By Sam Omatseye
The thing about Olusegun Obasanjo is that he does not think Olusegun Obasanjo can have peace unless Olusegun Obasanjo does not make headlines. This time, he is fighting with NNPCL. What he did was being economical with the truth. First, he pretended he wanted Shell to run it, and one of the excuses of the multinational was corruption. They probably did or did not know that the man was also offering them a corrupt deal. In the interview, Obj did not mention Tra nscorp. He only said it was Dangote. The reason is simple. He wanted to tap into the success of the Dangote refineries. Two, he dodged his own filth in the matter. Obj had a so-called blind trust in Transcorp. What is that? He had an interest, and so he wanted to be in the oil business from the backdoor. But he was only being clever by half. He wanted to bequeath a corrupt deal to posterity. This was in the mould of his Bells University and Obasanjo Library. Both he acquired by subterfuge, raking up cash by blackmailing governors and politicians.
So, he said the refineries could never work. In earnest, he was saying that he did not want the refineries to work. He was playing into a trend in both media and opposition who wanted the refineries to remain dud. They did not give NNPCL a chance. So, it was not that NNPCL could not do it. It was that he wanted the business for himself. He failed, and decades after, he is still lamenting the pepper soup that got away. He is salivating in vain.
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Well, if he says NNPCL could not do it, who is to blame? Was he not the president? Was NNPCL not reporting to him? On the face of it, we can say he failed as president. But it is more complicated than that. He wanted to fail so he could lap up another soup. He got neither. He failed and that explains why his successor who he glibly called Umoru cancelled the deal because of lack of transparency.
NNPCL has invited him to the refineries. This is the first time that humour has come out of the oil giant. Corporations can also have a sense of humour. They know the man will not oblige. But is this not the same OBJ who, like Don Quixote, thinks he is bigger than the earth. This same man who seizes any opportunity as invitee and guest of honour to play baba.
The thing is, he is still bellyaching over the last polls. He wants any opportunity, as the baba of obidients, to lash out without proof or reason at anything associated with President Tinubu. Well, he may have a blind trust in Transcorp, let him play blind at the evidence of the refineries all he wants. Those who have eyes can see.
