This is now an old story, I know, but please, pardon me, if I appear unwilling to let it go without a comment. Two weeks ago, there were reports that Nigeria’s former president, Gen. (Prince) Olusegun Obasanjo (GCFR), the “Life-Leader” of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), “Founder/Father of Modern Nigeria”, Grand Emperor of Africa’s Clay-footed Giant, and former Head of the Most “Woman-friendly” Regime in Africa (including Swaziland), was trapped in a traffic congestion for about two hours as he journeyed from his multi-billion naira ultra modern farm at Ota, Ogun State, to Lagos.
The General was billed to see a couple of octogenarians in Lagos and undergo an orientation exercise at the National Open University, Victoria Island, Lagos, where he was recently admitted to study Theology.
For some years, while he was in office, there were calls on him to repair the Abeokuta-Lagos Expressway where he was trapped that Thursday, two weeks ago, and several other roads in the county, notably, the Lagos-Shagamu-Benin Expressway, but these calls were, characteristically, treated with utmost disdain. And to excuse himself from the daily trauma people experienced on those horrible roads, Gen Obasanjo preferred being flown in a helicopter from the Murtala Mohammed Airport, Lagos, to his multi-billion naira farm, each time he came calling.
But what the incident of that Thursday morning, two weeks ago, rudely demonstrated to the General was that the era of being flown above Nigeria’s dilapidated state was over, and that the harsh realities of the Nigerian state which failed under his watch were now ready to confront him with benumbing brazenness.
As he related his ordeal on that road to his kinsmen at an event in Abeokuta later that Thursday, how he had to leave his farm as early as 7.am only to be delayed for two hours on the heavily flooded, bad road, he probably wanted to be pitied. He is human after all, isn’t it?
Well, General, in case you are yet to realize it, what that spectacular experience was saying to you in bold and clear terms was simple: Goodnight to exclusive comfort and ease, and Good Morning to this side of reality. Na so this world be.
4 comments
I saw the man i.e baba or is it ali baba and the fourty thieves the other day. Before i could react, he had driven pass with an escort car blaring. The jeep he was riding in was american and the obvious bullet proofing made it like a battle tank!. Pity he wount even notice the bad roads cause the jeep was so massive with huge tyres and obvious comfort. Pity. I wanted to give him the finger but he had driven pass
If I had a hand to this article, I will re-title it THE SINS THAT MEN DO. This news was replete during that time OBJ was trapped in the trafick-jam. Well, if he had conscience, this is the time to apologise to Nigerians, that he did not rule for good, at least, he confessed!
Imela, Nwanna!
I don't know why people are still writing or discussing this notorious ex-leader called obasanjo. Now that he is like any other Nigerian without powers, who cares if he has to walk on bare foot daily from Lagos to Abuja. Afterall, this is what he left for Nigerians after his 8 years in office. He is now history and his cronies should start advising him on how to defend himself when his trials in court begins for all his crinimalities, corruptions and disrespects for the rule of laws in Nigeria.
Great News! To know that the rich and powerful also cry. Baba, this is just to let you know that after 8years of your leadership, we only actually made 8 seconds progress.