A letter of appeal to President Goodluck Jonathan from Olusegun

Obasanjo

“BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE”A summary for business executives

By BusinessDay

“I wish to see no more bloodshed occasioned by politics in Nigeria”1. Danger “lurking in the corner”2. “Semblance between the situation we are gradually

getting into... [and] the Abacha era”3. Guard, protect and defend our fledging democracy,

nourish it and prevent bloodshed4. Move away from division along “weak seams of

North-South & Christian-Moslem”5. Don’t allow the country “degenerate into economic

dormancy, stagnation or retrogression”6. A call to seize the moment: “favourable interest to

invest in Africa – an opportunity that will not be open for too long.”

Time is running out

• Doublespeak on one-term presidency & 2015• PDP candidates are been sacrificed on the altar

of GEJ’s personal and political interest• Deal with the five reactions of factional

governors: “bitterness, anger, mistrust, fear and deep suspicion”

• “Calamity of failure can still be avoided”• “Move to the centre and carry ALL along. Time

is running out.”

Corruption & Boko Haram

• “Name, shame, prosecute and stoutly fight corruption.”

• “Corruption and injustice are the fertile breeding ground for terrorism and political instability.”

• “Nigeria is bleeding and the haemorrhage must be stopped.”

Imperatives for oil and gas

• “Be decisive on the oil and gas sector so that Nigeria may not lag behind.”

• “Do not frustrate Brass LNG, [and] bring back OKLNG into active implementation.”

• Stop oil stealing; encourage investment, especially by IOCs

• “Improve the present poor management of the industry”

• Investigate NNPC’s non-remittance of $7bn

“Things that will stand [Jonathan] in good stead”

• Critics on national issues are not enemies• “Differentiate between malevolent, mischievous

and objective criticism” • “Be very wary of assistants, aides and

collaborators who look for enemies for you.”• “Talks, loose and serious, abound about possible

abuse and misuse of the military and the legitimate security apparatus for unwholesome and personal interests....”

• “Investors are already retreating from Nigeria, adopting a ‘wait and see attitude’”