Bode George: The Conspiracy That Sent Me to Jail!

Former National Deputy Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Olabode Ibiyinka George, in an interview with journalists in Lagos, recounts his imprisonment ordeal. Shola Oyeyipo presents the excerpts:

What are your reflections on your incarceration?

Looking back, it was a trial that strengthened me. It was a trial that exposed me to the awesomeness of the Almighty God. God told us in his word, the Holy Bible, that He didn’t say we will not have trouble, but that if you trust him, He will be with you. I remember the first few days when we were convicted; I was hell shocked. The initial reaction was that I was being cheated as a soldier. And once someone does that to you, your adrenaline will rise. Thank God I couldn’t get an AK 47 as at that time. We went into the prison, settled down and my wife brought my usual prayer books.

Can you recall what led to your imprisonment?
It was like a joke. It was like a huge joke. First of all, the management team had some disagreements among themselves. They were fighting. They came to report to me what was going on amongst them. And I tried to intervene. But the friction was getting bigger and stronger and I reported to the president, then Baba (President Olusegun Obasanjo) was the president. I said, sir, the management in Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), is having problem among themselves; I don’t know what to do.

He said I should tell the minister. Thank God that minister is still alive today. So I reported to the minister that you need to intervene in this management friction. Eventually, they set up a committee to look into the NPA. The committee gave a report of what they found and there was nothing to with the board or me. We were told that Baba said they should do a forensic examination. And they did forensic investigation.

If you would remember, Ribadu, when he was asked, said there was nothing; that if you have any political problem with Bode George, you go and solve it with him. If you have any information, you can come with it. It is systemic failure. Those were his words. Nobody ever invited me for any questioning until, there was change in government. I was the Director-General of the campaign that brought Yar’Adua and Jonathan in. Before the struggle for position started my mind was on the party issue. By that time, I had spent about eight years in the management of the party.

There were maneuvering; the usual petty fighting; innuendos. That wasn’t my own. I have retired in the military after over twenty years and got to the rank I did. So I went abroad to have a break. I thought the chairmanship of the party was going to be zoned to the
South-west. Somehow, it was taken to the South-east, which was an anomaly. I went away to cool off. By the time I return, we had a meeting at the party secretariat where they said they were going to hold another national convention.

I told them, we have just finished one convention, why another one? Particularly, they were going to look at the issue of the BoT. The party felt that the power that was given to the BoT chairman was an aberration. They wanted to expunge that from our party constitution. So they needed another constitution. I was pleading that lets wait for another few months for the party to settle down.

I remember that day as I left, somebody told me that something was brewing in EFCC about the NPA and said I should go and find out. I went to the office of Minister of Justice and Attorney-General- that was Aondoaka. That night, there was a swamp of people from EFCC in my house. You would think it was a war. They were knocking and shouting. I came out and asked what do you want? They said Mrs. Farida wants to see me. See me at this time? That was the beginning of the convoluted conspiracy.

Looking back now, you will know that some people intentionally said they wanted Bode out of any consideration, because I remember that Yar’Adua, after we finished the meeting of the zoning, had told me himself that we’ll work together in the villa. That was what he told me. I said as your Lord pleases. Those who were part and parcel of Bode must not be there were surreptitiously working. It was when we got there (EFCC) that they started saying there are charges. Now I can now look back and tell the world the conspirators.

Farida played a very key role because she was in charge. I met her once at the stairway on the way to the office of the president. I saw her with Aondaaka. He was already the Attorney-General. The two of them were coming out of the President's office. I was going in. The lady came back and was greeting me. I didn’t know her; so I asked her are you a member of staff in the presidency? Are you one of the new ministers?  She said sir, I know you very well; I know your wife. It was then she said she was Farida Waziri.

Then I said now it is your husband I know very well.  And we exchanged pleasantries on that stairway. Then she said there was a case that her predecessors handled and that there was nothing in it. I said which case, she said the NPA case but that there was no problem. I then went to see the president and we discussed totally unrelated things and I left. I didn’t know Aondoaka is from the same local government as she.
Looking back, I can now say okay, some people didn’t want me to work in the Villa.

Why do you think so, looking back?
They wanted an empire for themselves to control because having been the Director-General in the campaign and the man having told me we were going to work together, who could have been more stronger? That was their theory. The thinking was that having a case, nobody will give you any consideration. But you know the awesomeness of the Almighty God; everybody that was involved was kicked out with disgrace. I am saying this publicly for young persons who are coming to learn a lesson. If you continue to plan evil for people, be ready for tons and tons of evil.

Would you say internal party issues contributed to your travails and second, what is your relationship with Chief Obasanjo presently?
I was Deputy National Chairman. I was deputy to Dr. Ahmadu Ali. And then for the presidential primaries and election, I was made the Director-General. That was all. What did we do? If you did anything that was recognised or people thought was good, next is getting a position that gives you a closer relationship with the number one. It was a good working relationship. But some people had their own idea. And the only way was to punish this one.
Of course, Farida was brought in by them. So, it was easy to rope Bode George. What did we do? It was just to remove me from consideration. Not knowing that the master planner was at work; sitting there looking at these people maneuvering on the chess board. Where are they now? Some of them who were the hunters then are now being hunted.
Once you have an opportunity to do anything for the country, remember there would be a day after. There is no perpetuity and the day after, people will look at you and challenge you.
What is my relationship with former President Obasanjo? Baba will remain Baba. It cannot be like before. I was Baba's man Friday in the party and I have no regret about that. Like I always tell people, it is Turn-by-Turn Nigeria limited. You need your trusted people in certain areas in this country. Even in America. For me and Baba, there is no love lost. Baba is no longer President and I am no longer the Deputy National Chairman. But as an African child, you must give respect to the elders as it is said in the Holy Book. For me, nothing lost. If I see Baba, it is the usual greetings. It cannot be as before.

I have learnt a lot during the crisis and there was actually one major thing that pained me. After we left prison, we went to thank God and we brought Baba there. As for Baba, I don't know where that thing that we are 'celebrating criminality' came from. Because when you worked for somebody loyally and with commitment; what are we celebrating? When Baba left prison, there was thanksgiving because he didn't die there. Others who were politically incarcerated; if you don't die there, you pick some diseases. So what did you want us to do? If I invited all those people that came that day, I must be a super human being.

First of all, thank God, that I was healthy. For 18 months, I never went to hospital.  I am not bitter. You remember the day we came out? At the church service, the President sent a representative. At the reception here, the first lady came. What other encouragement do you need?

Can there be a compensation for this?
God has already compensated me. I don't need any compensation. The fact that I went there, came, I didn't suffer any disease and my faculty is still razor sharp, what other compensation do I need? The only compensation that I need is to be able to tell other Nigerians to learn from this and to tell those in authority never to use their position to oppress others.