Former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo has been described as the best president Nigeria ever had.
This remark was made by the Founder and President of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Aare Afe Babalola, while receiving members of the Yoruba Patriots Group, who nominated him as their patron.
According to him, Obasanjo who had the rare opportunity to lead the nation for three times, as Military Head of State in the late 70s and elected President from 2009 to 2007.
“During his ruling period, he was known to be a very energetic, strong-willed and stubborn person, and he is difficult to persuade but he is a progressive man. He never became a professor but he knows better than most professors. He is a highly talented man and is the best President Nigeria ever had”
Aare Babalola, also went down memory lane to explain his long time rapport with the former president, “The path of myself and Obasanjo crossed when he introduced zero party representation system as military Head of State. My people then chose me to represent them. And I agreed to represent them even though I wasn’t a politician. . But some politician who felt that if I went to represent my people, it would affect their chance, went to court to say that I should be disqualified because I haven’t paid my tax.
”And I had an obsession at that time of over paying my tax in advance, so that if at the end of auditing, I had overpaid, I had some money repaid to me.
”I challenged them at the court because that was an attack on my integrity. So, I eventually won the case and my name was sent to Obasanjo as the qualified person to represent my people. Obasanjo in spite of that chose the politician and I went back to my practice as a lawyer. That incident prevented me from dabbling into the murky waters of Nigerian politics.
”Obasanjo left office and years after, there was an allegation by Senator Olusola Saraki that about N2.8 billions pounds and put it in his own bank then. The students then we’re angry and protested in Lagos. So, a panel of inquiry was set up to investigate the allegation. I was asked to defend the Federal Government at the court and Obasanjo was invited to give evidence as a former Head of State. And we met at the court where I cross-examined him. That was when he met me physically and recognised that I was the same man whose name was sent to him at the time.
”Later, Obasanjo was sued for writing a book titled : ‘Is not my will’. He called me to defend him and that was how our age long rapport began. We got closer and closer until 2009 when he was to be President and was sued again by several others, Olu Falae, Buhari and others and he invited me and I won the cases for him.
”He later attempted to make me Attorney General of the nation but I turned the offer down. But when he invited me to come clean up the rot in education system at the University of Lagos as Pro-chancellor I accepted but with a condition not to get all the emoluments. I served selflessly and was awarded best Pro-chancellor for two terms that I served there.
The quality of education we offer is akin to that given in London, U.S and other Canada among others. Where we charge N1 million, these countries charge N17 million and N5 million. That is why our university is the best alternative to overseas schooling, ” he said.
The Senior lawyer also commented on the choice of two lawyers from his chamber as SAN recently, “I am very happy that two out of 29 new Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) are from my chamber. That makes 19 of the SANS in my chamber and it is a record that would be very difficult to match anyhwere It shows that if juniors understudy their seniors and are not in an hurry, they can make it. My advice is don’t be in an hurry to go and start a kingdom.”
