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Tag: Obasanjo

  • Obasanjo: why I didn’t know my father had tribal marks

    Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, yesterday broke his silence on his late father, saying for many years he could neither tell how the man looked nor did he know that his father had the Owu “tribal marks” on both cheeks.

    Obasanjo, who attributed the phenomenon to some of the inhibiting African cultural practices, which present the youth as people that should be seen and not heard, said he could not look at his father in the face when growing up because African culture made him to turn his face downward whenever his father was talking.

    The Balogun of Owu Kingdom, who spoke at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, during a Regional Summit on ‘Women and Youth in the Promotion of Cultural Security and Development in Africa’, added that he “suffered” for many years on account of the restrictive cultural practices.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Obasanjo: dearth of good leaders, bane of development

    Obasanjo: dearth of good leaders, bane of development

    ... Express shock over graduate – drivers in Nigeria

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday said he was shocked when told sometime ago by the Chairman of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, that six PhD holders and hundreds of masters degree holders applied for truck drivers positions in his company.

    In Obasanjo’s estimation, the incident resulted from the problems of job creation, wealth creation, among other challenges facing the country.

    Not a few Nigerians were disturbed and scandalised  last year by newspaper reports that six  Phd holders and over 600 masters degree holders, aside first degree holders, applied as truck drivers to Dangote Group of Companies.

    But yesterday, the former Chairman Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who spoke in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, during African Regional Inter- collegiate Debate on Human Security at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), said dearth of good leaders is the bane of development in Nigeria.

    The debate drew participants from some secondary schools within Nigeria and Cotonou, Republic of Benin and undergraduate students from the nation’s universities, including University of Lagos and Bells University of Technology, Ota, Ogun State.

    Obasanjo noted that there are many Nigerians but not many leaders and said efforts should be made to change the situation.

    He said: “In Nigeria, with due respect, there are not many good leaders in Nigeria; we have many Nigerians and not good leaders in Nigeria which can be extended to Africa and leadership problem is something we have to correct because we can not continue the way it is.

    “We have problems of job creation, employment generation and wealth creation, it doesn’t matter who emerges as winner of the debate, to me all aspects of education must be embraced.”

    He said the yoke of poverty can only be broken from a people if they are educated to check the scourge from spreading to succeeding generations.

    Obasanjo said :”if you want to break the irk of poverty, education is the instrument to do that. Yorubas say three generations don’t go into chronic poverty. The future belongs to the youth because nobody can help Africa than we Africans.

    “I must confess that when the idea of the debate was mentioned to me, I did not know it will be inspiring and interesting. What I saw today is beyond my expectation and what we’ve achieved today, we should build on it.”

     

  • PRESIDENTIAL SUMMIT ON WATER

    PRESIDENTIAL SUMMIT ON WATER

  • Ex-Olympian urges FG to fulfill 2002 promise

    Ex-Olympian urges FG to fulfill 2002 promise

    A 2004 Athens Olympic Games bronze medalist, Uchenna Emedolu, on Friday appealed to the Federal Government to fulfill the promise made to him by former president Olusegun Obasanjo.

    Emedolu said in Lagos that Obasanjo had promised him a plot of land and naming a street after him for winning the 9th IAAF World Cup in Spain in 2002.

    He told the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos that the appeal had become necessary because the promises made to the Super Eagles for winning the 29th Africa Cup of Nations were fulfilled.

    “The promise was made by former president Olusegun Obasanjo, after I won the 9th IAAF World Cup in Madrid, Spain in 2002.

    “I was told that a street will be named after me and that a piece of land will be given to me.

    “And up till now, I have not received anything. I use this medium to ask the Federal Government to look into the promise of the former president in 2002,” he said.

    The Olympic bronze medalist said that he was glad that some of the promises made to the Super Eagles were being fulfilled and hoped that something similar should be extended to him.

    Emedolu added that other sportsmen and women should also be encouraged like the Super Eagles.

     

  • Obasanjo rues failure of indigenization policy

    Obasanjo rues failure of indigenization policy

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Thursday regretted that the indigenization policy he introduced as a military head of state did not succeed as planned.

    Obasanjo said he believed then that there was no way to manage Nigeria’s economy except by indigenization.

    The former president spoke in Benin City during a courtesy visit to Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole.

    He said, “One time you were living the life of a radical but now I have seen that you are now living the life of realism. But we all do that, because when I was head of state and I believed that there was no way to manage the Nigeria economy except by indigenization.

