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Tag: Obasanjo

  • Obasanjo goes for medical check-up in Bayelsa

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Wednesday observed his annual medical tourism in Bayelsa State instead of traveling to his hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, United States where he used to go for medical check-up.

    The former President said the move was to fulfill a promise he made earlier in February when he inspected medical facilities built by the state Governor, Seriake Dickson.

    He said the medical standard and state-of-the-art facilities he saw during the tour of hospitals and a diagnostic centre established by Dickson motivated him to take his routine medical checks to Bayelsa.

    Obasanjo, who arrived Yenagoa, the state capital, on Monday night, reported at the Bayelsa Specialist Hospital close to the Government House at about 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday.

    Accompanied by senior medical staff of the specialist hospital, the ex-President did tests in various health departments in the hospital.

    He was later driven to the Bayelsa Diagnostic Centre (BDC) where medical experts took him through medical equipment at the centre.

     

     

  • Obasanjo was once an officer under me – 89-year old man who was Aide-de-camp to Zik

    Col David Chukwuma Okafor (Rtd), was the first Military Aide de Camp (ADC) to the first President of Nigeria, late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe. He hails from Amawbia in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State. He was recruited into the Nigeria Army in 1952 and was retired prematurely. In this interview with NWANOSIKE ONU and EMMA ELEKWA, the Octogenarian at 89, speaks about his years in the army, becoming Zik’s Aide-de-camp, why he wants to get married and his work relationship with former President Olusegun Obasanjo in the army.

    YOU were an ADC to the first governor-general of Nigeria. Can you share your experiences with us?

    I was an ADC to Governor-General of Nigeria, Nnamdi Azikiwe in 1963. The main duty of an ADC in those days was to keep the diary of events his principal had to perform. When the time for such events approached, I normally did a memo to the Governor-General, informing him of such event. I also did such memo to his wife.

    There was also a police ADC in the person of Sunday Adewusi, but he was particularly looking after the wife. Each time we had an outing, both of us must go with the governor general. That was one of my functions. Another function was – if at any time the governor general invites people for lunch or dinner, I would prepare the table, plan where the guests would seat. I would in advance, know the personalities coming and their status and where they would seat. I was also there for the governor general’s safety.

    I became the ADC in January 1963. I wasn’t anywhere near Lagos. I was serving in Zaria when the Governor General wanted an ADC. The army will on its own invite a number of captains, which was the rank at that time. I think six officers were invited from different places. We reported at the army headquarters to see the Army Chief, then an English man named, Welby Evarat. He looked at the officers and removed those he deemed not fit. Two were removed, remaining four of us.

    Thereafter, we went back to our station. Then in December, we were called back to Lagos. The Governor-General started interviewing us one after the other. It took him between 11am and 4pm. He wouldn’t even tell you that you have been taken. Again, we went back to our unit. Around January, they sent a signal message to my unit in Zaria that I had been selected to be ADC to the Governor-General. I prepared and came down to Lagos and replaced the old ADC. It was a thing commander of units took proud in.

    My Adjutant Captain, Bassey, called me and embraced me saying excitedly, “Now I know I have an officer.” He took me to the mess and brought drinks that we celebrated with. I later went straight to the State House. The then ADC was Col. Mike Ifenso. He handed over that very day and left the following morning. I used the handover note to commence work.

    When were you recruited in the army?

    February 6, 1952. Obasanjo was not in the army then. They came direct from their college cadet then before I went to officers training. I went in as a recruit with my Cambridge (certificate). It was after our training that they said I would be an education instructor in Ghana. That, I did from 1952-1953. In 1954, I was sent for a refresher course and was made a sergeant thereafter. I held that office till I was sent to Zaria towards the end of 1956. I reminded one Col. Mash that I had passed the RWAFF (Royal West African Frontier Force) Exams but he denied ever knowing me.

    In 1958, he was posted out. I was even crying, thinking I was going to begin afresh, until one Col. Mountain came. After about three months, the education officer with us, a European, Captain Costable, called me, saying I would be going for COs intervene, also called COs order.

    If you were told about such interviews, you would be shaken. Funny enough, he did not tell me what I was going for. He simply said I was going to see the Company Commander. I went and he confirmed I was going for the COs order. He requested I dressed properly. When I came, the RSM stood. They would blow the biggon two twice. When we stood in line, the RSM named Anmakin from Borno asked me what I was there for. I said I did not know and he got annoyed and started pushing me with a stick.

