By BASHIR ADEFAKA
Former Deputy Defence Adviser at the Nigerian Embassy in Moscow, Russia, Retired Major General Tajudeen Olanrewaju, has issued a statement to greet his former Commander-in-Chief, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo as he clocks 87.
Matthew Olusegun Aremu Obasanjo, a retired four-star General and former President of Nigeria, was born in Ibogun-Olaogun, an Abeokuta village in Ogun State, South West Nigeria on 5 March 1937.
Olanrewaju, who himself survived the Civil War and fathomed coup death sentence like Obasanjo, congratulated the first former Military Head of State to be democratically elected civilian President of world’s most populous black nation and, after serving for two terms of eight years, still appears strong and kicking.
The former Minister of Communications and former General Officer Commanding 3 Armoured Division Nigerian Army said all that Senator Shehu Sani wrote in tribute to Obasanjo at 87 are “Very good tribute ready for storage in the archive of a man of interest to Nigerian state.”
Shehu Sani had said, “Obasanjo midwifed the second republic in 1979 where Shagari, Awo, Zik, Aminu Kano,Waziri Ibrahim & later Braithwaite strongly led that season.The great men all died & Obj is still alive.With the exception of Jim Nwobodo & Awwal Ibrahim now an Emir, All the Governors of the Second Republic have died,Obj is still alive.He was Nigeria’s President 17 years ago and he can still play soccer,Dance and send missiles he call letters.He survived the Civil war,Survived the Prison and Survived the Presidency.
“He served as President for 8 years without record of visiting any European country for medical reasons.
“I was his senior in Kiri Kiri maximum security prison in 1995,when we were all charged for treason and sentenced to life imprisonment and later reduced to 15years by the Abacha military tribunal.In Prison,he remained strong as an old soldier.
“What could be the secret behind the resilience,enduring spirit and longevity of Obj?
“Nigerian medical scientists should help us with this answer.I know not of anyone who is detribalised and so passionate about Nigeria and the African continent than obj and some of his contemporaries.
“Happy 87th Birthday to Ex President Obasanjo,” he said and General Olanrewaju said nothing more to add as the tribute to the former Nigerian Leader was perfect.
The DEFENDER reports that Retired Major General Tajudeen Adeniyi Olanrewaju, ndc, GCHB, Nigeria’s civil war veteran and former Member Provisional Ruling Council (PRC), will clock 78 on May 8, 2024. He was born same date in 1946.