    “And we have to work for indigenization, and the truth is that indigenization did not succeed as we wanted it to succeed. So when I had the opportunity and God gave me the second chance I learnt from my past and I became an apostle of genuine private sector led economic drive.

    “And I do hope that the governor is learning the lesson I have learnt in the past. I can see the signs that the state which was ruined down before is now being run up. I commended the governor for that,” he said.

    In a chat with journalists, Obasanjo said he has nothing to say on corruption and insecurity because he had been insulted severally over his previous comments.

    He said, “I have flogged the issue of corruption internally and externally. I flogged it every day and some people go along with me because they agreed that it is a problem that we have to face squarely while some persons also accused me. Some people do all sort of things.”

    “The point is that when you have a problem and you attempt to cover it you are not solving the problem if anything you are complicating it.

    “On the issue of security I have talked about it. I have been called names and I have gone out on fact- finding missions and I have found out what is there and what is not there. I have talked and reported and I have nothing more to say,” he added.

     

  • Gowon, Obasanjo, Buhari, others support Jonathan on centenary celebrations

    Gowon, Obasanjo, Buhari, others support Jonathan on centenary celebrations

    Some former leaders, including Gen. Yakubu Gowon, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, were at the State House, Abuja, on Monday night to support President Goodluck Jonathan in beginning the centenary celebration slated for January 1, next year.

    The amalgamation of the Southern and Northern Protectorates, which made up the Nigerian nation in 1914 by the British colonial administration, would be 100 years old on January 1, next year.

    The event, which began at 8:30 pm and ended about 11 pm at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, had Pa Buhari, a 120-year-old from Zungeru in Niger State, who witnessed the 1914 amalgamation and a boy and a girl, representing the younger generation, lighting the centenary torch.

    Noting that the amalgamation was not a mistake but an act of God, Jonathan said it created a unique entity of the globe called Nigeria; a beautiful country richly blessed, which has turned out innovative people across the globe.

    Besides the endowed natural resources, he said Nigeria is blessed with a unique collection of people specially created by God.

    According to him, the “one Nigeria” consciousness, which has kept the nation together, must be guarded.

    He said it was a unique act of God that the country had survived a civil war and other challenges.

    Jonathan said: “The unity of Nigeria is indivisible and non-negotiable. We must remain the forward looking people we are.

    “I see a united, powerful and prosperous nation that will make the generation yet unborn very proud. Arise, we shall and prosper we will.”

    Gen. Gowon described Nigeria as “a unique nation, a nation of diverse, strong and hard working people.”

    According to him, not many nation could survive 100 years of cohesiveness despite the diverse nature of the nation and the challenges it has gone through.

    Unveiling the centenary logo, he said: “May the emblem symbolise a rallying point for the unity of the nation.

    “May it be a reminder of our entity, unity and oneness, which are not negotiable and serve as a symbol of peace, unity and prosperity.”

    Chief Obasanjo recalled his 2003 national broadcast when he asked: “If you cannot love Nigeria and be positive about it and make contributions to its progress, then I should ask you what sort of Nigerian are you?”

    He told Nigerians that after 100 years of staying together, they should remain focused on the quest for making Nigeria a “humane, just and progressive” nation.

    After his remarks, Obasanjo presented the centenary theme: ‘One Nigeria, Great Promise’.

    Gen. Abubakar noted that Nigeria, for surviving 100 years and more of co-existence despite the challenges, is in the league of countries like India, China, Egypt, Ethiopia and Amenia.

    He said the nation should use the opportunity of the centenary celebrations to lay the foundation of a new nation.

    Abubakar thereafter presented a centenary theme song entitled: ‘This Land, Celebrating 100 years of Nigeria’, which was subsequently performed by a team of notable Nigerian musicians led by Onyeka Onwenu.

    Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, launched the centenary web portal. “www.nigeriacentenary.com.ng” Senate President David Mark launched the centenary lottery.

    The lottery saw a State House correspondent with the Peoples Daily, Abdurahaman Abdulraheem, win an I-pad. A female guest won an I-phone.

    Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, said in line with the directive of the President, the celebration would involve all Nigerians and its sponsorship would be private sector driven.

    He said he was amazed at the response of Nigerians to support the celebration and make it strong, colourful and fascinating.

    Anyim said the centenary celebration would be used to replace pessimism with optimism to make the country rise above its challenges.

    He disclosed that the celebration would generate over 15,000 direct and indirect jobs.

