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| Oluṣẹgun Mathew Okikiọla Arẹmu Ọbasanjo |
Happy Birthday to a great man, our dear ex president, Olusegun Obasanjo. 75 no easy oh and you don even pass the 70 "passmark" for life expectancy sef. Hehehe. True true as you dey talk, "you dey laff oh"!!! Lol!!!
Happy Birthday Sir and may God continue to bless you now and always IJMN- AMEN!!!
Profile:
With over 50 national and international honours due to his contribution to national development and roles in resolving crisis in the continent, former President Olusegun Obasanjo has been described by many as the father of modern Nigeria. Born on March 5, 1937, in Ibogun, Ogun State, Olusegun Mathew Okikiola Aremu Obasanjo, had his early education at Baptist Boy s High School (BBHS), Abeokuta (1952-56). He started his military career by enlisting in the Nigerian Army in March 1958. His first formal training was at the Regular Officers Special Training School, Teshi, Ghana and later at Mons Officers Cadet School, Aldershot, England (1958-59). He further trained at the Royal College of Military Engineering, Chatham, England; School of Survey, Newbury, England; Indian Defence College, Indian Army School of Engineering, Poona; and Royal Defence Studies, London, among other military institutions. Following the quick succession of his military training opportunities and experience, he was commissioned into the Nigerian Army as Second Lieutenant in 1959. He was attached to British Battalions in England and in Germany. A year later, in 1960, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. As a soldier, President Obasanjo held several command positions including service with the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in the then Congo. He transferred from the Infantry to the Corps of Engineering in 1961. In 1963, he was promoted to the rank of Captain and appointed Commander of Engineering Corps. In 1965, he was promoted to the rank of Major, heading the Engineering Unit of the Nigerian Army. Between 1967 and 69, he was promoted to the following ranks: Lieutenant Colonel and served as Commander Second Area Command, The Nigerian Army Commander, Second Division (Rear) and Commander, Army Garrison, Ibadan and Colonel serving in the capacity of Third Marine Commando Division, General Officer Commanding (GOC) Third Infantry Division, Nigerian Army. His outstanding military moment came in 1969 when he took over the command of the 3rd Marine Command from the then Colonel Benjamin Adekunle and helped to bring the civil war to a quick end. In 1970, he served as Commander of the Engineering Corps. He was promoted to the rank of Brigadier in 1972. On his return from a Senior Officer's Course at Britain's College of Defence Studies in 1974, he was appointed Federal Commissioner for Works and Housing and he became the second-in-command to Brigadier Murtala Muhammed as the Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters after the coup of July 29, 1975. Following the assassination of General Muhammed in a military coup on February 13, 1976, Obasanjo stepped into Muhammed's shoes and did not go back on the administration's goal and objectives. During his three years as Head of State, he worked hard and apparently sincerely to create a Nigeria of proud and industrious people. He committed Nigeria fully to the antiapartheid crusade, giving diplomatic, political and military support to the freedom movements in South Africa. He involved university academics in the formulation and execution of foreign policy. Obasanjo also introduced a series of economic austerity measures, at the same time to Nigeria's full participation in the then Organisation of African Unity (OAU), now African Union; Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS); the Non- Aligned movement, Commonwealth and the United Nations. He supported Angola's independence struggle from Portugal in 1976 by mobilising diplomatic support for Popular Movement for Liberation of Angola (MPLA) and was instrumental to OAU's recognition of MPLA. In Namibia, Sam Nujoma's SWAPO's struggle against apartheid South African regime for independence could not have been realised if not for the huge support from Obasanjo earlier. When it was unthinkable and unfashionable to do so, the liberation movement in Zimbabwe was supported with a huge sum of US$20 million, paving the way for her independence. He sent military assistance to help the then new independent nation of Mozambique to suppress the South African backed RENAMO guerrillas that constituted a significant threat to the peace and survival of the country. Obasanjo crowned his achievements in office with a single-minded pursuit of the transition to civilian government. Many Nigerians thought that the death of General Muhammed would require a postponement of the handover date. To everyone's amazement and delight, Obasanjo stuck to the original programme, handing over to an elected government on schedule on October 1, 1979. After his retirement, Obasanjo set up business as a commercial farmer. His Obasanjo Farms project was one of the biggest and most diversified in Nigeria. Side by side with his farming business, he took an active interest in international affairs. He established the African Leadership Forum through