Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has
dismissed as “tissues of lies and untruths” some aspects of Oba Sikiru
Adetona’s autobiography.
The Awujale and Paramount ruler of
Ijebuland, in his “Awujale: The autobiography of Alaiyeluwa Oba S. K.
Adetola, Ogbagba II” (Mosuro Publishers 2010, pp. 187-195) tells of how
Obasanjo frustrated Globacom chairman Mike Adenuga’s bid to obtain a GSM
licence, despite being a beneficiary of the businessman’s generosity.
Adenuga was said to have started
building the Administration Block of Bells University, which is owned by
Obasanjo. But the ex-president, in a statement issued from his
residence, Presidential Hilltop, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, said
former Vice-Chancellor Prof. Julius Okogie invited Mike Adenuga to
contribute to the project but never told him about it until the
businessman pulled out.
Obasanjo noted that Adenuga did not need
to send anything to satisfy him or establish his innocence but only
needed to satisfy the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
According to him, by sending documents
to him (Obasanjo), the Awujale was insinuating that he was the one to
be satisfied rather than the EFCC.
The former President also stated that such documents faxed to him by Oba Adetona were not paid any attention.
Obasanjo’s response: “The extract from
your autobiography, “Awujale: The Autobiography of Alaiyeluwa Oba S. K.
Adetola, Ogbagba II”, published by Mosuro Publishers 2010, pp. 187-195,
which I attach to this letter was presented to me for my attention.
“Your assertion in the publication was a
tissue of lies and untruths. Olopade is one of my best friends and
yes, I would be at his birthday celebration but I would not have invited
Mike, your cousin, to meet me anywhere other than my office or official
residence as President of Nigeria. Kabiyesi, do you think I would set
the press up to capture me and Mike in a photograph for the newspapers?
That would be puerile of me as President. Of course, I could not say
that Mike could not do that. That you think that I, as President of
Nigeria, would descend to such depravity makes me think of you much less
than I thought of you, until now.
“The invitation to Mike to contribute to
the building of the Library block of Bells University was issued to him
by the then Vice-Chancellor, Professor Julius Okogie, who never told me
about inviting Mike to so contribute until Mike pulled out. And that I
have not and I will not talk to Mike about it should convince you that I
know nothing about its genesis.
“Under my watch, Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission, EFCC, was free to do its job as it saw fit. Common
sense would suggest that wild rumours should not be perpetrated by an
Oba of your calibre. Kabiyesi, your cousin did not tell you that my
Chief of Staff, Abdul Mohammed, put his reputation on line by assuring
EFCC that Mike would go nowhere and they should trust him to give him
his passport.
“I did not even know that Abdul had done
that until the Chairman of EFCC, Nuhu Ribadu, reported the case of my
Chief of Staff seemingly colluding with Mike to run out of the country.
But I had implicit confidence in my Chief of Staff and I was to resolve
the issue. Should your cousin not have mentioned to Abdul who
guaranteed the release of his passport his fears and intention to go on
exile?
“On several occasions, Nuhu Ribadu has
asserted that, under my watch, he was a free agent to do his work as he
deemed fit. Where it was necessary, he reported the outcome of his work
to me and the subsequent or follow-up actions he intended to take. On
no occasion did I guide, lead or direct him on what to do.
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