Loyalists
of former President Olusegun Obasanjo have raised alarm over alleged plans by
the Presidency to discreetly ‘deal’ with him for allegedly launching a ‘cold
war’ to discredit the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.
According
to sources, the Presidency is under pressure to revisit investigations into the
$180m Halliburton scandal. They claim that some groups are being covertly
sponsored to file petitions at the International Criminal Court (ICC) against
the former president over the killing of innocent people in Odi and Zaki-Biam
communities in Bayelsa and Benue States respectively.
The
former president had during his tenure ordered troops to invade Odi over the
killing of military men by militants. A similar infraction that provoked the
same measure happened in Zaki-Biam.
The
alleged counter-attack by the Presidency is coming against the backdrop of
recent public criticism of President Goodluck Jonathan’s handling of the Boko
Haram insurgency and other security challenges by Obasanjo.
Barely
a week after the airing of the critical comments, Jonathan hit back during his
presidential media chat saying that rather than stamp out militancy, the Odi
invasion only killed innocent old people and children.
The
spat between the president and his erstwhile godfather is seen in political
circles as the latest evidence of increasingly tense 2015 power struggle within
the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP). Obasanjo is said not to be
favourably disposed towards backing a Jonathan second term. He is suspected to
be one of the boosters of a potential presidential bid by the Jigawa State
Governor, Sule Lamido with the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, as the
undercard.
Investigations
by our correspondent confirmed that the camp of the former President had been
gripped with fear in the last one week over the alleged plot by certain forces
in the presidency to launch a campaign of calumny against him.
It
was learnt that the ex-President after receiving intelligence alert last
weekend tried to stop some negative advertisements against him in some
newspapers, but he only succeeded in convincing a South-West-based newspaper to
grant him concession.
Apart
from media attacks, loyalists of the ex-President are disturbed about moves to
revisit investigations into the Halliburton scam, as well as plans by some
influential groups to go to the ICC.
A
highly reliable source in Obasanjo’s camp, who spoke in confidence yesterday,
said: “They are planning to deal with Baba because they think he will not
support the 2015 project. Already, they have started this plot with media
attacks, including placement of indicting advertisements against Obasanjo.
“We
have got intelligence report that some people are trying to prevail on the
Presidency to revisit the $180m Halliburton scandal since Mr. Adeyanju Bodunde,
a former Personal Assistant to Obasanjo, was implicated in the alleged scam.
“They
are plotting to frame up the ex-President in the Halliburton scandal. It is sad
that they are desperate; they want to hang something on Obasanjo’s neck in
order to intimidate him to shelve any involvement in 2015 project. Yet, we are
in a democracy. Obasanjo should be entitled to his opinion no matter how bitter
it is.”
Bodunde
was arraigned in 2010 alongside George Mark, Jeffrey Tesler (now at large),
Hans George Christ, Heinrich J. Stockhausen, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, and
Bilfinger Berger GMBH.
George
Mark, Jeffrey Tesler, Hans George Christ, Heinrich J. Stockhausen; Julius
Berger Nigeria Plc, Bilfinger Berger GMBH were alleged to have sometime between
2002 and 2003 conspired to make several cash payments of $1million (five times)
totalling in equivalent the sum of $5million to Bodunde. They were alleged to
have committed the offence contrary to Section 16 of the Money Laundering Act
1995(as saved by Section 23(2) of the Money Laundering Act 2004) and punishable
under Section 15(2) and (3) of the Money Laundering Act 1995(as saved by
Section 23(2) of the Money Laundering Act, 2004). Julius Berger had engaged in
plea bargain.
The
source also admitted that if there is any worry at all in Obasanjo’s camp, it
is the ICC dimension to the plot against the former President.
“They
want to use some groups to write petitions to ICC on Odi military campaign in
1999 and the Zaki-Biam issue. Their plan is to put an obstacle before Obasanjo
to distract him from serving as a rallying point for politicians of like minds
seeking a fundamental change in 2015,” he said.
“At
least a group from Bayelsa State has indicated interest in filing petition
before the ICC. So, you can see what we are saying and why we have every cause
to be concerned. Even at that, Obasanjo has not told any of his associates the
direction he wants to go in 2015. I do not know what is behind this
witch-hunt.”
When
contacted, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr.
Doyin Okupe, said: “What I can say is that this government is not witch-hunting
anybody, it does not do so.
“Let
me put it on record that it is not the style of President Goodluck Jonathan to
witch-hunt or intimidate anybody. The President is an extremely liberal person,
he does not believe in vengeance or oppressing anyone.”
Okupe
also denied any crisis of confidence between the President and Obasanjo.
He
added: “The media may present the situation as if there is a problem between
the President and ex-President Obasanjo, but there is no truth in such
insinuation. From inside, I do not see any issue or disagreement between the
President and our former leader.
“Ex-President
Obasanjo is an elder statesman and somebody that enjoys the love and respect of
the Presidency.”
Source:
The Nation
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