which he organised international workshops on African problems. In 1995, the late General Sani Abacha clamped a phony coup plot charge o n him. He was found guilty and was condemned to death by a military tribunal. The international outcry against the trial persuaded Abacha to commute the sentence to 15 years imprisonment. Obasanjo had served three years of the sentence when Abacha died suddenly and mysteriously on June 8, 1998. Abacha's successor, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, promptly released him and granted him state pardon. The stage was thus set for his re-entry into politics. In 1999, he was elected President under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In view of his commitment and dedication to the cause of Africa as well as his experience and understanding of the political, socio-economic and cultural landscape of Africa, Obasanjo was appointed UN Special Envoy to broker peace among the conflicting parties in DRC and the Great Lakes Region. While General Obasanjo retired to his farm in Ota, after leaving office in 2007, he is not yet tired. He has continued to play the role of statesman and mediator. Only recently, he was named by regional ECOWAS to officially mediate in the political crisis in Senegal, giving priority to education and health. He discouraged the culture of ethnic favouritism and promoted high work ethics. Through his Nigerian Enterprises Promotion Decrees, a significant growth of indigenous middle class was witnessed following the transfer of wealth by means of nationalisation and share ownership of hitherto predominantly foreign companies in various sectors of the economy. On agriculture, he introduced the Green Revolution in 1978. In the area of education, Obasanjo's vision was palpable, he saw very early the advent of globalisation, a world that will become knowledge-based and therefore saw the necessity for a strategic investment in human capital development. Starting with childhood education, he introduced the Universal Primary Education (UPE) nationwide and increased the number of universities from just five to 13. Obasanjo continued the 1960 Nigeria independence foreign policy, which was anchored on Africanisation and Non-alignment. In carrying out this function, he saw to Nigeria's full participation in the then Organisation of African Unity (OAU), now African Union; Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS); the Non- Aligned movement, Commonwealth and the United Nations. He established the African Leadership Forum through which he organised international workshops on African problems. In 1995, the late General Sani Abacha clamped a phony coup plot charge on him. He was found guilty and was condemned to death by a military tribunal. The international outcry against the trial persuaded Abacha to commute the sentence to 15 years imprisonment. Obasanjo had served three years of the sentence when Abacha died suddenly and mysteriously on June 8, 1998. Abacha's successor, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, promptly released him and granted him state pardon. The stage was thus set for his re-entry into politics. In 1999, he was elected President under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In view of his commitment and dedication to the cause of Africa as well as his experience and understanding of the political, socio-economic and cultural landscape of Africa, Obasanjo was appointed UN Special Envoy to broker peace among the conflicting parties in DRC and the Great Lakes Region. While General Obasanjo retired to his farm in Ota, after leaving office in 2007, he is not yet tired. He has continued to play the role of statesman and mediator. Only recently, he was named by regional ECOWAS to officially mediate in the p olitical crisis in Senegal. President Goodluck Jonathan's Birthday Message To OBJ: "On the historic occasion of your 75th birthday anniversary which comes up on Monday, 5th March 2012, I join you, your family, friends and well-wishers to thank Almighty God for the life of fulfillment and uncommon accomplishment which He has blessed you with. "You have spent virtually all of your adult life in dedicated patriotic service to our fatherland: as an accomplished officer in our nation's army; as a military commander who played a historic role in effecting the end of the unfortunate civil war; as a military Head of State who ushered in civil democratic governance; and later serving two terms as a democratically-elected President, and helping to consolidate the democratic process in our country. Today you are the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the ruling, and by far the largest political party in Nigeria. "Through it all, you have demonstrated exceptional courage, steadfast commitment and abiding faith in the unity, peace, stability and prosperity of the Nigerian nation. It is gratifying to note that you stand ready to continue to avail us of your wise counsel at all times. "On behalf of my family, the Government and people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I congratulate you on this milestone and wish you many more years of fulfillment. Happy Birthday!" Awwww bless...how true!!! Source: National Mirror |
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