Personality in Focus
Tribute: OBJ, Please, Remain OBJ
By Mike Ozekhome
I celebrate you, a living legend and uncommon African icon, Chief (Dr) Olusegun Mathew Okikiola Obasanjo (OBJ), on your 87th birthday, which took place on March 5, 2024.
On paper, you are 87, having been born on March 5, 1937. But, you have maintained to me and all who cared to listen, again and again, that your age was merely an assumed approximation on paper, because some of your classmates have already died or celebrated their 90th, 92nd and 93rd birthdays. I believe the latter more, for it comes straight from the horse’s mouth. For example, one of your classmates, Dr Onaolapa Soleye (born 11th November, 1933), who was former Minister of Finance, just died four days after he turned 90 years. He has only just been buried.
Whatever be the case; whether you are an octogenarian (in your 80s), or nonagenarian (in your 90s), no one can dispute your imperishable contributions to the development of the Nigerian nation in particular, and the African continent in general. This is why, even as you have lovers and traducers across the world (because of your “My Command”, which is “Not (your) My Will”), no one can ignore you and your looming presence. Like the stubborn scar, you have refused to go away. You always leave your marks even after the healing of the sore.
So, hate him or love him, OBJ have become a recurring decimal in our national discourse and conversation. You, Obasanjo, easily stir the hornet’s nest with effortless éclat. When you speak, you generate national uproar. You write fiercely, fearlessly and ceaselessly. You still wield your mighty pen in a more menacing and devastating manner than you once wielded the gun when you took over control of the 3rd Marine Commando from Brigadier Benjamin Adekunle during the better-forgotten three years bloody fratricidal Civil War in Nigeria. You had also accepted the mantle of surrender on behalf of Nigeria from General Phillip Effiong who did so on behalf of Biafra at Dodan Barracks, Lagos. This was on 15th January, 1970 (Armed Forces Day), though you told me this was a mere formality as the handover agreement had already earlier been signed some days earlier. For these historic acts, your name had already entered our history books. And for many more positive reasons too.
When you write your usual probing and inquiring letters (an art and pastime for which you have since become accustomed and famous), you cause national ruckus. You ruffle feathers, bruise toes and figuratively draw blood. But, those sitting leaders or rulers that ignored your message in those piercing, intellectually-grounded letters that drip with rare vision and wisdom in their full length, breadth and erudition, and preferred to go for the messenger, rather than the message, had always done so at their own peril.
You were first arrested on the orders of then military dictator, General Sani Abacha on March 13, 1995, over a phantom coup attempt. You were initially released on the intervention of ex-American President, Jimmy Carter; and again re-arrested in the night of June 13, 1995, and taken to an unknown destination. You were tried in company of your military Deputy Head of State, Major General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, Col Lawan Gwadabe and Chris Anyanwu, a magazine publisher. You were initially sentenced to death after the phantom coup trials before another panel set up by Abacha reduced the sentence to 30 years, and again to 15 years imprisonment.
We, in the human rights community picked up the gauntlet, marched, protested and rallied daily on the streets of Lagos and elsewhere. We forced the then military junta led by Gen. Sani Abacha to commute your death sentence to mere imprisonment. You were still serving in Yola Prisons when Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar ordered your release. Yar’Adua was not so lucky. He died at Abakaliki prison where he was serving on 8th December, 1997. Little did we, or you ever know, that you are a child of destiny and like the phoenix, you would rise once again from your ashes and become President of Nigeria between 1999 and 2007.
This was after you had emerged Head of State (1976-1979), succeeding then Head of State, General Muritala Mohammed, who was mindlessly slain during the Col Buka Suka Dimka-led military coup on 13th February, 1976.
Make no mistake about this sir, I was also one of the leading lights who valiantly led the fiery battle of opposition against your third term agenda bid. I had wondered then why you desired to. I spoke piercingly against it at the Niger State Government Lodge where we had gathered to puncture your perceived inordinate ambition for self transmutation and succession. I believe in retrospect now, you would also have been wondering what you had indeed forgotten in Aso Villa that you were going back for, having already etched your name in the sands of time and got elevated into the pantheon of Nigerian heroes in less than 70 years on mother earth.
