Chief Mathew Aremu Okikiolakan Olusegun Obasanjo is the most controversial of all Presidents Nigeria ever had, more outspoken and his views are respected and criticised by fans and foes; his outburst has always generated fuss.
Account of real age is in the realm of conjecture. By his own account, he was born on a market day, either in his village of Ibogun-Olaogun,or Owu Kingdom in Ogu State. Well, that was never his fault,but that of his illiterate parents. OBJ, as he is fondly called, has self-claimed that he ended the Nigeria civil war, in his book, 'My Command.' Though the claim is highly refuted by his comrades-in-arms.
Oh, I forgot to mention that he is an author, he also authored 'Not My Will.' Those are his books I know.
Obasanjo has become President of Nigeria, twice, and with luck too! He may have been killed under Abacha administration, when he was roped in a phantom coup, if the activist-doctor, the late Beko Ransome-Kuti had not alerted the world. Escaping death at so close a range,he got nominated as the presidential aspirant of the newly formed PDP, so his case was 'from prison to presidency!.' He became the greatest beneficiary of the party. "with little investment of effort compared to his peers,Obasanjo is always absent when hard work is required,but equally present whenever the work is done,not as a party to, but as a sole beneficiary of results."
Earlier in his militia life, in 1975 precisely, he was not visibly involved in the coup that ousted the then military Head of State,Gen. Yakubu Gowon, Obj emerged as second-in-command to his successor, Gen. Murtala Mohammed. Following Muritala's assasination,Obasanjo, who was allegedly in hiding, surfaced and was made the Head of State!
Again.
Obasanjo also sought for global fame. But,his bid for Secretary-General of the United Nations was scuttled by home critics. At the forefront of the campaign against his aspiration was the Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka,who said that,judging by the abysmal human right record of his administration,he was unfit for the global assignment. I guess, that amidst other things explains why the two are never friends. Till date.
After handling over power as the Head of State, he started writing books which were described as controversial. When successive military regimes erred,he whipped them into line. For example, he criticised the prolonged detention of former military Head of State General Muhammadu Buhari and his deputy, Tunde Idiagbon, by Ibrahim Babangida.
He mocked Awolowo for not becoming the President. He described Azikwe as a national figure who regressed to a local chief, he titled him the Owelle of Onitsha. He dismissed Waziri Ibrahim as an unserious politician. He chided Kano as a serial prostester,who may inadvertently carry placard against himself.
Well, behind all these dramas of life, I believe that the Balogun of Owu and Ekerin of Egbaland is an interesting character.
(c) Jimoh Taofik Adekunle
Jimson Jaat Taofik
Facebook: Jimoh Taofik Adekunle
Twitter: @jimsonjaat01
Gmail: deskofinsanity96@gmail.com
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