    Then Adjutant Captain Aley Guvy quickly intervened and asked him to leave me alone. Even with that, I was still afraid. The Adjutant later went inside his office and called me, Okufo (ie Okafor). I was still afraid, asking what my offence was. He ordered me to march on, and asked me to look at him while he introduced himself. He later told me that he was going to make me an officer. That was when I knew what I was in for. That was how I became an officer in 1959.

    I became the ADC to the Governor-General in January 1959. We moved on till October 1963 when Nigeria became a republic. Then the Governor-General became the president. I continued with him till May 1964. In essence, I was the only officer in the Nigeria Army that served under both a Nigerian Governor-General and first president.

    What role did you play in the peace keeping mission?

    I was in Cameroon in March 1960. I served there in the company located at Ndo, very close to Northern Cameroon.

    What happened about 1964 and the war?    

    When I left the State House, I went to Britain to do All Arms Division course. I came back and was promoted to the rank of major. I stayed in Zaria. All of a sudden, in 1965, I was sent to Ibadan to take over the 2-I-C fourth battalion at Ibadan. The officer 2-I-C was an Igboman. In the process, he left for Lagos around January and was killed in the hotel. I was sent to London were I was promoted to Lt Colonel to become Defense Adviser.

    How did you retire?

    I stayed in London till the military sent me a signal that I should report at camp in December 1966. I was told that my services were no longer needed. I may not say I regretted leaving the army because that was how God decided it. I was commissioned in 1959 and served till May 1966, roughly 7 years. I had risen to the rank of Lt. Colonel, which was not common then. Because the army was very small, to get to that rank was not easy. My rank number then was N/74.

    How old are you now and how come you’re not married?

    I am 89, I got married and had a child, but my wife is late. My child is 50 years old. I intend to remarry, as long as I can find any woman who can stay with me. What makes marriage work is that spirit in the woman. The woman you intend to marry must first attract you and that is why even if she is far away, her spirit will still attract you. I have not seen any yet because I hardly go out.

    How do you intend to see the wife when you don’t go out?

    That’s a good question. But you know the solution. It is not the person that looks for a wife that brings it. Even you can find someone that fits into my quality, and you can recommend her to me.

    Why do you want to re-marry at this age and what are the qualities she must possess?

    Majorly, because it is not good to be alone. God who created people know that it is not good to stay alone. Apart from that, the woman would even gain. There are certain welfare package a dead officer is entitled to and the one meant for a Lt. Col. is reasonable, which a woman would be happy with. Besides, the woman must be somebody that can cook good food. It is not a question of giving an old man a stale food. I don’t even believe in eating food from fridge. I like eating fresh food. I don’t know of you people. My mother taught me how to cook. Even till now I still cook.

    The woman must also believe in herself and not one that will be looking at others. She must be a woman that thinks about the welfare of elderly persons, that is how she can flow with me. Since I was 85 years old, I haven’t fallen ill; in fact since I grew up, I have never known what is called headache since I grew up to know my left from my right. Though I used to have malaria, but it does not give me headache. But since I started taking Moringa seriously, I have never been ill.

    Moreover, I make sure I have my breakfast regularly. People don’t know that breakfast is a very important meal. There were times I used to go to Lagos in the 70’s and 90’s doing some business. I was born in Enugu and I lived there. I used to wake up around 3am, cook and eat before I leave. I never skipped my breakfast. In fact, there’s a bag I used in carrying my food. I was driving Citroen till every Citroen died, but mine was still there.

    What are your favourite foods?

    I eat Okro soup, Onugbu and Egusi soup if well prepared. There is this one called Njaya, if you eat it, you know you have eaten soup. You can’t find water in the soup (laughs).

    At 89, do you still have feelings for sex?

    I think the last time I had feeling was when I got to the age of 80. Not that I do not necessarily have erection, but I can’t. I told you that in our days, women came to us. Who will I see that is more beautiful than those ones? If it is possible to parade my girlfriends, you will marvel (laughs). I went to London, I had two girlfriends in Britain who were undergraduate, very beautiful girls. Even now, when I was a Defence Adviser, I was a bachelor until I got married in 1966. I married at age of 36.

