Former president of Ghana, John Kufuor has described former
president Olusegun Obasanjo as 'a prophet' and 'a living legend' who can
be described as a rock of Gibraltar.
Kufuor praised
Obasanjo on Friday in a lecture he delivered at a programme to celebrate
the former president at the Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta,
Ogun state, southwest Nigeria.
Kufuor said very few people are
celebrated while they are alive, and in most cases people wait until
when leaders passed on before they were celebrated.
"Obasanjo
is a prophet recognised in his own town and indeed in the whole of
Africa. There are two things which a few people know that bound me and
Obasanjo together. And this will be the first time I will mention it in
the public.
"I was in government in my country between 2001 and
2009 while Obasanjo was in power from 1999 to 2007. When I assumed
office in Ghana, I met an economy that was flat on its tommy, everything
was grounded. The fuel we had in Ghana then could not last us a day.
International communities were packing out of Ghana. After consultation
with my executive, I concluded to go to Abuja and pleaded with Obasanjo
to lift embargo on NNPC of lifting fuel to neighbbouring countries
including Ghana. My plea was immediately granted and that was how
Ghanaís economy came back on its feet."
He added that his second
encounter with Obasanjo was when Ghana needed $90 million to execute the
West African Gas Pipeline Project and he met him in Washington, the
USA. Without wasting time, he added, Obasanjo raised $40 million to
assist the project.
Kufuor therefore praised and prayed for long life for the former Nigerian president.
Speaking
earlier, chairman of the occasion and former head, Interim National
Government, ING, Chief Ernest Shonekan described Obasanjo as an
extraordinary statesman who is the first military ruler in Nigeria to
voluntarily relinquish power to a civilian government.
He said
Obasanjo got $35 billion debt relief for the country and he also left
$50 billion as external reserve when he left office.
He maintained
that nobody could rule Nigeria in 1999 when Obasanjo became president
stressing that Nigeria then needed a bold, intelligent and confident
person who at that time could salvage the country from imminent crash.
And Obasanjo did not disappoint.
Ogun state PDP factional
chairman, Senator Dipo Odujirin, said the planning of the programme
started September last year and they have been meeting regularly to
ensure a hitch-free event.
He said most leaders were celebrated at
death but he met with like minds who agreed that Obasanjo needed to be
celebrated with the programme.
Aside the lecture delivered by Kufuor, the programme will also feature a civic reception at the Ake Palace Saturday.
Two
drama presentations entitled 'Ogbongbodu' and 'The Story of a Legend'
will take place later Friday as part of activities to mark the cultural
night aspect of the programme.
Other dignitaries at the programme
include Senator Gbenga Obadara representing Ogun Central, Adamawa
Governor, Rear Admiral Murtala Nyanko (rtd), Police Affairs
Commissioner, Caleb Olubolade, Deji of Akure, Oba Adebiyi A. Adesida,
Osemawe of Ondo, Oba B. Kiladejo and Ogun state Deputy Governor, Prince
Segun Adesegun who represented his boss, Governor Ibikunle Amosun.
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