Two years ago sir, you greatly honoured me by singing my happy birthday song and cutting my birthday cake, assisted by another living nonagenarian legend and quality University education Czar, Aare Afe Babalola, SAN, CON, LL.D, at the Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti ( ABUAD). This was after I had delivered the 10th convocation lecture of this arguably numero uno African University, and one of the very 400 leading Universities in the world. I am, very proudly, a Visiting Professor of Law at this great University that just made one of the best results (over 16 First Class and about 69 Second Class Upper Division) at the Nigerian Law School. I was greatly humbled because I had, as a little boy in the sixties, heard about your war time exploits whenever we gathered around a little transistor radio. I was then in St Mary’s Primary School in my then little rustic village of Iviukwe, near Agenebode in Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State.
Remain who, whom and what you are sir. Don’t ever change, for you are far too old now to change and learn how to become left-handed. Remain OBJ. Continue to play football as you do always. Continue to enjoy another passion of yours – singing and dancing – (even if your vocals fall far short of Nightingale’s, and your shuffles not Michael Jackson’s). Continue to do more research and write more books and letters.
You have just written a new book titled, “The Art of Leading: Unconventional Wisdom from Biblical Leaders “. Before this, you had already written tons of books, including the following, perhaps more than any living African leader ever did: My Watch (Vols. 1-3, which is your memoir); Not My Will; Call to Duty; A March of Progress: Collected Speeches of His Excellency Lt. General Olusegun Obansanjo; Forging a Compact in U.S. – African Relations; Nigeria and International Trade Address; The Head of State’s Broadcast to the Nation, Wednesday, 29th March, 1978, Embodying the Land Use Decree No. 6 of 1978; Nzeogwu: An Intimate Portrait of Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu; Women of Virtue: Stories of Outstanding Women in the Bible; My Command: An Account of the Nigerian Civil War, 1967 – 1970; Guides to Effective Prayer; The Leadership Challenge of Economic Reforms in Africa; Africa in Perspective: Myths and Realities (The Russell C. Leffingwell Lectures); Africa Embattled: Selected Essays on Contemporary African Development; A New Dawn: A Collection of Speeches of President Olusegun Obasanjo; Hope for Africa: Selected Speeches of Olusegun Obasanjo; The Challenges of Agricultural Production and Food Security in Africa; Work of Earth; Democracy Works: Turning Politics to Africa’s Advantage; Making Africa Work; This Animal Called Man; Addressing Africa’s Youth Employment and Food Security Crisis: The Role of African Agriculture in Job Creation; Constitution for National Integration and Development; Women of Virtue; Africa Through the Eyes of a Patriot; Before It Is Too Late…and the Reactions that Followed; Years of Reconstruction: Selected Foreign Policy Speeches of Olusegun Obasanjo; I See Hope; Hope For Africa; Sermons From Prison; Standing Tall: Selected Speeches of Olusegun Obasanjo; Management in Agriculture and Rural Development: A Practitioner’s View; The Asian Aspiration: Why and How Africa Should Emulate Asia—and What it Should Avoid; Before I Die; Africa, Rise to Challenge: Towards a Conference on Security, Stability, Development and Cooperation in Africa (CSSDCA) and more.
So, write, write and write. Don’t stop. After all, you didn’t go back to the University after your presidency in 2007 to bag a Ph.D by thesis for the fun of it. So, you have been sharing your thoughts on many issues. Don’t stop now. We are not tired of reading you. We are hungry for more. Remain consistently consistent, blunt and unapologetic about it. Make no mistakes, some surely hate you for this. But, more adore you for it. I am one of them. Because, the truth, especially naked truth, is always very bitter. But truth is about conscience. Like Uthman Dan Fodio once declared, ‘Conscience is an open wound; only the truth can heal it”. This is why the Holy Bible tells us, “…and thou shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free” (John 8:32).
Baba, continue to ask the right questions. And where possible, go ahead and question the answers also. Don’t ever drop your humour that makes standup comedians green with envy. Enjoy peace that passeth all understanding (Philippians 4:7). Above all sir, don’t die yet. Don’t even think about it. Shun death and its monstrous visage with all your heart and soul. Mock it. Grab and hold on to Gen 6:3 (120 years on earth).
Nigeria, Africa and indeed the black world still need you and your gargantuan services and contributions. Happy birthday sir, and many happy returns of the day. It is well you, baba.
In all, please, OBJ, remain OBJ.