    Other dignitaries, who attended the event, included the Deputy Senate President Sen. Ike Ekweremadu, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha and the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloma Mukhtar.

    Some governors, ministers, presidential aides, captains of industries and members of the diplomatic corps were also present.

    With the beginning of the centenary celebration on Monday night, the Federal Government yesterday continued its programmes for the event by unveiling one of the endearing legacies of the celebration, the Abuja Centenary City, to investors.

    The City, which is planned to promote international, local business and boost economic activities in Nigeria, is also to create a solid example for the future of urban development in Nigeria.

    At the Investors Forum held yesterday in Abuja, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim, while presenting the models to likely investors, said: “The new smart City would be built on a stretch of 1,000 hectares in Abuja, making it the second but largest city development in history…”

    According to him, the business hub would not only attract a record 500,000 visitors everyday, “by the end of its five-year development cycle, this innovative and vibrant City would have created over 50,000 construction jobs and 5,000 permanent well paying jobs.”

    On the occasion, the Minister of Culture and Tourism Edem Duke said: “We must re-orientate our minds to the fact that this City would also house middle income earners, who work within the City, but the principle of this development is to reposition Nigeria as the cultural, commercial and entertainment capital of the continent.”

  • Jonathan, Gowon, Buhari, others inaugurate centenary celebration

    Jonathan, Gowon, Buhari, others inaugurate centenary celebration

    President Goodluck Jonathan led five former Presidents and Heads of State on Monday evening to inaugurate the nation’s centenary anniversary celebration.

    The anniversary will hold on January 1, 2014.

    The British colonial administration amalgamated the Southern and Northern Protectorates which make up the Nigerian nation on January 1, 1914.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that former military Heads of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (rtd), Gen. Mohammadu Buhari, Gen. Abdusalami Abubakar, former Presidents Shehu Shagari and Olusegun Obasanjo also graced the occasion held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa.

    The Senate President, Sen. David Mark, his Deputy Sen. Ike Ekweremadu, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, his Deputy, Chief Emeka Ihedioha and the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloma Mukhtar also attended the event.

    State Governors, Ministers, Presidential aides, captains of Industry, members of Diplomatic Corps also were present at the occasion.

    Speaking at the occasion, Jonathan said the amalgamation of 1914 was not a mistake but an act of God.

    He said the amalgamation created “a unique entity of the globe called Nigeria; a beautiful country richly blessed and which had turned out innovative people across the world.’’

    The president said that beyond the endowed natural resources, “Nigeria is blessed with unique collection of people specially created by God.’’

    “The one Nigeria consciousness which has kept the nation together must be safeguarded.’’

    The president said that it was a unique act of God that the country had survived a civil war and several other daunting challenges.

    “The unity of Nigeria is indivisible and non-negotiable, we must remain the forward looking people that we are.

    “I see a united, powerful and prosperous nation that will make the generation yet unborn very proud.

    “Arise, we shall and prosper we will,’’ he said.

  • Obasanjo should bother about his meddlesomeness

    Obasanjo should bother about his meddlesomeness

    On Monday, virtually all newspapers published the photograph of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo participating actively in Sunday’s worship service at the Aso Villa chapel. He was in company with his host, President Goodluck Jonathan, the president’s family, and other cabinet aides and friends. Obasanjo was at the Villa with a few members of his own family. After the service, in which the former president prayed fervently for his host, whom he had traduced repeatedly in the past few months, he went for a private lunch and discussions with the president. Some newspaper analysts construed Obasanjo’s presence at the Villa as a sort of rapprochement with his protégé. Perhaps it was.

    Obasanjo’s visit came a few days after a news magazine, the New African, published an interview quoting him as accusing Jonathan of mismanaging the campaign against insecurity. That interview in turn came at a time when the uproar over Obasanjo’s vehement denunciation of Jonathan’s conflict resolution style was yet to die down. The former president had last November dismissed as weak Jonathan’s approach to the Boko Haram menace compared with his own vigorous approach to tackling insurrections. The brickbat between aides of the two leaders stoked the cold war triggered by factors yet to be fully and accurately determined. Analysts suspect those factors were probably connected with the unsuccessful effort by Jonathan to call his soul his own in the face of Obasanjo’s obtruding and sometimes risible political behaviour.

