Former President Olusegun Obasanjo broke ranks, yesterday, with his fellow PDP members on last weekend’s lavish celebration of the release of Chief Olabode George from jail, and declared that the former NPA Chairman should be condemned and not celebrated. Chief George, a PDP stalwart, had been jailed along with four others for corruption, during his tenure as Board Chairman of the Port Authority.

His party organised an elaborate reception including a Church Service to mark his release.

The service was attended by prominent Nigerians including Chief Obasanjo, provoking outrage across the land especially against the background of the instrumentality of the PDP to the launching of the war on corruption.

But speaking on the issue for the first time in Abeokuta yesterday, General Obasanjo who initiated the establishment of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, said contrary to opinion in some quarters that Chief George’s conviction was politically motivated, he (George) “did not conduct himself properly” as NPA Chairman. He also said he (Obasanjo) attended the Lagos service in error.

His words: “I was not part of the celebration of Bode George’s release. And let us get a few things right. When Bode George went to prison, the first thing that I did was to find out things from his lawyer, what really went wrong. What the lawyer told me was not what I found eventually.

And what I found out eventually was that as far as I am concerned, Bode George did not conduct himself properly in the task that he had been given.

“And having done that, both as an elder statesman and elderly man to Bode George and as his senior in the Armed Forces and as his former Head of State, I have my job in putting him right.

“Then he sent a passionate message to me from prison urging me to attend a family church thanksgiving and I believe that for whatever any family is giving thanks in the church or in the mosque and he invites me and I am able to go there, I will go there; whether it is for marriage, for burial, house warming or christening a child. But when I got to the church, the atmosphere I found was more than a family affair.

“I even took the opportunity to ask the state PDP Chairman that is this a PDP affair ? And he told me it was not a PDP affair. Because I don’t see what PDP as a national party, as a party that is trying to form a government in Lagos State, as a party that formed government at the national level and in at least 27 states in the country, we would be celebrating criminality. Because whatever we may say, the reason Bode went to prison should be condemned by everybody and I have condemned it.

He did not go to prison for political offence. If he had been sent to prison for political offence, then he comes back and all his political associates may get round him and PDP must do something noble and wholesome but in this case, PDP as a party must dissociate itself from celebrating criminality.

“When I asked the state chairman, he said: “well, you know Area Boys, they do hijack this thing.” If it Area Boys, leave it to the Area Boys and not to PDP.

On the victory of his faction of the PDP over that of Governor Olugbenga Daniel in the struggle for the control of the party in Ogun State, Obasanjo said that the party remained one family and that reconciliation efforts were still on with the Governorship candidate; Chief Adetunji Olurin spearheading it.

He said “don’t forget that PDP is a family; there may be a little misunderstanding but we have to go to court for adjudication; the court adjudicates but as soon as possible, the family should come together and forge ahead.

“PDP nationally is a family; zonally is a family; state_wise it is a family; local government wise, it is a family; so the members in Ogun State should put behind them whatever might be their bone of contention. I am the Chairman of BOT of the PDP. As the Chairman of the BOT, I am supposed to be the conscience of the party.

Whatever be the rift, I am supposed find amicable settlement. I have done it in other states, why not in my state?

“I have told Olurin to extend his hand of fellowship to other people. I have told him to set up a reconciliation committee even before the court ruled”.

Chief Obasanjo spoke to reporters at the end of a lecture to mark his 74th birthday .

Jonathan felicitates with Obasanjo at 74

Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday congratulated Chief Obasanjo on his 74th birthday saying he would continue to seek the former leader’s wise counsel and support as he runs for the April Presidential election.

In a congratulatory letter, the President said Obasanjo has contributed immensely to the unity, cohesion and general development of the country both as a leader and citizen.

“For over half a century, you have demonstrated unwavering commitment and abiding faith in the peace, stability, unity and progress of our nation,” Jonathan noted.

He stressed that Obasanjo has remained a steadfast epitome of consummate patriotism, uncommon diligence, exceptional courage and selfless service both as a military head of state and later as elected civilian president.

“Now, more than ever before in our political development history, Nigeria needs men and women of goodwill like you who are committed to the common good and are willing to partner with us in our national transformation enterprise.”

President Jonathan expressed confidence that he can count on Obasanjo’s wise counsel and unstinting support and wishes him many more years of service to the father land.



Source: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/03/celebration-of-release-from-jail-pdp-george-got-it-wrong-obj/