that on good two occasions, Mantu was defeated in his political home front. The Nigerian nation state was saved from disintegration and another state of anarchy by the versatile 5th Senate of the Republic under the dogged and principled then Senate President- Chief Ken Nnamani. Please, can you remember how the Ex-Senate President – Chief Wabara was able to nail Obasanjo’s ambition by saying on the floor of the Senate that: “ My people has sent me to vote against Third Term!” Yes, what a better way to pay Obasanjo back in his own coin! The rest is history.

Lets come back to the main theme of this write -up: The Yoruba Leadership question : General Obasanjo, in his last eight years of ruling Nigeria, destroyed all the virtues and ethics the Yoruba nation is known for. Where is the education industry the Late Chief Awolowo built and bequeathed to our race, well over 50 years ago. The roads in the South West deteriorated from bad to worse and worse to worst. Where are the roads from Lagos-Ibadan, Sagamu-Ore, Ibadan-Ogbomoso –Ilorin. And come to it, even it is very disheartening that Baba Iyabo failed to complete the Lagos-Sango-Abeokuta Expressway in 8years. What a shame!

I could remember vividly that during his second tenure in office, he brought a Kangaroo Arrangement to Ibogun, the village in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State, where Obasanjo was raised as a child. He had come to launch the so-called Nation Health Insurance Scheme. Where is the Health Scheme today? Today, nobody hears of it again!. The power sector is the biggest casualty of Obasanjo Administration. Whereas, Nigeria needs about 120,000 megawatts to steer the economy and our sociopolitical life as a nation. Today like every other days during Obasanjo regime, on 3, 000 megawatts is being generated. The Senate Committee on Power which submitted its report last week Thursday opened a can of worms and exposed everything that went wrong. It was not only a can or a drum of worms, but an empire of reptile and scorpions.

General Obasanjo also bastardized the traditional institutions of kingship in Yorubaland. He used his power to nearly imposed the Olowu on the Paramount Ruler of Egbaland – the Alake of Egbaland. Yoruba became wary of how on earth, Olowu of Owu-Abeokuta becomes the paramount ruler over the Aworis of Ogun State. Olowu has already installed the baales and chiefs in some villages that are supposed to be under the Olota of Ota, as the paramount ruler in Aworiland. Last year alone, four prominent Chiefs were eliminated in a fracas caused by this bad precedence. If not for the intervention of Governor Gbenga Daniel by revoking/withdrawing recognitions of such baales and obas, what Yoruba would have witnessed as at today would have made the Modakeke/ Ife ‘war’ a child’s pl. In short, many lives would have been lost, unwarrantedly. What concerns General Obasanjo? After all, he has seen many corpses during the Nigeria-Biafra civil war between 1967-1970!

Moreover, the big blow and the knuckle from the home front: Allegation of incest leveled against Baba by his own blood son –Gbenga. In the heat of the divorce case instituted by his first son - against his wife - Mojisola, General Obasanjo was accused of sleeping with his son's wife! In an affidavit averred to on his behalf by Gbenga's attorney, Addeh Associates, he claimed that: He knows for a fact that the respondent (Mojisola) committed adultery with his own father, General Obasanjo, due to her greed to curry favours and contracts from him, in his capacity as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”. The allegation was contained in the tenth paragraph of the 50-paragraph affidavit. What a heresy and incest!

Finally comes the cases of political thuggery and hooliganism that brought Ibadan to its standstill. The Adedibu phenomenon was unleashed on the whole of Oyo State like never before. With the backing and sponsorship of all these atrocities by none else than General Obasanjo, the Late Chief Lamidi Adedibu terrorized Ibadan, removed a sitting Governor Ladoja, installed his estranged Deputy- Chief Alao-Akala. The Supreme Court brought him back and re-installed him. Then came the 2007 Elections, Adedibu again re-installed the same Otunba Alao-Akala as Governor. But when they were doing all these while, they have forgotten that God is there looking at them. Today Chief Adedibu is dead. Dead as dodo. Thank God, Ibadan can now sleep in peace and snores, with their eyes close without think of being attacked, even in their sleep. Today where is Baba? He is now in Ota as a chicken father he has ever been - rearing his fowls and picking laid eggs.

It is very important here to tell the whole world that, there is one salient socio-cultural philosophy among Yorubas – it is the Omoluabi Concept. The core values of Yoruba world indicates the respect for elders and other human beings, mutual love, respect for constituted authorities, honesty, mutual understanding, patriotism, sheer giver, especially to the poor ones and protection of our motherland at all times, amongst many other attributes. But can we find all these core values in the Olusegun Obasanjo of our dream? Sorry, it will rather be easier for a horse to pass through the hole of a needlethan for Obasanjo to pass these tests and by so doing become a Yoruba Leader. Maybe in another Hereafter(if there is anything of such),when a new Obasanjo will emerge!

With all these heavy loads of atrocities on the head of an enigma called General Obasanjo, Yoruba will never allow Obasanjo to be imposed on them. His PDP political sons like Bode George of this world , and other political bootlickers and sheninigans, and the quinslings of Abacha era, should look for another assignment to do and stop insulting our psyche by goofing; telling us that he is now the Yoruba Leader. Let those who will lead others first of all, lead themselves. General Obasanjo has led Nigeria but leading Yoruba race will remain his pipe dream that he will die with him. Enough is enough.