    Since Obasanjo has refused to detach himself from the government of the day, as well as from general governance, observers have been quick to judge that his obtrusion had reached a clearly portentous stage. They in fact read metaphysical meanings to his every move in favour or against the ruler of the day. Observers, for instance, equate his lunch with the president on Sunday ominously with the lunch he had with former Peoples Democratic Party chairman, Chief Audu Ogbeh, shortly before the latter’s fall. And they also recall his public show of affection for Otunba Gbenga Daniel, whom he publicly fed cake, as an indication of his ability to cynically purge himself of any feeling for his enemies, no matter how hard they try to placate him. It remains to be seen whether Sunday’s Aso Villa ‘rapprochement’ should be interpreted as a simple gesture of reconciliation or as a complex foreboding of impending apocalypse.

    What is not in doubt, however, is that the country, nay, Obasanjo himself, should be worried that whereas the former president was his own man when he ruled the country, he seems reluctant to allow Jonathan to come to his own. But what worsens the whole messy interaction between the former and current presidents is that one man or two, as the case may be, appear to determine by questionable deductions the fate of more than 160 million Nigerians. That galling resort to faulty reasoning led to the foisting of the late Umaru Yar’Adua as president in 2007. It also enthroned Jonathan himself two years later, which perhaps explains why he is wary of extricating himself from the bind he finds himself. That twisted logic has indeed now taken on a life of its own, gaining momentum by the week, and threatening to spiral out of control every time a disagreement spews out from the pressure pot.

    Obasanjo has become the leitmotif of Nigerian politics, a reputation he obviously revels in. He will not discard the distinctive triumphalism that accompanies that exalted status, for there is no incentive for him to self-immolate. The better option would be for Jonathan to wean himself off the former president’s tutelage. But that also assumes Jonathan has the courage to cross the Rubicon and burn his bridges. More, taking that fateful step calls for a cleverness never before exhibited in these parts, one so unusual as to be sufficient to establish a president as a true leader. Obasanjo has an obtruding personality; he won’t let go of the reins of power. It is in fact Jonathan who has the responsibility of freeing himself and offering the country independent leadership, assuming he can summon the required confidence, courage and wisdom.

     

     

  • 2011 polls: Obasanjo wanted Buhari, Okonjo-Iweala ticket –El-Rufai

    2011 polls: Obasanjo wanted Buhari, Okonjo-Iweala ticket –El-Rufai

    Feared Jonathan won’t be competent president

    Former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mallam Nasir el- Rufai, has alleged a plot by ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo to stop President Goodluck Jonathan from winning the 2011 election.

    The alleged plot, according to El-Rufai in his memoirs The Accidental Public Servant, was based on the ex-President’s perception of Jonathan as a weak leader.

    El-Rufai calls the scheme an “interesting move” to stop Jonathan.

    Obasanjo’s preference, he says, was a joint ticket of General Muhammadu Buhari of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

    Okonjo-Iweala also served in the Obasanjo government in the same capacity.

    The book, which is due for public presentation this week in Abuja, has become a hot cake.

    But for security reasons, its pre-launch circulation has been restricted to a select few.

    The ex-Minister, who enjoyed the confidence of the former President and was one of his trusted aides, said of the alleged plot: “The period between 15th January and the deadline for submission of nominations by political parties to INEC had its own version of intrigues. Pastor Bakare had not immediately accepted the offer to be running mate, but the media was awash with speculations that Buhari had chosen him.

    “On 25th January, I was summoned by former President Olusegun Obasanjo to his hotel room at the Hilton for reasons he said were both urgent and important. On arrival, I exchanged pleasantries with Steven Oronsaye and Akin Osuntokun in the living room and we went straight into his bedroom.

    “After greetings, Obasanjo asked if I was still in touch with Buhari. I replied that I was not directly but could reach him anytime I wished. He then asked that I resumed my role of emissary between the two of them and wished to know quickly if I could reach Buhari with a message. I responded that I could do so pretty quickly.

    “Obasanjo then said that he concurred with my earlier belief that Jonathan would not make a competent President and that the best presidential candidate of the whole lot was Buhari.

    “He expressed willingness to support Buhari and go public with it if CPC and Buhari are willing to consider his suggestions and implement them.

    “Obasanjo suggested that I should convince Buhari to pick Ngozi as his running mate, enter immediately into an alliance with the ACN and ANPP, and then offer the Senate President’s position to the South-West to secure Tinubu’s support.”

    The former Minister said Obasanjo offered to source for four wealthy Nigerians who could finance Buhari and CPC’s campaign.

