Charlez Blog

It’s come a little late, two administration after to be precise but former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nasir el-Rufai, has gone on to list four mistakes which he said the former President Olusegun Obasanjo made while in office.
In his new book, titled, “The Accidental Public Servant,” El-Rufai who served as a minister during President Obasanjo’s tenure said the mistakes nearly tarnished the relationship that Obasanjo had with members of his Economic Management Team.
According to the book, the first was that Obasanjo had borrowed money to acquire certain government assets. The shares were offered to many government officials including former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and the then (and still serving) Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
“In my opinion, even if there was nothing wrong legally with it, there were ethical issues.
“Most of the Economic Team members declined to buy shares and we told Obasanjo that much. Yet, he went ahead, using corporate entities and borrowed from banks and bought some seven hundred million shares.”
According to el-Rufai, the president’s action made the former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Nuhu Ribadu very upset, and Ribadu challenged the President on the matter.
Next mistake was President Obasanjo’s third term desire, El-Rufai considered as a damage to all members of the government.
El-Rufai hinted it was wrong for the president to organize a fundraising for the Obasanjo Presidential Library while in office and the mistake of hand over power to persons who he said had no idea or any experience in the running of the Federal Government.
, “The fundraising for the Obasanjo Library was one issue on which Oby (Ezekwesili), Nuhu (Ribadu) and I made separate and joint representations to Obasanjo not to proceed with.
“We felt that it was inappropriate and unethical for a sitting President to raise funds for something of which he would be a direct beneficiary.
“I was strongly of the view that Obasanjo should have arranged with his successor to organise that in his honour after leaving office,” El-Rufai said.
And apparently President Obasanjo had replied that “no one would donate to the project once he was out of office.”
Threats from Ribadu  and other actions to stop the project had came to nought, El-Rufai said.
The book was finally released to 7th February 2013.