Former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed the reasons he was jailed by the military junta of the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha in 1995.
Obasanjo gave his inability to keep his mouth shut on national and international issues as the major reasons that he was sent to jail.
Recall that in 1995, Obasanjo was accused of being involved in what was derided as phantom coup. He was arrested for his involvement to topple the then military dictator, Sani Abacha.
Obasanjo was tried alongside others by a military tribunal. He was found guilty and sentenced.
Speaking at the weekend, the former President disclosed that going to prison was a challenge to him. He pointed out that his inability to keep quiet on issues that happened in the country at the time contributed to his incarceration.
Obasanjo made this disclosure 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).
He, however, tasked the youth on positive leadership roles for the continent.
According to him, his prison experience was part of the challenges of life he personally had. And the journey to it started with his inability to always keep mute on national and international issues.
“I joined the army at the age of 42. And I finished my career as a military officer. But what could I do? I was still 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 refused to keep quiet. For me, if there was anything to comment on, I did comment on them. And so, I landed in prison, and that is a challenge,” Obasanjo said.
“And, when I came out from prison the situation was bad in the country. Some people felt the need to be saved and pressure started coming,” the former President added.
Obasanjo also revealed why he went into politics in 1999.
“The quest to save Nigeria from imminent disintegration made me to seek the Presidency in 1999,” he said.
This was contained in a statement issued by the Special Assistant on Media to the former President, Kehinde Akinyemi.
He stated that Obasanjo urged the budding youths under the aegis of Future Africa Leaders Foundation who came with the 10 winners of the Prestigious and Life Challenging Future Africa Leaders Awards, to bear the torch of light and leadership for a better Nigeria and African continent.
The former President, used the opportunity to lament the rising debt profiles of African governments.
He lamented that the debt profiles of some countries were due to recklessness and outright corruption.
“Most of the debts cannot be explained. Some, outright corruption,” he said.
To support his position, Obasanjo cited a particular state in Nigeria where the site for a carpet industry was never cleared.
The Nation