    Your wife died at 82. So why the urge to remarry?

    I had a girl living very close to me, who had interest in me; that was when she was still in the college. Even the mum wanted her to marry me, she was from Enugu-Ukwu. In fact, I agreed, because I felt I did not go after her, rather she came to me. There was a time I led Ijele age grade in my town and the little girl would spray me with all the money on her while I displayed. Eventually, the mum died.

    But I remember one thing; the girl gave me a flower vase and her elder sister gave me something too. It was like two of them had interest. Later she gradually started withdrawing. Maybe they asked her what she saw in an old man like me. She later got married to an Nnobi man, but it took her time to tell me.

    This same girl, after marriage, came here. I told her before my son’s wife. ‘You rejected me, what are you here for?’ She had nothing to say; she just laughed. This year again, she came, after they relocated from Lagos to Awka and started phoning me. That’s not more than 2 months ago.

    You led the team that rescued the Swedish doctors; you were among the first contingents that went to Congo?

    I was the first Nigerian to go there. When we went there, we were stationed at a place called Bukavo. I was in the advance party with one Alex Maduebor. We took over from Irish soldiers before our battalion arrived. Our first task was to release the Swedish doctors imprisoned by the Congolese. That was where I had this wound. I led the platoon.  

    As a very young officer, I didn’t know I would get to the Lt. Col rank. They took very good care of me, including treating the wound. But that wound came up again when I fell from the horse because I used to ride horse at Zaria. In those days, there was discipline and seriousness, not what we have today.

    Aguiyi Ironsi was the commander of the battalion because the British people wanted their officers but the Nigeria government said no. They wanted full-fledged Nigerians. They put in Major Guliva as 2-I-c to Ironsi but he later drove him away. Europeans never forgave the Igbos for that.

    What are your hobbies?

    I do things myself. Nobody assists me, except a lady that comes around to help me. I can still drive though doctors said that I shouldn’t drive. I can still drive from here to Awka. Even now, I trek to everywhere I’m invited in this Amawbia. But as a very young man, I had hobbies. I was in the Nigerian Signal Squadron. I played football very well, even at the college. When I look at the boys play now, I see that they are not serious. It’s a battle. Rev. Fr Fox who taught us football around 1940-1942 insisted on strength and speed. If these qualities are lacking, you can’t win because it is only speed that can help you take the ball away from your opponent and it is the same speed that can make your enemy succumb.

    Do you have female children?

    I have only one child, his wife is pregnant now.

    Do you have any regrets?

    My regret now is that I have not remarried. What hasn’t God done for me? In those days, we had only five battalions and you are capable of being a Lt. Col. It wasn’t a mean feat. They were still forming the six battalions while I was in London.

    What were you doing after your retirement?

    After they left us, I taught of work to do. I told you I was using Citreon then. I noticed that eggs were costly in Enugu, but very cheap in Benin and Lagos. You can’t believe it. I would drive my Citreon from Enugu to Benin, fill my booth and rear seat with eggs. Once I am back, I would make money, serious money. I sold them very fast. In Kingsway Stores, Enugu, the people selling eggs beside the supermarket would quickly clear them and I will move again.

    I was never in need of money as such. I was living in a flat, although it wasn’t a business I did for long. What rather gave me money was an overseas indent contract I did for the Army. They were looking for people who would supply their mess with cutleries. It was our Quarter-master that gave me that contract, one Raiz Dumuje from Warri. He was with me in second battalion when I came back from my last trip to London. 

    When we were retired, Obasanjo was commanding the troop then/ the inquiry was carried out by then late Major Gen Adebayo. But I did not hide anything from them, including my not being promoted in the Biafra Army. They asked why I did not come back to the Army; I told them that I did not want to die in no man’s land. They saw the sincerity. Obasanjo gave us a week to defend ourselves. I brought a file I used as Defence Adviser. My sincerity brought about my recommendation to be paid pension which I still receive.

    Does Obasanjo still remember you?

    Eeeh…. I’m sure if you people publish this, if he sees it, he will ask is David still there? Obasanjo was under me then in Congo. He was a second Lieutenant. Though he was commissioned before me as a second Lieutenant while I was commissioned full LT. We were in the same company B5th Battalion. Our commander then was Mai Malari.  

