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I Made Mistake As President When Choosing My ‘Number Two’- Obasanjo

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Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Former President, on Saturday, said he made two mistakes, which included the choice of his ‘number two’ ahead of the 1999 presidential election, the second being his refusal to accept an asylum when he was told that the late Head of State, Sani Abacha, wanted to arrest him, the action, he said, could have led to his death.

Obasanjo became democratically elected President in 1999 while the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 elections, Atiku Abubakar, was his vice president.

Obasanjo, who did not mention Atiku in his statement, said it was a mistake he made in good faith but was saved by God.

The former president spoke about his life and achievements both as a military Head of State and as a civilian President.

Obasanjo stated this while answering questions posed by students from selected secondary schools that participated in the finals of the National Exhibition and Awards organised by Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship.

The event, held at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta, Ogun State, featured presentations and exhibitions of some products made by students of the participating schools.

The former president, while interacting with the students during a questions and answers session, said he had many mistakes, which he could describe as genuine mistakes in his life but God made him overcome them.

He said, “One of the mistakes I made was picking my number two when I wanted to become the President. But because it was a genuine mistake, God saved me.

“The second one was when Abacha wanted to arrest me. When he wanted to arrest me, I was told by the American ambassador that they would arrest me and that America had asked that I should be given asylum. I said ‘No’. It could have been a mistake because I could have lost my life.

“I will say there are many things that could have been a mistake but God saved me from them all.”

While speaking on opportunities for the youths to take over the mantle of leadership in the country, Obasanjo said youths can never come into power, if the current trend continues.

He said with the “Not Too Young to Run campaign, and you can see that those that are contesting now are between 70 and 80 years old, how can the youths run?”

He added, “Another thing inhibiting youth from running is the amount of money involved in going into politics. I hope that things should not continue like this.

“I was 39 years old when I became the Military Head of State. Twenty years later, I came back as civilian president, but those there now do not want to allow the youths. If things continue like this, I do not know how you can come in.”

The former president also tutored the students that they should imbibe religious tolerance.

He advised them not to see their own religion as superior to that of another person.

Obasanjo said, “I have no right to say what another man believes in is inferior to mine. If God had wanted all of us to be of the same religion, he would have made it so, and since He did not make it so, no person should attempt to make it so.

“Young people should learn at a very early stage in life that if there are five religions in the world, that is how God wants it to be. If there are ten, that is how God wants it. All religions originate from the same source.

“If you are a Muslim and you did not live the way God wants you to live, you cannot enter Aljannah. If you are a Christian and you did not live the way God wants you to live, the same thing, you will not enter paradise.

“If this is the basis of religion, it is doing the right thing for the benefit of mankind, you don’t have to condemn any person because of what he believes.

“I do not believe that any religion is superior to mine and I don’t believe that mine is superior to another person’s beliefs. I will not allow any person to cast aspersions on my religion and will not do the same for another person. Practise your religion the way God wants you to do it and don’t condemn another person.”

Welcoming participants at the event, the Chairman of SAGE Nigeria, Agwu Amogu, said the programme was to celebrate the creative energies and commitments of teen entrepreneurs who see the challenges in the communities as their responsibilities.

He said, “SAGE is an acronym for Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship. It is an international programme initiated at the California State University-Chico USA in 2002 and currently operates in over 32 countries across all the continents of the world.

“It offers secondary school-age young people a hands-on learning process on how to create wealth, help others and their communities.”

Amigu said since the introduction of the program in Nigeria in 2006, it has shown that it is a potent strategy and model for educational reform, youth re-orientation, job creation and poverty alleviation and multi-cultural integration

According to him, Nigeria urgently needs a new paradigm for education.

“The new paradigm must provide students with a chance to learn while solving community problems and immediately applying what they have learnt in the classroom by actually doing something great.

“We now live in a world where any country can compete effectively with others based on the creative imagination of its human capital. There is no better place to stoke the fire of imagination than in the young people. And that is where SAGE comes in.

“SAGE is about creating value. Students are encouraged to create something of value in their communities by applying what they learn in the classroom and testing it in the ultimate laboratory – the free market,” he said.

Amogu added, “We firmly believe that Nigeria can be a world leader in providing potent human capital to the rest of the world; setting a benchmark for other countries to follow.

“Having won the SAGE World Competition 8 times in the last 12 years, I have no doubt in my mind that Nigerian young people are one of the most energetic and enterprising in the world and they can quicken our rise to a global super power status.”

The SAGE chairman said winners of this year’s competition will represent Nigeria in the SAGE World Competition holding in Netherlands in August, 2022.

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Stand-Up Order: Afenifere Condemns Obasanjo, Says Apologise To Yoruba Obas

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Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba socio-political organization, has condemned Nigeria’s former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, for ordering some monarchs in Yoruba land to stand up and sit down during an occasion.

