Posted by By ERIC OSAGIE, Abuja on
Smoke literally belching from his nostrils, an angry Mr. Gbenga Obasanjo, son of Nigeria's President Olusegun Obasanjo, hit back at his critics at the weekend, just as he swore that he knew nothing about the 22million dollars allegedly found in his several bank accounts scattered across the United States of America.
Smoke literally belching from his nostrils, an angry Mr. Gbenga Obasanjo, son of Nigeria's President Olusegun Obasanjo, hit back at his critics at the weekend, just as he swore that he knew nothing about the 22million dollars allegedly found in his several bank accounts scattered across the United States of America.
"Can't you guys see they are just trying to blackmail my dad because of the anti- corruption war he is waging? The press is writing out of ignorance, I am sorry to say. What happened to investigative journalism? If they say I have 22million dollars in my accounts, what are the account numbers? Where is the money?
Let them show where I kept the money? If they say I have a house, that I bought a house in London, where is the house? Let them show where I bought the house."
This is the first time the younger Obasanjo will be speaking on sundry accusations against him, including the allegation that he had used his father's influence to corner for himself mouth-watering deals in several sectors of the economy.
Speaking exclusively to Daily Sun on telephone, after reading an open letter to him in one of our columns, THE FLIPSIDE, which challenged him to speak on wide-range of scandals surrounding him, the president's son said he was sad at "the mountain of rumours being peddled about him without any attempt to verify the truth or authenticity of such reports."
A medical doctor formerly based in US, Gbenga, also bared his mind on the alleged COJA contracts, COGHM, Virgin Atlantic and sundry issues. Hear it from the horse's mouth:
"I am Gbenga Obasanjo. I have just read what you wrote in your column today (Saturday). People have been calling me from different parts of the country, asking if I had read the Saturday Sun and your column. I have the paper before me as I speak to you now, that's where I got your number. First, I want to correct the impression that it is difficult to reach me as you said. I am not difficult to reach, if you had asked around. I am accessible, if you had asked around. There is also the mistake a lot of people make. They believe I am Baba's first son. I am not.
I have an elder brother, Segun. Also, like most people who have written about me, I want to say you wrote out of ignorance, I am sorry to say. I don't mean to be insulting. You merely regurgitated what people are saying on the streets, the fallacies they are making.
"You see, I have not spoken since all these times because I am not a government official. Even though my father is in government, I am not a public official. I am speaking to you because of what you wrote, that why can't I speak for myself? Why am I allowing my dad to speak for me?
"Let me take the issue you raised one after the other. You talked about COJA. That I made money from COJA. That's not correct. On my honour, I didn't do any contract with COJA. You can go and find out. It's part of the ignorance and laziness in the Nigerian media. I won't deny that my friends got contract from COJA. A friend of mine got contract to supply mattress during COJA. I can't say he is no longer my friend because he did contract with COJA. I have friends who do business, but they are not my fronts and I don't make cuts from them.
"They also talk about 22million dollars traced to my accounts in the United States. That is the most unintelligent thing any one can say. Where is the 22million dollars? What are the account numbers? Can't you guys see that they are trying to blackmail my dad because of the war he is waging against corruption? Is it not interesting that it is the same week, two days or so after it was reported that Abba Abacha, Abacha's son, was caught with 2.2billion naira, that is the same time they are reporting that I have 22million dollars? The same amount and then the same number of accounts they said Abacha's son had, that's what they claimed I have.
"Mr. Osagie, let me also tell you, it is impossible to have that kind of amount lodged in US and you will have peace. If they say I have 22million dollars, where is it? It is funny how far people can go in their bid to tarnish one, just because one is the president's son. The American ambassador has said that the American President did not speak to my dad about any 22million dollars and you people still go on talking about it.
Then, they said I have a house in London. Of course, I don't. When I travel to US, I stay in the home of one of the governors of the South-East, because I don't have any house abroad.
"People just wake up and say things they like. There are so many things they have also said about me. Some of them really ridiculous. That I have a Hummer Jeep. If I have a Hummer Jeep, where then do I park it? Who has seen me cruising in it? To tell you the truth, I have never even entered a Hummer Jeep in my life, not to talk of owning one.
"Then, there is the story of Virgin Atlantic. That I own shares there. You see why I say the media here are lazy. There is CAC. Is it not a question of going there and verifying. Let them go and find out if there are any phoney names or names they can't trace, proxies or whatever. It's not enough to simply peddle rumours.
Honestly, I am sad for this country. I feel bad when they write or say these things like you have done, just because I am Baba's son and some people are uncomfortable with what Baba is doing. Look at Ajaokuta, the people I introduced are doing well, and I am happy I introduced them. What's wrong if I introduce Virgin Atlantic, since they are one of the best in the world? You people are not bothered about the Pentascope deal and those who are busy buying up the country. It is Gbenga Obasanjo you are talking about. Later Nigerians will realise that these people have bought up the whole country and by then, it will be too late. Honestly, I feel sad. I feel bad. It can be painful."