    What is your assessment of Obasanjo?

    Obasanjo was very intelligent and well educated. Very intelligent man. He took first in some of our exams.

  • I’ll back candidate who ‘ll lead Nigeria to Promised Land, says Obasanjo

    FORMER President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday declared that he is ready to support anybody that will take Nigeria to the promised land.

    The elder statesman spoke when former Minister of Special Duties and Inter -government Affairs  Kabiru Tanimu Turaki visited him at his Abeokuta home, the Ogun state capital.

    Turaki was in Abeokuta to intimate Obasanjo of his ambition to join the  2019 presidential race.

    Obasanjo said: “For me, I’ll continue not to rest until we get this country to where God wants this country to be. There is no permanent arrangement for the indivisibility of Nigeria. I share your concern but I believe that no one can do it alone.

    “And for me, anybody who will lead Nigeria to the promised land, will have my support.

    “We are in a position to do better than we are doing but in a situation of the world today, where whatever is happening can be seen instantly, we have to create a good image to the world. But some of the things we do inadvertently or inadvertently are not creating that good image.”

    According to the former president, those destroying the country were not necessarily the bad ones perpetrating evil, but people who being in a position to speak out, elected to remain silent.

    Obasanjo described such people as “Nigeria’s worse enemies”, vowing that he would not stay mute while bad things were being done,.

    The ex-President noted that God has endowed Nigeria with men and women who can stand their onions anywhere in the world, saying he would not relent in demanding good governance until Nigeria reaches  where God destined her to be.

    “Let me say that what is happening here today or what you’re making to happen with your delegation particularly gladdens my heart. You are firming up and stabilising our democracy. Democracy is not a destination but a journey and there is no nation that can claim to have reached the final destination.

    “It is good for us as a nation and our democracy. We have said a lot of things that we have identified about what we need to put right as a country.”

    According to him, Turaki’s presidential aspiration is  a pointer to the fact that Nigeria is not short of leadership that can perform if given an opportunity.

    Turaki, who spoke with reporters after the meeting,  described it as “fruitful and encouraging”

    “We have discussed openly, honestly and frankly about the current situation in this country and like always, Baba was of tremendous guidance to us,” he said.

     

     

  • Obasanjo ramps up pressure

    IN a letter addressed to the chairman of the Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF), Ango Abdullahi, but read on his behalf at a one-day national summit on insecurity and killings in Nigeria conveyed by NEF and other ethnic socio-cultural groups in Abuja last Wednesday, former president Olusegun Obasanjo scathingly dismissed the Buhari presidency as lacking the capacity to deal with Nigeria’s horrendous challenges. He neither minced his words nor pulled his punches.

    Said he, directing his attention to Prof Abdullahi: “When you kindly paid me a visit a couple of weeks ago, we deliberated on the danger to our democracy, our common identity, our commonality of purpose, our dream and our unity in diversity. We lamented the harm that the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, by his action and inaction, has done and is doing to our commonwealth and our common heritage. The obvious indication is that the government is seemingly confused and has got to the end of its tether and the nation is being left divisively and perilously to drift. Earlier last week, I noted in a speech some undesirable elements being allowed and being introduced to our democracy by this administration. If these are not stopped, they could be the death knell of our democracy.”

    More of such dismissive characterisations of the Buhari presidency will issue from the former president. He will go at the president hammer and tongs. Should the APC lose the elections, Dr Obasanjo will feel proud and justified. Should the ruling party win, particularly President Buhari, the former president will not relent but sustain his vitriol far into the president’s second term.

  • Obasanjo looking for third term by other means, says Oshiomhole

    Recent activities of former president Olusegun Obasanjo are nothing short of a plot by him to use other means to get the  third term that Nigerians have already denied him, National Chairman of the  All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, said  yesterday.

    Although Oshiomhole mentioned no name, he spoke  of “that old man who is going round as an organising secretary recruiting people, looking for tired players to continue with a third-term agenda which Nigerians have rejected.”

    He was apparently referring to the comments made by Obasanjo at the Wednesday conference  of the Northern Elders Forum, Afenifere, Ohanaeze and Pan Niger Delta Forum  where he launched a fresh scathing attack on President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Oshiomhole did not spare the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which he dismissed as more factionalized  now than it was four years ago.