    El-Rufai added: “If Buhari agreed to these proposals, Obasanjo undertook to get three or four unnamed wealthy people to help with funding the CPC campaign, and Obasanjo would try bringing Labour Party to endorse the Buhari-Ngozi ticket.

    “Obasanjo promised to resign from the chairmanship of the Board of Trustees of the PDP and announce his support for the ticket if it would be helpful. I took notes on the hotel notepaper and left, promising to report back the next day.

    “It was fortuitous that both Buhari and Pastor Bakare were in Abuja, so along with Pastor Bakare we met Buhari and delivered Obasanjo’s message.

    “Bakare, who until then was a reluctant running mate, saw the Obasanjo offer as good for CPC and Buhari and hoped it would free him from the burden that Buhari had imposed on him.

    “He added that since Buhari had not yet officially announced his name as running mate, he would be happy to step aside for Ngozi. I was simply an emissary so I was silent, hoping that Buhari would accept so I would be free of my commitment to be at Bakare’s side!

    “Buhari smiled and asked for my opinion as someone that knew Obasanjo pretty well. I told both of them that I thought Obasanjo was being honest in his recommendations as I would urge Buhari to take similar steps of merger with other parties and so on

    “I doubted if Obasanjo would deliver on the monies promised and the resignation from the PDP Board of Trustees and did not even think the latter would help the CPC and GMB in anyway.

    “I also added that Obasanjo’s faction of Ogun PDP had just lost all their tickets to contest the next elections and should this situation change, Obasanjo would renege on everything he had committed to. Obasanjo may also be making another strategic move of removing Bakare’s name from the ticket, in addition to responding to Jonathan’s failure to ensure that his faction got the ticket by hook or crook- something Jonathan simply refused to do, preferring to support the state governor, Gbenga Daniel and his faction.

    “Buhari restated that he thought long and hard before deciding on Bakare and would not change his mind. However, we all agreed to continue to engage Obasanjo and encourage contacts with Ngozi while pushing to see real movement towards the financial and other political commitments made.

    “The same evening I returned to Obasanjo to brief him. He was excited and promised to contact Ngozi, Labour Party, the ANPP leadership and a few wealthy benefactors.”

    The ex-Minister also revealed how Obasanjo made a U-turn on Jonathan and threw his weight behind him regardless of his ‘weaknesses’.

    He said: “Some days later on 1st February, I got a call from Prof. Julius Ihonvbere requesting a meeting to follow up on my discussions with Obasanjo and Buhari. We met in the 3G offices on 2nd February with Julius and Festus Odimegwu on the same subject.

    “We exchanged information and updates on the political situation and ended with the question posed by Obasanjo to me and then to Julius and Festus- “How do we stop Jonathan from getting elected, and thereby saving the country from state failure?

    “We discussed various steps but unanimously recognised that Obasanjo would abandon the plan as soon as his temporary disagreement with the Jonathan administration was resolved. Since we believed in what we were doing, we agreed to soldier on under whatever scenario.

    “On 7th February, we all travelled to Abeokuta to meet with Obasanjo. Odimegwu and Julius had developed a clear roadmap about remedying the weaknesses in Buhari’s organization and campaign for Obasanjo to play his lead role in the anti-Jonathan effort.

    “By then, a weird Federal High Court ruling had restored the tickets of Iyabo Obasanjo and other members of their faction in Ogun State. So true to form, Obasanjo simply back-tracked, rejected the roadmap he had asked us to prepare, and said we should now explore ways of “remedying Jonathan’s weaknesses” and supporting his candidature.

    “His commitments to Buhari vanished that day, just as we all predicted on 25th January. It was a very depressing drive late at night to Lagos for the five of us-Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, Festus Odimegwu, and Prof. George Obiozor with Otunba Akingboye driving.

    “We lamented Obasanjo’s consistency in putting his personal interest before that of the nation and agreed that never again will he get another opportunity to waste our time the way he just did.”

  • Obasanjo under pressure

    Obasanjo under pressure

    Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, who allegedly grabbed and pocketed all the power arms of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) when he was the president of Nigeria and leader of the party is believed to be under pressure from his loyalists to take advantage of the current crisis in the party to take back total control of the embattled party.

    Obasanjo, who was recently alleged to have been dumped by the powers that be in the party, when he suddenly resigned as the chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees, is today considered the only person that can be listened to by all the current factions of the party in the ongoing face off. Already, he is being lobbied to help out. But the question to be asked is if his reconciliation efforts will help revert to statuesque or re-enthrone the big man in Ota as the true leader?