WASTEFUL PROJECTS: Presidency F!res back at Obasanjo

The Nigerian presidency has reacted to former President Olusegun Obasanjo's criticism of President Bola Tinubu's projects, dismissing his claims as baseless and misleading.

Obasanjo had condemned the N15.6 trillion Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, calling it wasteful and corrupt.

He also criticized the Tinubu administration for approving N21 billion for a new official residence for Vice President Kashim Shettima, labelling it an unnecessary expense and a misplaced priority.

The former president made these remarks in his new book, Nigeria: Past and Future, where he analyzed the leadership styles and decisions of Nigerian leaders. The book was launched last week as part of his 88th birthday celebrations.

In response, Tinubu's Special Adviser on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, took to X (formerly Twitter), accusing Obasanjo of hypocrisy and poor leadership during his own time in office.

"While it is common for many elder statesmen to write books aimed at sanctifying their days as the leader of the country despite obvious flaws, another elder statesman, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has just published a memoir containing claims that would further relegate his integrity as the leader who opened Nigeria to the cankerworms of corruption,ÔÇØ Olusegun wrote.

He accused Obasanjo of neglecting critical projects during his tenure.

He said, "By underplaying the importance of the Lagos-Calabar project in his latest book, President OBJ has not only affirmed to those who witnessed his administration's several failures to address the needs of the country when he had the opportunity, but he has also put in written form, a position which generations to come will indeed question when the road that will end up as one of the most significant endeavors of any Federal Government in the history of the country finally becomes a reality.ÔÇØ

Olusegun further argued that Obasanjo failed in infrastructure development despite spending eight years in office. According to him, "It took former President Buhari just three years to deliver the first modern rail to pass through Baba's backyard in Abeokuta. The Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, one of Nigeria's most important road projects, remained incomplete under Baba and the PDP for 16 years until Buhari completed it.ÔÇØ

He also referenced other abandoned projects, such as the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, which he claimed had to be inherited by Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun in 2024 because Obasanjo failed to complete it despite holding power.

"Should we delve into the corruption that brought Nigeria's power sector to its knees despite the claims of spending billions of dollars to fix the same under his administration? Or his failure to revive our refineries, killing our steel industry, and the fraudulent privatization of NITEL, among others?ÔÇØ Olusegun added.

The presidential aide accused Obasanjo of being jealous of Tinubu's leadership. His words, "Like the Sokoto-Badagry Highway and Lagos-Abuja Highway, the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road is a project that will change the economic landscape of our country for life. Former President OBJ must pretend not to be jealous of the master strategist who is rewriting the history of the southwestern presidency by fixing all that needs to be fixed across the country.ÔÇØ

"President Tinubu will not be deterred by distractions such as these, and believe me, Nigerians who understand development will not be distracted at this point,ÔÇØ he added.