    He said the party would not be a threat to the APC in next year’s elections.

    He spoke  to State House correspondents after a meeting with Buhari.

    Asked about threats of mass defection from the  APC, Oshiomole  said: “I think it is something you should ask the PDP. They are the ones who have suffered huge, huge mass defections, even of the so-called founding fathers.

    “I mean, in those good old days, people like Professor Jerry Gana will tell us, we are the founding fathers. People like President Obasanjo will tell us, you know I was the first President.

    “All of these people are gone. I think the media need to get more engaged and scrutinize us, those of us who are political players when we speak from both sides of the mouth or we are turning the story upside down.

    “Just a few months back, you know that a good section, after their convention, people like (Professor Tunde) Adeniran, Professor Jerry Gana and a host of others who can be said to be founding fathers of that party, they left to form what they call the SDP or the ADC or both. So, they broke out and then it dawned  on them that even together we defeated them just four years ago, and now further factionalized, what can they do.

    “And they just want to capture power for the sake of power. So they say, even though we have already broken the house, can we for the sake of power come together? Does it make sense? In the morning, you broke away from the  PDP to the SDP and then to the ADC.

    “By whatever form they come in, Nigerians have spoken. They are not going to return to the era where Central Bank , NNPC, security money is shared to people based on the PDP philosophy, ‘share the money’.

    “We won’t do that. If they have forgotten,it is quite easy for robbers to forget the robbery they just did, but it is not easy for the victim of the rubbery to forget.”

    Speaking on the victory of his party in Ekiti last weekend, Oshiomhole said: “I think the people of Ekiti State, having recalled the good days of Dr. Fayemi, comparing them to the level they were reduced to by the present government, voted wisely for change and for Fayemi to complete his unfinished business.

    “For us, we are very happy and we trust that Ekiti people would be happy for the decision they have taken. On my part, of course, it is a personal sense of victory because this was the first outing of the party under my leadership.

    “The last time, after our convention in 2014, we had an election in Ekiti and we lost. This time, we won, so I think, as they say, morning shows the day. I believe it was a good outing.”

    He said that the challenge is now for the Ekiti governor-elect to do what he has to do to ensure that the people of Ekiti recover and rise from the lost ground they witnessed due to the poor governance they got from the current PDP government in the state.

  • Obasanjo looking for third term through other means – Oshiomhole

    The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, said on Friday the recent activities of former President Olusegun Obasanjo are part of plots to use other means to get the third term that Nigerians earlier rejected for him.

    According to him, Nigerians have decided not to return to the era where the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) security money was shared to people based on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s philosophy of “share the money.”

    He spoke with State House correspondents after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    The PDP, he said, is now more factionized than four years ago and would not be a threat to APC in the 2019 elections.

    Answering question on the threat of mass defection from his party, Oshiomhole said: “I think it is something you should ask the PDP. They are the ones who have suffered huge, huge mass defection even of the so called founding fathers. I mean, in those good old days, people like Prof. Jerry Gana will tell us, we are the founding fathers. People like President Obasanjo will tell us, you know I was the first President.

    “All of these people are gone. I think the media need to get more engaged and scrutinize us, those of us who are political players. When we speak from both sides of the mouth or we are turning the story upside down.

    “Just few months back, you know that a good section after their convention, people like Oyederan, Prof. Jerry Gana and a host of others who can be said to be founding fathers of that party, left to form what they call SDP or ADC or both. So, they broke out and then when it dawn on them that even together we defeated them just four years ago, and now further factionalised, what can they do.

    “And they just want to capture power for the sake of power. So they say, even though we have already broken the house, can we for the sake of power come together. Does it make sense? In the morning, you broke away from PDP to SDP and then to ADC.

    “And there is no better proof than that old man who is going round as an organising secretary recruiting people, looking for tired players to continue with a third term agenda which Nigerians had rejected.

    “By whatever form they come in, Nigerians have spoken. They are not going to return to the era where Central Bank and NNPC security money is shared to people based on PDP philosophy ‘share the money’.

    “We won’t do that, if they have forgotten. It is quite easy for robbers to forget easily the robbery they just did but it is not easy for the victim of the robbery to forget.”

