Tag Archives: Olusegun Obasanjo

Obasanjo blasts South African govt for xenophobic attacks

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Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has condemned the xenophobic attacks against immigrants in South Africa, blaming the leadership of President Jacob Zuma for not acting.

Obasanjo condemned the attacks and intimidation of Nigerians living in that country.

He spoke on Wednesday in Abeokuta when he received the leadership of the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, (NIPSS) Kuru, who paid him a courtesy call.

He blamed the development on the “laxity and insincerity” of the South African government.

He described the development as “betrayal” of the struggle for the emancipation of the country against the apartheid regime.

Obasanjo called on African heads of government to provide good leadership for their citizens as part of efforts to enhance regional integration.

He also stressed the need for the leaders to ensure good governance for the overall development of the continent.

He said: “I will apportion more blame to the leadership of the South African government.

“While the immaturity of the youths can be excused, the leaders ought to realise the importance of unity and brotherliness in Africa.

“While I blame the youths of the country for the attacks, I will blame the leaders of any country more that allows xenophobic attacks against fellow Africans for whatever reason.

“African leaders should also step up measures at developing their countries and improve the living standards of their citizens.

“This will discourage our youths who because of under development and poor living standard seek greener pastures outside their countries.

“I feel disheartened learning that many of our youths perish while crossing the Sahara Desert or the Mediterranean Sea”.

Mild drama as ex-president Jonathan visits Obasanjo’s village

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There was mild drama in the Ibogun hometown of former President Olusegun Obasanjo in Ogun state, on Friday, when ex-President Goodluck Jonathan came visiting.

The immediate past president arrived Ibogun to a warm reception by members of the community. The people sang, danced, and lined up the streets to welcome the august visitor.

Accompanied by Olagunsonye Oyinlola, former governor of Osun state, and some of his former aides, Jonathan waved back at the crowd.

He headed to the residence of his estranged benefactor, but known for his unpredictable lifestyle, Obasanjo acted as if he was not expecting him.

The elder statesman continued enjoying a local game he was playing with a friend until Jonathan sat nearby.

After exchanging pleasantries, both men went into a private meeting.

At the end of the meeting, Obasanjo thanked Jonathan for finding time to visit him, joking that the trip afforded Jonathan the opportunity to relax like he had never done since he left office.

“I want to thank you very sincerely for taking it upon yourself to pay us a visit at this point in time and at this location,” Obasanjo said.

“Since you left office, you hardly have time to sit down and relax like you have been able to do today and I hope and pray for more such relaxed situation where we can reminiscence situations of the past that we have been through in this country, and also look at what the future portends.

“When leaders come, they have little or no experience, when they have to go is when they have really amassed  a lot of experience, where they have wisdom, they are experienced  to be in high demand, those people  like you and me who have the grace of God to bow out gracefully, if there is no what I call constitutional office, we have residual responsibilities for Nigeria.”

Jonathan and Obasanjo in Ogun

Obasanjo said he believed that both of them were in position to offer the world their experiences when there is need to do so.

He told Jonathan that they needed to contribute their own quota to the development of the world.

“I believe that not only Nigeria, and Africa and indeed the world will continue to tap into our experiences, our wisdom and I hope and pray that when the call is made to you, you will be more than ready to put your experience into the service of this country, Africa and humanity in general,” he said.

“I have said to you before and I will say again that there are plenty of opportunities out there, within the country, within West Africa, within African and indeed in the larger world where people will want you to make contributions.

“I believe that you are resting now and when you have fully rested and you will be hearing from me because I have had the opportunity to have gone around the world.

“My regards to everybody at home, especially your wife, please tell her that my wife sends her regards and I hope sooner or later we will be in your part of the world to enjoy the atmosphere together.”

Jonathan said he had it in mind to visit Obasanjo during the Christmas break. He expressed delight meeting Obasanjo, and thanked him for the hospitality.

Jonathan’s relationship with his benefactor went sour after Obasanjo wrote an open letter to him in 2013. The situation got worse when the elder statesman refused to endorse the re-election bid of the Ijaw leader.

Obasanjo was critical of  Jonathan in the electioneering period. He accused Jonathan of plotting to win the election by hook or crook.

Obasanjo, National Assembly have no moral right to speak about corruption – CACOL

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The Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, (CACOL) has said both the National Assembly and former President Olusegun Obasanjo were both corrupt and have no moral authority to talk about corruption.

 

Obasanjo at a forum in Lagos had said the National Assembly is the most corrupt entity in Nigeria, adding that they have continued to engage in corrupt practices unchecked.

 

However, the House of Representatives in a response called the Obasanjo the grandfather of corruption who had introduced the menace to the legislative while he was president.

 

But CACOl in a statement on Friday said both parties were corrupt and have no right to speak on corruption.

 

It said “To put it aptly, former President, Olusegun Obasanjo’s anti-corruption stance is pure hypocrisy and akin to ‘the kettle, calling the pot black’. We can say this even at the risk of sounding ‘supportive’ of the gluttonous legislators who have frankly admitted as reported in the media to being ‘corrupt grandchildren of a corrupt grandfather’; both sides of the divide are indeed culpable in the infestation of corruption in the fabrics of our society. They are two sides of the same coin, actually!

 

“We recall how all efforts to get Obasanjo to answer to allegations of corrupt practices over the Halliburton and Siemens Scandal against him were met with consciously and tactically placed obstacles that have shielded the former President from judicial and public scrutiny of his roles in the saga till date.”

TASUED Doctorate Degree, An honour For My People – Obasanjo

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Nigeria’s former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has described the Doctor of Science Education in Political Science awarded to him by the Tai Solarin University of Education, TASUED, Ijagun, as an honour to all who have worked with him in his entire life.

