How Obasanjo protected saboteurs of Nigeria’s power sector

Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has accused former President

Speaking at the Freedom Park in Lagos on Thursday, August 2, 2018, Soyinka cautioned the opposition parties in Nigeria against losing their grip to Obasanjo.

“Obasanjo isn’t a stupid man but reads the wind and move in,” Soyinka said. “He is busy hijacking existing movements. And that is why I have warned many that have movement and that includes him, to be careful because he could hijack them.

‘’He frustrated June 12 and often put himself forward on any issue. He is welcome to reform and as his slogan maybe, the redemption process has started,” he added.

Soyinka berated Obasanjo for the treatment he meted out to Late Bola Ige over the power sector crisis.

“I was very involved in Bola Ige’s stint as the Minister of Power. After Ige died, Obasanjo claimed that the deceased never knew his left from his right,” Soyinka said.

"I found that statement unforgivable. He owes him for maligning him and sabotaging his genuine and structured efforts to transform the power sector of the country.

“I was here when Ige moved his office to Lagos to solve the power problem of Nigeria. He deliberately sabotaged the efforts of the late minister. Before Ige took office, he summoned a group of experts and mapped out strategy to transform the power sector.

"But he was sabotaged from the inside because he begged me to persuade Obasanjo to remove Sulaiman Bello from office.

“This was the man he believed was used to sabotage his efforts and the consequence we are still suffering today. Obasanjo protected the saboteurs of the power sector and that is why I challenged him to engage me publicly.”

Soyinka maintained that he could not remember the good things Obasanjo did during his tenures as President.

“I don’t remember the good he has done. It will be very difficult to find one. I can’t remember one at this moment. There are many groups emerging with very good manifesto and it is a long time between now and next year. The field is widely open,” he advised.

Soyinka had blamed the killings in Nigeria on President Muhammadu Buhari as at when due.