     

     

  • You deserve to savour your victory, Obasanjo tells Fayemi

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Sunday congratulated the Ekiti State Governor – elect, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, on his victory at the Saturday Governorship election in the State, saying he “deserved to savour” his victory.
    Obasanjo who said he received the news of Kayode’s victory while in  transit to Beijing, China, added that the outcome of the election “broadly reflects the choice of Ekiti people.”
    The message was contained in congratulatory letter dated July 15, 2019 and  addressed to Fayemi.
    The ex – President stated that Ekiti people have by their conduct, demonstrated that they cherish Fayemi and would do their utmost to make him succeed.
    He urged him to reciprocate the trust of the people.
    “I urge you, therefore, to reciprocate their trust by doing everything you can to strengthen their faith in democracy and in its ability to bring about improved material conditions and better service delivery to them,” Obasanjo stated.
    He also advised Fayemi to be magnanimous in victory and stretch hands of fellowship to the other candidates who failed in their bid to the elected office.
    According to him, such gesture would not only be charitable, but also help to “cool passions in the wider interest of Ekiti State in particular and Nigeria at large.”

  • PDP apologises to Obasanjo for maltreatment, bad conduct

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday met with the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and counselled them on steps to adopt if they hope to ‘unseat’ President Muhammadu Buhari and his All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2019.

    Obasanjo, who was elected Nigerian president twice from 1999 – 2007  on the platform of PDP,  told the  21-man delegation of the Committee, led by PDP National Chairman, Uche Secondus, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Walid Jibrin, to pay more than passive attention to four issues he identified as needed ingredients to bring PDP back to power.

    The Ebora Owu, who announced his quitting of partisan politics in the build up to the 2015 presidential election to become an elder statesman, advised the party to court and embrace “good image, internal discipline, commitment, quality leadership and moral principles.”

    The early morning meeting at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) was at the instance of the NWC of the party which had earlier arrived Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, a day ahead of it. The ex – president gave the advice in response to Uche  Secondus.

    The party national chairman had earlier tendered words of apology on behalf the party to Obasanjo for the bad conduct and mistreatment meted out to him and also drew  his attention to what he (Secondus) considered as the “distress and prostrate situation of the country today” as well as  the progress report on the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding the  grand alliance of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), among others.

    These were contained in a release issued in Abeokuta by Obasanjo’s media aide, Mr. Kehinde Akinyemi, shortly after the meeting.

    The release reads: “Chief Obasanjo thanked the delegation for apologising on behalf of the party and made reference to the Lord’s Prayer where we are taught to ask God for forgiveness and to grant forgiveness to others.

    “He further underlined the pitiable situation of Nigeria today and the inexcusable killing and insecurity almost all over the country and the unprecedented division of the country all of which the present government seems to have no credible solution.

    “After deliberations, it was made clear that the MOU for grand alliance is what it says, a grand alliance. It is neither a merger nor absorption of any political party by any political party. It is clearly for the parties who agreed to be members of the alliance to work together to achieve one important common objective at the national level for the election of 2019 and where it is appropriate and necessary members may also form alliance and cooperation at the state level.

    “Chief Obasanjo reiterated to the Committee that the idea of a grand alliance was broached when the Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CNM) adopted African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a political party platform. He therefore reaffirmed his belief and support for the grand alliance.

    “Chief Obasanjo, however, advised that the individuality and independence of each political party must be observed and respected by all parties concerned. It is also desirable that in the process of implementing the MOU to achieve the set objective, solidarity and focus on the objective must be maintained.

    “Chief Obasanjo urged that all member political parties must be cautious of fake news, rumours, blackmail, and seeds of discord that may be sown among them from external quarters.

    “He also, reminded the committee that on adoption of ADC as political party of the CNM (Coalition of Nigeria Movement), he had maintained that he will not be a member of any political party but he will make himself available to guide any party that wishes to be so guided and he has offered such guidance to ADC.

    “While he may make himself available to any other party that will require it, service to ADC will be paramount, he equally pointed out to the committee that before their prompting he had put his hands on the ground and there is no looking back.

    “That he will join men and women in the country and if necessary lead them, in retrieving and saving the country from shipwreck.”

    Earlier, the National Chairman of PDP also appealed to the former president not to relent on giving necessary leadership to save the country from the throes of mismanagement and drift towards shipwrecking.