 

The first University of Education in Nigeria,TASUED, will on Saturday, 28 November, 2015 hold her 10th anniversary and 2015 Convocation ceremonies.

 

Some Nigerians who have distinguished themselves in their various disciplines will be conferred with doctorate degrees on the day in which the former President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo will be honoured too.

 

Also to be honoured posthumously on that day is the matriarch of the Awolowo dynasty, the late Chief Mrs Hannah Idowu Dideolu Awolowo, wife of the late sage, who died in September and will be buried on Wednesday, 25 November, the day she would have celebrated her centenary birthday.

 

In a letter written to the university’s management, dated 9 November, 2015, and personally signed by the former President himself, he thanked the Senate and Governing Council of the university for the honour.

 

“I received your letter of November 3, 2015, by which you confirmed the decision of the Governing Council and the Senate of Tai Solarin University of Education to confer on me an Honourary Doctorate Degree award of Doctor of Science Education in Political Science at the 10th anniversary of the University on November 28, 2015.

 

“I feel highly honoured by the kind sentiments expressed in your letter and the kind gesture, which I accept with pleasure.

 

“I want to thank the Senate and the University’s Governing Council for the honour done me.

 

“This award is not only to honour me, but, it is also an award for all the great men and women who have worked tirelessly with me in all the undertakings I have had in my life,” the letter read in part.

 

Credit : PM News

Obasanjo Visits Buhari Again

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Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo met behind closed-doors with President Muhammadu Buhari today In Abuja.

Neither of the two leaders spoke to the media at the end of the meeting.

Obasanjo has been President Buhari’s special envoy to Guinea Bissau.

He also headed the African Union observers to the general election in Ivory Coast.

 

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I have a dossier on Obasanjo and I will expose him – Alamieyeseigha

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Ten years after the impeachment and subsequent imprisonment of former Bayelsa State Governor, Diepreye Solomon Peter Alamieyeseigha by former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, Alamieyeseigha is still boiling with anger towards the former president.

Even though he claims he has forgiven Obasanjo, whom he called a devil incarnate, he has vowed to expose him.

 

Speaking to Saturday Vanguard in Yenagoa, Alamieyeseigha said that he had forgiven all those who plotted and sent him to jail purely for political reasons even though the experience remains very painful to him.

The former governor was impeached and removed from office in December 2005 and was subsequently sent to jail for alleged mismanagement of Bayelsa State funds.

Some of his property alleged to have been secured with stolen funds in and outside Nigeria were confiscated and given to Bayelsa State by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) working in conjunction with foreign security agencies.

But Alamieyeseigha, who was granted state pardon by his former deputy governor and immediate past President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, last year, said that Obasanjo has not known peace because of the role he played in events leading to his impeachment, arrest and subsequent imprisonment.

He recalled that Obasanjo nearly fainted the first time he met him after his release from prison. He said the former president, who met him accidentally at the Katsina Airport became jittery on seeing him and managed to shake hands with him. Alamieyeseigha said: “I have forgiven all those who plotted against me, including former President Obasanjo. I know all those who plotted against me and sent me to jail. I cannot be living in the past as it does not help me in any way.

“What I passed through is painful all right but it would not have happened if it was not permitted by God. It is even more important to me that I am still alive today because I passed through many shadows of the valleys of death and still came out of them. ‘’I have met Obasanjo at very close quarters twice since I came out of prison.

I did not know that he was at the VIP Lounge at the Katsina Airport to attend the marriage of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s daughter. Obasanjo came face to face with me at the airport when I went to use one of the rest rooms. It happened that as I opened the door to ease myself, I saw Obasanjo sitting face to face with me and he almost passed out.

“But I held his hands. He was scared and he felt uneasy all through. Then he began to ask ‘DSP, DSP, DSP! What have I done to deserve shaking your hands?’ There were many people there, one of them was Kenny Martins, the then chairman of the Police Equipment Fund.

“I told Obasanjo ‘I was only shaking you for two reasons: one-because of the fear of the Almighty God, who created us and two, for the fact that I am the Ganuma Katsina and you are a visitor to my emirate and tradition demands that I should welcome visitors’. “That prompted Kenny to get up also and greet me, saying ‘great leader, great leader’ and he came and hugged me.’’

The former governor said his second post-prison encounter with Obasanjo took place aboard a Dubai-bound flight where the former president met him seated in the business class and addressed him as ‘Fayose’ out of fear . His words: “The second encounter with Obasanjo was when we met on a flight going to Dubai. When Obasanjo came, I was already seated in the Business Class and he had no choice but to greet me.

But because of possible fear of seeing me, Obasanjo called out ‘Fayose, Fayose, Fayose.’ I protested to him that I am not Fayose and I said: ‘Former President Olusegun Matthew Okikiola Aremu Obasanjo, you are a devil incarnate.’ “I warned him not to talk again or he would face my anger. And I tell you, throughout the flight he could not say anything to me.

The only thing Obasanjo managed to say was to ask me whether I was the only one who had ever been sent to the prison. ‘DSP,  is it only you that entered prison? Don’t you remember that I was also imprisoned? You entered prison and I also did.’’ In spite of his criticism of the former president, Alamieyeseigha, still has some kind words for Obasanjo.

Describing Obasanjo as a leader, who keeps his word and works hard, the former governor said he has a dossier on Obasanjo and would reveal it in his forthcoming memoirs to enable Nigerians know what the man had been doing since 1966.

“But one thing I know about Obasanjo is that he is a leader. If Obasanjo gives you his word, it remains his bond. You can call him any time of the night, and he will pick his phone directly.

He is ready to sit with you on how to solve a problem but he would not allow you to talk. That is the type of character he is. I have a dossier on Obasanjo and I will expose him and Nigerians will read it in my memoir,” Alamieyeseigha said.

 

Source : Vanguard