Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has revealed how his penchant for commenting on national and international issues landed him in jail under the military junta of the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, in 1995.
Obasanjo was jailed by the government of late Head of State, General Sani Abacha over alleged coup plot for 30 years. The jail term was later reduced to 15 years. But on June 15, 1998, he was released by the General Abdulsalami Abubakar regime.
Obasanjo was released alongside oil industry union leaders Milton Dabibi and Frank Kokori, journalist Chris Anyanwu, activist Beko Ransome-Kuti, politicians Bola Ige and Olabiyi Durojaiye, Uwen Udoh and former Sultan of Sokoto Ibrahim Dasuki.
Obasanjo, who spoke during an interactive session with 15 young male and female future Africa leaders drawn from different parts of the continent at his Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), Abeokuta, Ogun State, also hinted that the quest to save Nigeria from an imminent disintegration made him to seek the Presidency in 1999.
The youths, under the aegis of Future Africa Leaders Foundation, came with the 10 winners of the Prestigious and Life Challenging Future Africa Leaders Awards.
A statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi, said that Obasanjo, going down memory lane, recalled his prison experience, and the journey he said started with his inability not to always keep mute.
According to President Obasanjo: “I joined the Army and at the age of 42, I finished my career as a military officer, but, what could I do? I was still young, energetic, and dynamic, but I was still young. So, I took to Agriculture and during that time, I went into prison and that is not what I really wanted.
“Going into Prison is really a challenge because I refuse to keep quiet. For me, if there is anything to comment on, I did comment on them, and so, I landed in prison, and that is a challenge. And, when I came out from prison the situation was bad in the country that some people felt the need to be saved and pressure started started coming.”
Obasanjo also responded to a question on the African debts, lamenting that some of the debts by some countries in the continent were reckless and outright corruption.
“Most of the debts can not be explained. Some are due to outright corruption”, he said.
He commended the participants and organisers, particularly the founder of the Future Africa Leaders Foundation, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, for hosting the 2024 edition of the programme yet again.
“What Pastor Chris Oyakhilome has been doing since 2013 is marvellous and as I said, some people will say, it is just a drop in the ocean, but, many drops in the ocean makes the ocean. I am very pleased and satisfied with him on this project and will continue to wish him all the best,” he said.