Mike Ozekhome, SAN, CON, OFR, Ph.D, LL.D, D.Litt, D.Sc., is a legal practitioner, teacher and human capacity developer, and writes from Lagos.
Former Director General of the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) and the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA), Otunba Segun Runsewe, has bagged the award of Pillar of Nigerian Culture and Tourism.
The award was conferred on him by the Association of Nigerian Journalists and Writers of Tourism (ANJET), the umbrella body for Nigerian travel press, on Thursday, October 23 at a colourful ceremony held at the prestigious Sheraton Lagos Hotel and Towers.
He was among some distinguished Nigerians from public and private sectors, including the former Nigerian Minister of Tourism and Culture, Ambassador Frank Ogbuewu, who were honoured for their contributions to the growth and development of Nigerian tourism.
Other distinguished Nigerians conferred with awards were: Otunba Wanle Akinboboye (Foremost National Tourism Builder and Creative Mind), Mr. Jemi Alade (National Trailblazer in Inbound Tour Operation) Engineer Tarzan Ganiyu Shekoni Balogun (National Icon in Tourist Boat Operations and Water Transportation), Mr. Nkereuwem Onung (Icon of Consistency and Resilience in National Tourism Leadership), and Chief Abimbola Bode-Thomas (Hospitality and Tourism Management Amazon).
Speaking on the award conferred on Runsewe and the other awardees, the President of ANJET Mr. Okorie Uguru said the awards aim to promote the culture of service to the people, and also showing appreciation to those who have served the nation with distinction while holding public office.
He said: “It is not about celebrating those who are serving the country now, but showing appreciation to those who have served in the past, to challenge current political office holders to put in their best.
“The individuals and distinguished Nigerians we are honouring are among the people that built the visibility and growth the tourism industry is enjoying today… They have contributed, and are still contributing to the sector.
“As holders of institutional memories and archivists of this industry, we know the roles they have played and are still playing in the development of the Nigerian tourism industry. That is why years after some of our awardees have left public offices, we still call them to bestow this honours.”
While receiving the award, Runsewe lamented the inability of Nigeria to take tourism seriously. He said: “I stopped talking for some time because there are too many talks in tourism, there is no action. We come; we speak big English and go back. Today, I am going to reveal two or three things. The last time I came out was to speak to the new executives of the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN). For me, I am almost tired of talking, because there is no action.
“Let me first of all thank Ambassador Ogbuewu today. He said he does not want to come, so I urged him to come. It is only the living that can be celebrated. Let us thank God that during our lifetime, we are being celebrated. It is not everybody that has that opportunity.
“I can stand anywhere and talk about this industry. I do not need a book.
“Ambassador Ogbuewu you would recollect that President Obasanjo took your very good self, led a delegation to Trinidad and Tobago. That was the day Obasanjo made a statement, he said ‘I going to stand on the existing protocol’. That was the first time they heard that English. The then president of Trinidad asked, ‘what is he talking about.’ That is a tourism brand.
“People do not understand tourism yet. People think it is only about moving from one place to the other. No. Let me reveal a few things: how many of us know the late Pastor T.B. Joshua. T.B. Joshua was selling religious tourism and nobody keyed into it? When T. B. Joshua was having his conference in Nigeria, there were over 20 private jets parked at the airport. I, maybe you did not know before today, I normally go to the airport to list how many countries they come from. I have my data. There is religious tourism in Nigeria. We have not tapped into it. We see them as pastors. Yes, pastors doing their job, but there is tourism content in what they are doing.
“If this country manages tourism well, we should not have a single child looking for a job. After agriculture, tourism is the biggest employer of labour, but we are still playing games, we are still telling ourselves stories.”
He thanked ANJET for the award and encouraged them to continue with the good work in the industry.
Personality in Focus
NAOSNP Security Week: Gaidam Reiterates Govt’s Commitment to Data-Driven Policing
The Minister of Police Affairs, Senator Ibrahim Gaidam, has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to repositioning the Nigeria Police Force through data-driven strategies, inter-agency synergy, and international cooperation towards building a safer, stronger Nigeria.
He stated this during the 2025 National Security Conference and Awards organised by the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP), with the theme, Securing and Safeguarding Nigeria’s Economic Resources: A Call to Serve, held at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.