  • Awolowo, Abiola, Obasanjo and Afenifere

    I REMAIN a genuine admirer and believer in the ideals that Pa Obafemi Awolowo espoused in his life time. I also loved his dress sense since I first encountered him as a primary school pupil in 1957 and also from 1978 when I got close to him at both his Park Pane, Apapa home and his ancestral home in Ikenne, Ogun State, due to my professional and political callings.

    So, if some of those who shared the same passion for the man Awo can now be seen to be rallying support for Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, who they believed (and still believe) stood between Awo and the Presidency of this nation which he coveted in his lifetime, then I feel hugely vindicated that I engineered the political coming together of Alhaji Lateef Jakande and late Bashorun Moshood Abiola, first in the late 80s, and later, in the early 90s, until the political spoilsports in our clime came to put spanners in the works of the few of us then, who believe that political recrimination, stubborn unforgiveness, vindictiveness and vendetta will, and, can never stand the Yoruba nation in good stead.

    No harm if what some of us saw then, the latter-day converts are now seeing. But I smell a rat. Whereas it was for altruistic reason that informed our own action then, the same cannot be said of the few that gathered together recently to host former President Obasanjo and try to whip up tribal sentiment in his favour.

    Of course, I’m not deceived into believing that Obasanjo himself is not playing cat and mouse game with our respected and elderly Afenifere chieftains and their younger followers; that he only needs them now to help him out of the consequence of the cobra tail he had stepped on; and that if he succeeds, he won’t go back to the club of few who, for countless number of years, after the demise of the First Republic, have held Nigeria by the jugular.

    I submit, with due respect that the meeting held with Obasanjo in Chief Ayo Adebanjo’s Lekki residence recently was to a partisan end, that it has nothing to do with their tribe and their love for the race or the nation. It was, without mincing words, a meeting instigated to work for the preservation of privilege and the return of a group of political desperadoes to power at the centre, since Buhari has made it be known that with him, it will no longer be business as usual.

    Let the few Afenifere choristers and Obasanjo offer us refreshingly different tunes from the ones we have had in the past and tell us who these new singers are, if it won’t be evident that they are in the genre of the jaded voices from our very recent past, those rejected massively at the last polls, and who are using every trick in the book to stage a come-back.

    When all their bag of tricks is drying up, they are now trying to stigmatise our integrous President of an attempt to Islamise Nigeria, an attempt I know Buhari is fully conscious of what the consequence of that will be to him as a person, and Nigeria as a corporate entity. Take it from here that he will not dare contemplate such gamble!

    Elections are in the air and political parties, especially the PDP, are jittery and therefore anxious to find what else they can do to overtake the APC for scoring impressive points on the issue of Abiola and June 12. It is in their desperation that they are wooing just any group – socio-cultural, religious, youths, et al, to recruit, to join in their bid to upstage Buhari and the APC in the next elections.

    It is within their right under the law but, in doing so, they should be mindful of spreading venom into susceptible minds and not engage in acts that are inimical to national cohesion, unity and progress. They should also remember that laws are no respecters of anybody and that those who run foul of the nation’s laws in any subtle or discerning form, will have nobody but themselves to blame.

  • I’m worried about youth anger, frustration — Obasanjo

    Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday in Abuja said he was worried about youth anger in Nigeria and other African countries.

    Chief Obasanjo was the main speaker at a breakout session at the ongoing 25th Anniversary and Annual General Meeting of the Afreximbank. The former President who spoke to the question of “Are African Development Finance Institutions living up to the visions of the founding fathers?” said he was worried about youth anger.

    According to him, “I am a bit worried.  I am worried because whatever we may think about our problems, my worry is about the youth anger and frustration going into explosion in any of the countries of Africa.”

    He emphasized that “one problem that can consume all of us because it has no religious or territorial boundaries, or ethnic boundary is the youth anger, frustration going into a big explosion in many of our countries on the continent.”

    He urged African leaders to “learn a lesson from the Arab Spring. Demography should not be a disaster. It should be an advantage.”

    African leaders he said “must be realistic and aware of innovations and new technology around them. The present realities of our leaders, some of them who have been in uniform are still there as leaders today. The way they are reacting to issues now is different from when they were in uniform.”

    To check youth restiveness and unemployment in Africa, Obasanjo argued that “if 50% of the population are not educated, trained and given skills to help themselves and the society there is no way that the society can make the needed progress.”