Nigerians, particularly members and supporters of the People’s Democratic
Party (PDP) that are still hoping for a revived PDP someday, former
President Olusegun Obasanjo has a word for them.
Obasanjo for the second time in less than three years, said the party is
dead, sunk and gone, praying that the fortune of Nigeria should also not
sink – apparently like that of the PDP.
The former Board of Trustees (BoT) of PDP reiterated his position on
Friday while replying comments by former National Chairman, Alh. Ahmadu
Ali, about their past relationship in government during an International
Symposium titled: “Purpose and Utilitarian Values of Presidential
Libraries” at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta, the
Ogun State capital.
The event, which also include the grand opening of the Olusegun Obasanjo
Presidential Library (OOPL), Abeokuta, to mark the 80th birthday of the
ex-President was organised by the Centre for Human Security (CHS), an arm
of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL).
The ex – President recalled that he brought Ali to lead the once powerful
and largest party in Africa because of his truthfulness, saying PDP was
controlling 30 out of the 36 states of the federation when Ali and him
were leading it but lamented that its fortune sank when the duo left the
stage.
He noted that while Ahmadu Ali served as the National chairman of the
party, he ensured its stability and effectiveness but lamented that the
party is now down and out following an intractable internal crisis.
Obasanjo: “Ahmadu Ali is truthful and that was why I brought him to head
the PDP and all went well when Ahmadu Ali was the National chairman. We
were controlling 30 out of the 36 states, when Ahmadu and I left, the
fortune of the PDP began to sink.
“Whether you believe it or not, today PDP is sunk and gone. May the
fortune of Nigeria never sink like that of the PDP” with the audience
responding in a thunderous “Amen.”
And responding also to avalanche of eulogy from dignitaries – Nigerians
and foreigners, during the symposium, he said the Olusegun Obasanjo
Presidential Library was established to correct one of his mistakes of the
past, especially not collecting and archiving materials connected to his
time during the civil war.
He said: “somebody among the speakers said God has always given me the
opportunity to correct my wrongs. I will say God has done that for me not
in all cases but in most cases and this Presidential Library is actually
an act of God which he has given to me to correct one of my mistakes of
the past and I have said this very often.
” I was in the war front, it was very one significant thing in my life and
in the life of Nigeria. I was military head of State, it was one
significant thing in my life and in the life of Nigeria but I was not as
mindful as I should have been about collecting materials that were
connected with those events, the war front and civil war both on the
vandals side, we called them rebels side or if you like the Biafrans side,
they called us vandals, we called them rebels.
“But we did collect something, when I was also the Military Head of State
I didn’t pay much attention to collect materials, where I should have paid
attention to.
“So, by 1988, it occurred to me that these are mistakes, I looked at some
of the materials we got from the war fronts, they were in very bad state
of neglect so what I did was to try and micro-film what we could
micro-film.
“I also learnt a lesson, when you are in a position to keep materials and
preserve them for prosterity, you should do so and I never knew there will
be another opportunity, so, God created another opportunity for me to
correct the mistakes of the past.
“God is the God second chance and for some of us He is not God of second
chance but God of many chances and I will be internally grateful to God
for the opportunity he has given me but more importantly whatever I might
achieved, I take responsibility but whatever I might achieved it would not
have been possible without the people who have helped me in life to be
able to achieve what I have achieved.
“Take the Presidential Library for example if not for the members of Board
of Trustees I will have fallen by the roadside and that will have been
another mistake because it got to a stage that things were rough, things
were rough and we are just putting heads together, it is God of many
chances.”
He urged the youths who attended the programme not to be mindful of their
current position – whether poor or weak, assuring that “If he (given his
poor background) could make it this far, they can also make it.”
He advised them to share whatever ideas they have with others, for the
growth and development of Nigeria.
The ex – President said having passed the kiln of life including marking
time in prison without being killed by his jailers, he has nothing anymore
to fear save God.
Dignitaries who took turn to speak on the “Purpose of utilitarian Values
of Presidential Library, hailed Obasanjo for establishing the OOPL,
describing him as an “iconic legend.”
Former US Ambassador to the United Nations (UN), Mr. Andrew Young, said
that without Obasanjo, Africa might still be in a desperate position,
adding that, “it is time for Nigeria to realise and make amendment where
it’s lagging behind”.
“There is no human being in Africa that has experienced what Obasanjo has
gone through in the last 50 years, “One thing about him is that he is the
same way same person whether in New York, UN, World Bank, White House or
china, he does not change. He does not give a damn whom he makes mad,” he
said.
He said Obasanjo should be celebrated, adding that “the presidential
Library will help others to understand his work.”
Also speaking, Tracy Roosevelt, grand daughter of former US President,
Franklin D Roosevelt, explained that a Presidential Library is a place,
meant to bring together the memories of the past and to also bring men and
women together for higher goals.
Roosevelt said Obasanjo gave the gift of the Library to his people, to
share the memories of his past with his people.
“There are 14 presidential libraries in the United States of America
(USA), but, the first Presidential Library in Africa was created by
Obasanjo in Abeokuta,” she said.