In his keynote address presented by the Deputy Director (Information and Public Relations Unit), Mr. Bolaji Oladimeji Kazeem, the Minister stated that the Federal Government, through the Ministry, has started realizing key initiatives such as the National Criminal Data Fusion Centre (NCDFC), Nigeria Police Crime and Incident Database, Community Policing, transparent recruitment of an additional 30,000 Police Officers, and technological advancements to enhance the operational efficiency of the Nigeria Police Force for bolstering national security.
The Minister said as a major milestone in intelligence-led policing, the National Criminal Data Fusion Centre (NCDFC), provides a centralized platform for law enforcement agencies to pool, analyse, and disseminate criminal data, thereby enhancing internal operations and collaboration with international partners.
He noted that the upgraded Nigeria Police Crime and Incident Database Centre (NPCIDB) has enabled the Police to document criminals’ data through biometrics from Divisional Police Stations across the country, and digitally forwarded to the NPCIDB located in the National Criminal Data Fusion Centre.
He reiterated the good working relationship among security agencies to curb illegal mining, through collaboration of the Nigeria Police Force, the Armed Forces, and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC)’s Mining Marshals.
“Security is the foundation upon which all human endeavours are built. It requires inclusiveness, people-centric approaches, and collective efforts to ensure peace, safety, and prosperity. These vital institutional allies are in the national effort to combat illegal mining and restore order in Nigeria’s solid minerals sector, and curb the activities of bandits, criminals, kidnappers, and terrorists,” the Minister hinted.
Gaidam urged all citizens, stakeholders, and media to join hands in supporting the Nigeria Police Force. “We require collective investment in technology, logistics, welfare, and equipment to enhance security. I propose that we procure High-Resolution Drone Surveillance for police commands across the country”. He stressed.
Earlier, the Chief of Defence, General Christopher Musa, represented by the Commandant, Armed Forces Resettlement Centre, Air Vice Marshal Bashir Rimi Maman, posited that security is the foundation for economic success. When people feel safe, businesses grow, farmers plant with confidence, and investors take bold steps.
He said Nigeria recently increased its crude oil production to over 1.5 million barrels per day, but vandalism and illegal activities still threaten this progress.
“We must therefore protect what we have built so that our natural wealth becomes prosperity for every Nigerian, not just a few,” the CDS cautioned.
According to him, “beyond military action, we must focus more on the non-kinetic side of national security, which accounts for nearly 70 percent of the work. This includes good governance, infrastructure, power, communication, and social development.”
Senator Ibrahim Gaidam was afterwards honoured with the award of Excellence as the National Association of Online News Publishers (NAOSNP) Iconic Man of the Year.
TMnews, at its 2025 Summit and Awards, has honoured the Chairman and Group Managing Director of Adron Group, Aare Adetola EmmanuelKing, with a prestigious Award of Recognition for his exceptional leadership and unwavering commitment to empowering Nigerians through affordable housing and community development.
The event, themed “Securing the Future: A Collaborative Approach to Community Safety,” brought together top government officials, security chiefs, corporate leaders, and humanitarian advocates to engage in constructive dialogue on national security, community partnership, and sustainable development.
In his message of appreciation, Aare EmmanuelKing expressed heartfelt gratitude to TMnews Magazine for the recognition, describing it as a humbling honour that reinforces his commitment to nation-building through affordable housing, community empowerment, and corporate social responsibility.
“I am deeply honoured by this recognition from TMnews. It is a testament to the collective effort of the Adron Group family, whose passion and dedication continue to drive our mission of making quality housing accessible to all Nigerians. This award is not just for me, it is for every hardworking Nigerian who believes in the dream of a better, safer, and more prosperous nation,” Aare EmmanuelKing stated.
He further commended the organisers of the summit for their consistency in promoting dialogue and collaboration among key stakeholders in governance, business, and community development, adding that such platforms are essential to building a secure and progressive society.
The Publisher and CEO of TMnews Magazine, Temidayo Babalola, lauded Aare EmmanuelKing for his visionary leadership and transformative role in Nigeria’s real estate sector, describing him as a beacon of innovation and a passionate advocate for sustainable community growth.
The summit also featured the TMnews Humanitarian Awards, where 24 distinguished individuals and organisations were celebrated for their exceptional service to humanity, corporate responsibility, and community impact.
