Gen. OLUSEGUN OBASANJO has, no doubt, been icon and owner of Otta Farms, one of the biggest in South West Nigeria, as well as so many investments. He is someone who has encouraged Nigeria, fought for Nigeria, being behind almost every regime in Nigeria, except about four (4) regimes including that of Late Abacha.
OBJ, as he is fondly called has done both good and evil to Nigeria, as he is an evil you must run away from and an angel you must embrace. Put him inside a deep freezer, he will come out so hot but whenever he comes out of an oven, he will be freezing cold!
He is indeed an Ebora...... He is laughed at but he never cares; the press tackle him but he still dares; the musician like Idris Abdulkareem sang against Nigeria and he commanded he resang the song: "Nigera jaga jaga"; he set up EFCC to tackle corruption and ICPC to tackle crime in Nigeria; he was a strong force in the African Unioin (AU); he set-up both President Goodluck Jonathan and Late President Yaradua.
OBJ remains a strong hold of PDP (Peoples Democratic Party), eventhough they recently lost the presidency to opposition party APC. He also holds several awards and honournary degrees from different institutions. He was also one of the strong fighters that fought to conquer the Biafrans during the Nigerian Civil War.
Baba, as he is fondly called by Nigerians, loved politics and wanted to serve a third term and really had some votes in the national Assembly of Nigeria, but that never got passed anyway. He was also one student of Theology, via the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), probably Baba wants to open a church in Nigeria, who knows!!!
Commander of the Third Marine Commando who merely killed the civil war elephant with his cap, whereas, others have been shooting for months.......the first time he ruled Nigeria, it was because Murtala died, the second time he ruled, it was because Abiola died........Murtala and Abiola were good friends.........He has never used his personal fund or efforts to get anything, they always call him. The first time he wanted it on his own effort, third term failed woefully! Trust him, he denied it, despite all that we saw, his song concerning third term has always been "It wasn't me"......Baba Na you! He is the biblical son sang in Psalms, "...and I will prepare a way for you in the presence of your enemy".
He is the first military man in Nigeria, if not Africa, to hand over to a civilian in what looked like a democratic setting. The whole World celebrated him, he became the UN think tanker, he almost became UN Secretary General but it was his wish. A blogger wrote that Prof. Wole Soyinka wrote tens of petitions against him to stop the UN from producing him, it took the intervention of Late MKO Abiola, who prostrated flat for Soyinka at the Sheraton Hotels, begged him to allow a Nigerian win the UN Secretary General........Soyinka said he was scared, seeing an Aare Ona Kakanfo postrating for him, he stopped further pettitions but the damage has already been done, OBJ never recovered!
OBJ successor in 1979 was a disaster economically and politically, Shagari government was the beginning of acute poverty in the land. Buhari saved us from OBJ's wrong choice. In 2007, OBJ repackaged another disaster. He is also the first civilian ruler who handed over to another civilian in our history. But his choices were worse than before. He packaged a medically dead man as the president and mentally dead semi man as his deputy......Nigeria almost went down to the grave. We were robbed totally, we were killed and maimed.......once again, Buhari came to his aid, saved us, once again, from OBJ wrong choices!!!!
Everyone wants him on their side. Enemies and friends, husband and wives......Since 1979, no one has ever won the presidential election without OBJ'S obvious support!!!!!!!
He can destroy, he can build. He can steal, he can fight stealing. A writer of books and letters.......lover of women. An MC, introducing Baba, said: "Give him pounded yam and palm wine, you have finished him. A great entertainer, master of words, great finisher. Always demanding for relevance, you can't ignore him successfully".
He is like Peter, one of The disciples of Jesus. Jesus once told Peter and said "Get thee behind me ye devil", another time he told Peter, he said "Peter, you are the rock upon which I will build my church...."
I wish this illustrious son of Nigeria, The Balogun of Owu, the fighter of his enemies, a happy 79th birthday. May you live long and long, in good health and prosperity! Hapi buffday OBJ...
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