At the NIIA, in the
lecture theatre, I became reacquainted with General Olusegun Obasanjo who was
then the former military Head of State of Nigeria. He had been invited to deliver a lecture and
his invitation was solely because of the stature and the added credence he gave
to the event.
In 1985 through the
courtesy of my Uncle Chief Adeagbo Odeniyi, I had visited him on his farm at
Otta. My uncle a budding farmer was
intent on expansion and thought the General could offer a way forward. We were ushered into the presence of Obasanjo
who was bedecked in a simple danshiki and was seated on a table. He looked older and his frame less rotund but
he had maintained his wicked sense of humour.
I had looked forward to sumptuous meal to satisfy the cravings of my
palate, however, all he was able to offer was a visit to the worker’s canteen,
which I politely declined. However, this
was not my only close proximity to the General, his son Olusegun was close to
me at King’s College where I was his senior and then we later became classmates. The General impressed me as someone who had
the good of the country at heart but was too self-opinionated to accept mistakes
when he made them. Buy the book to read more...
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