I wrote some nice lines on President Obasanjo and many people are not happy. Good People, wonders shall never end. When Sidi asked Lakunle about the bride price in Wole Soyinka’s The Lionel and the Jewel, he responded with a lot of grammar, and when Lakunle was done, Sidi asked if that was all. Instead of Lakunle discussing how to raise the money, he reminded Sidi that he had ordered a longer dictionary, implying that more big words and grammar were on their way.
People should not make me order a longer dictionary because if I do, the praise will be so big that some may… I have no issue with whoever anybody praises as Nigeria’s best president, I can only defend who is my #1 since 1999. It is not physics and you are free to pick whoever you want. But note this, OBJ as a military general never complained how his military predecessors destroyed things; he simply went to work, to put Nigeria on the right track.
Just like in my state of Abia, I can write that Governor Otti has been the most pragmatic governor with an urgency we need to fix the state. You can accuse me of supporting him. But let me remind you that I have always provided support to my state governors. In 2021, I received the awards of the “2021 Most Outstanding Abia Professional In The Diaspora” and the “2021 Abia Ambassador”. Those were not during Governor Otti’s era.
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(Ndubuisi does not send invoices and Ndubuisi does not do government contracts. As a village boy from Ovim, I am not trained on how to write invoices, etc to Abia. But I am always available where men and women gather to make Abia better).
Daily, I just wonder what OBJ would have done in this era of banditry, kidnapping, etc in Nigeria? What would OBJ have done? For years now, we have normalized that as part of our system since the press does not even report when people are stolen from their homes most times.
At the national level, I have also worked. At the pre-convocation lecture at Bayero University, Kano, Aliko Dangote advocated for a “Knowledge-Based Economy in Nigeria”, drawing majorly from Ismail Radwan and Giulia Pellegrini’s World Bank publication. As a student, I was among those who reviewed that book for the World Bank. Yes, we #serve.
The same way I praise OBJ is the way I praise my secondary school teachers; their generation produced the best era in our village’s school history with many kids leaving the Ovim village to top their classes across many universities in Nigeria. But look deeper, Mr. Ogbonnia, the principal, had a record of petitioning and firing an Ovim son (son of the soil) because he was always late to class! #leadership is ACTION.
Mathematics – Mr Alaohuru/Mr Aham
Further Mathematics – Mr Ukeni
Physics – Mr Onyezewe
Chemistry – Udeagu Jr
Biology – Mr Bobo
Igbo Language – Papa Iyke/ Madam Odumuko
Agric Science – Mrs Aduanya
Geography – Mazi Oji
English Language – Mr Eze
- Principal – Mr Ogbonnia
The Great General Visits Abia State, Commending the Abia Project Under Alex Otti
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The people who counter what you wrote about Obj, can they tell us who outperformed him and point us to the criteria or indices they used? We would be happy to go on that excursion with them. The very people who never backed Obj but backed Buhari? That says a lot about their quality of judgment, but it’s cool for all men and women to come online and talk, until you evaluate the choices each individual made over the years. Before you take any human seriously, just check the choices they make and positions they take on critical matters, there’s no other better indicator.
The same people who will make excuses for present administration but tell you how bad Obj was? Kai, quality judgment is not for everyone, so it’s advised that each person must choose their own stupidity wisely.
Nothing defines a people better than the choices they make, you can confuse with words or paint pictures of patriotism, but once you make your position known, you leave no one with any doubt as to the level you operate in. You cannot hide your true self when making choices, that is why it’s very easy to work out anyone’s value system from what their priorities are. Never get it twisted, no second guessing there.
Until they show us who topped Obj, he tops.
Critical thinking employs intelligence and not emotions. Strong debates are not for emotive exercise but most times require knowledge of data and good analysis of same.
No matter how much the previous article about OBJ is criticized by insignificant few, it resonates with me strongly. Even as a teenager at that time (1999-2003), i can still remember the disruptive policies of OBJ. I felt it, experienced it and participated in that shift.
OBJ’s tenures between 1999 – 2007, as President of Nigeria was simply transformational with boundless macroeconomic policies in all sectors. To mention, but a few: The Economic and Financial Crimes Commision EFCC (2022), the National Information Technology Development Agency (2001), and the Banking Consolidation exercise of 2004. In 2000, OBJ initiated the liberalization of the telecommunications market which allowed private players like MTN to come into the Nigerian Market.
The multiplier effects of these policies are glaring even to this age. His transparency and openness to fighting corruption headlong, occassioned the massive influx of foreign investors most of whom still enjoy the first movers advantage to this day.
Nigeria experienced palpable developmental strides at the time of OBJ’s Presidency and while Prof. Ekekwe’s eulogy of OBJ was apt and succinct, letters would not be sufficient to describe the positive outcomes and effects of his socio-political and macroeconomic policies. He’s yet, my best Nigerian President.