I Don’t Know My Genuine Age, says Obasanjo
Omooba Risawe
Chief Olusegun Obasanjo,former Nigerian President has confessed that,he does not know his authentic age,but only recalled that his late mother told him, he was given birth to on a market day.
He made the disclosure at 2017 International Youth Variety Day and Public Presentation of Olusegun Obasanjo’s Books for Children, a part of programme for his 80th birthday.
The programme was organised by Centre for Human Security with the theme,Presidential Libraries Will Reduce Leadership Deficit in Africa’,held at theater hall of the Obasanjo Presidential Library,Abeokuta.
Speaking at the event, he,said when he was growing up he had the challenge of knowing his real date of birth,because his parents were complete illiterates.
His words ‘At early stage in my life, I have the challenge of knowing my date of birth, and my peers always asked, while in return I persist in asking my mother, who was an illiterate and has no records’.
Obasanjo further added and recalled that, when he continued to put pressure on his mother, the result he was given by his mother was that, she gave birth to him on Ifo village market day.
‘When I continued to put pressure on my mother, she told me that, she was preparing to go to market on the said day, and went into labour, and before others could return from the market, she has given birth to me’,he explained.
Obasanjo said, he however, arrived at his ‘age’ being celebrated putting into consideration his peers then, some he said he assumed he was junior to, and some he assumed he was older than.
‘Am not as lucky as some of my peers who know the dates of their birth. What matters to me is that I have choosen a date. If I don’t even know the exact date of my birth,at least I know my age group’,he emphasised.
The former President also talked about moralty in the society, lamenting that, the era of genuine moralty was fadiing out, but need to be revive in the interest of all and sundry.
‘When we were growing up, if people doubt source of your wealth, you will ostracized. If your father goes out everynight, the conclusion would be that your father is a thief,and if a family is seen and known to have engaged in crimes,community will keep distance from such family. All those values are gone,and how do we bring them back’,he stressed
Obasanjo while speaking on the presidential library noted that,the benefits would be for both the young and the old,expressing optimism that,it will start bringing gap in our behaviour.
He,however,noted that, we don’t have instrumental memory in Nigeria, but called on need and importance to guard our natural treasure, such as museum among others.
‘We don’t have instrumental memory in this country. We should guard over our natural treasure,and for example,museum’
In another development a debate competition among secondary schools and tertiary institutions across the country, which was part of the birthday celebration took place.
At end of the debate on the secondary schools debate,Krystal Comprehensive College came first, with 30 points,followed by Yetuns International College with 27 1/2,point, while Baptist Girls College came third with 27points.
On the University category, Osun State University won the 1st position with 38 points, while Babcock University scored 36 points to claimed 2nd position, and Kings University came 3rd with 32 points.