Obasanjo, some weeks ago asked the monarchs, who attended a road inauguration, in Iseyin, Oyo State, to stand up and sit down when he and Governor Seyi Makinde entered the venue of the event.

To that end, the Afenifere demanded the former president apologize unequivocally to the allegedly insulted monarchs.

This was part of the resolutions of the association contained in a communique issued at the end of its monthly meeting, on Wednesday. The meeting was held at the residence of the National Leader of the group, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, in Akure, Ondo State capital.

The communique was read by the Publicity Secretary of the association, Mr Jare Ajayi.

The communique read in part, “Afenifere was taken aback by the avoidable and unwarranted incident that took place at Iseyin, Oyo State on Friday, September 15, 2023, where former President Olusegun Obasanjo commanded Royal Fathers at the gathering to stand up (and after complying), were ordered to sit down. It was as though a military commander was giving orders to his troops.

“We Yorubas respect our traditional institutions, the arrowhead of which, are our traditional rulers, who, traditionally and spiritually, have acquired the status of deities. It’s not surprising that they are referred to as ‘Igbakeji Orisa’! (Second in command to the god).

“In view of the attempt to ridicule the respected Obaship institution in Yorubaland, Afenifere hereby demands an unreserved public apology to Obas from former President Olusegun Obasanjo. Our tradition describes who we are.

“As such, no effort must be spared to prevent the rubbishing of our noble tradition. In that wise, it’s hereby recommended that royal fathers are spared the trouble to stand up at public functions as obtained in the United Kingdom among others.”

On insecurity and banditry, the Afenifere called on the Federal Government and security agencies in the country to be more decisive and more proactive in tackling insecurity in the country.

The group stated, “Four approaches are hereby recommended for immediate deployment of anti-terrorism devices and proper motivation of security personnel as well as immediate engagement of local leaders in areas where insecurity is rife.

“Deliberate efforts should be made to get the youths gainfully engaged so as to make them unavailable for anti-social and inhuman activities.

“Cases of banditry and terrorism be discharged expeditiously. Perpetrators of banditry should be made to pay heavy prices.”

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Wike Sacks Heads Of FCT Agencies, Parastatals

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Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, has relieved the heads of 21 parastatals, agencies, and government companies of the FCT Administration of their appointments with immediate effect.

Mr Anthony Ogunleye, Director of Press, Office of the Minister stated this in a press statement in Abuja on Wednesday.

Ogunleye identified the affected heads of the agencies as follows:

1.     Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Abuja Investment Company Ltd

2.     CEO/Managing Director, Abuja Markets Management Ltd

3.     MD/CEO, Abuja Urban Mass Transport Company

4.     CEO/MD, Abuja Property Development Company

5.     CEO/MD, Abuja Technology Village Free Trade Zone Company

6.     CEO/MD, Abuja Film Village International

7.     CEO/MD, Powernoth AICL Equipment Leasing Company Ltd

8.     MD, Abuja Broadcasting Corporation

9.     MD, Abuja Enterprise Agency

10. General Manager, FCT Water Board

11. Director-General, FCT Emergency Management Agency

12. Executive Secretary, FCT Primary Healthcare Board

13. DG, Hospital Management Board

14. Director, Abuja Environmental Protection Board

15. Director, FCT Scholarship Board

16. Director, FCT Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board

17. Director, Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board

18. Coordinator, Abuja Infrastructure Investment Center

19. Director, FCT Health Insurance Scheme

20. Coordinator, Satellite Towns Development Department

21. Coordinator, Abuja Metropolitan Management Council

The director of the press said that the affected appointees should hand over the affairs of their offices to the most senior officers in rank.

He added that appointments in the offices would be made in due course.

 

Credit: NAN

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MOHBAD: I’m Ready To Return If My Safety Is Guaranteed — Naira Marley [VIDEO]

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Azeez Fashola alias Naira Marley, a Nigerian artist, has stated that he is willing to return to Nigeria to clear his name in the death of his former label signee, Mohbad.

Naira Marley made the revelation during an interview with social media influencer Reno Omokri on Wednesday.

Since Mohbad’s death, there has been social media outcry as various videos emerged showing the late singer accusing Naira Marley of orchestrating his gang-beating.

Again, in his first interview since the saga began, the label boss stated that there is a lot of mob poisoned by the media against his person and stated that he will return to the nation if the authorities guarantee his safety.

He also alleged that Mohbad struggled with suicidal thoughts while he was alive.

He said, “There was another time when I was in America and his girl called me to say he locked himself in the toilet and he wanted to kill himself or something like that. So, I called him from there and recorded the conversation, asking him: “Why did you want to kill yourself? You are a king, if your family is stressing you out(because this time, he was with his family and all his family was around him) just tell them to chill, you can do what you want to do, do not stress yourself, if you kill yourself now, what do you want people to say.

“I was so concerned so I called him to try to give him rest of mind, if your family is stressing you out, leave.”

“He wanted to commit suicide, in the video, I was just trying to find out what was wrong with him.”

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