“I Have Always Prioritized Education for Service Rather than for Profit” – Obasanjo Tells Tinubu

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has called on President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Government to devise a sustainable framework for financing education in Nigeria, emphasizing its critical importance to national development.

Speaking on Tuesday during the 70th birthday celebration of the Vice Chancellor of Bells University, Prof. Oludele Ojediran, at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Obasanjo stressed the need for youth empowerment as a cornerstone of Nigeria’s progress.

“President Tinubu and the Federal Government must find a sustainable means to finance education,” Obasanjo said. “Governments at all levels must also empower youths to become job creators rather than job seekers.”

The former president commended LAUTECH for producing distinguished academics and administrators, singling out Professors Adeyemi and Ojediran as exemplary products of the institution. He noted that both had significantly contributed to Bells University’s growth as Vice Chancellors at different times.

Reiterating his commitment to education, Obasanjo stated,

“I have always prioritized education for service rather than for profit. It remains my legacy, and I will continue to support its development across Nigeria.”

In his remarks, the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Ghandi Olaoye, praised Obasanjo’s extensive contributions to education and agriculture, underscoring their transformative impact on Nigeria.

Oba Olaoye urged Prof. Ojediran to utilize his expertise in agricultural engineering to foster development in Ogbomoso. He further pledged to provide suitable farmland for individuals interested in pursuing agricultural ventures in the region, aiming to stimulate economic growth and employment opportunities.

The event brought together dignitaries from various sectors who celebrated Prof. Ojediran’s milestone and recognized his contributions to academic excellence and community development.

OwelekeTV also recalls in a recent report that the former president held a memorial service for friend, late Jimmy Carter, who was the only leader outside Africa who visited Sani Abacha, the late military dictator, solely to plead for his release from prison.

Obasanjo stated this in a tribute to Carter, the late American president, who passed on December 29, 2024, aged 100.

The tribute, titled “Jimmy Carter: The Departure of a Titan”, was read during a memorial service held on Sunday at the Chapel of Christ the Glorious King, Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), Abeokuta, Ogun state.

Obasanjo was arrested, tried, and sentenced to prison by the Abacha junta in 1995 over alleged involvement in a failed military coup.

Obasanjo narrated how Carter visited Nigeria and got Abacha to release him (Obasanjo) from prison, and he was placed on house arrest.

He said that although many others intervened to seek his release, Carter was the only one who had visited Nigeria solely for that purpose.

“President Carter was one of my foreign friends who stuck their necks out to save my life and to seek my release from prison. On President Carter’s visit to Nigeria, he got Abacha to agree to take me from detention to house arrest on my farm. But that did not last for too long,” Obasanjo said.

“Many other friends and leaders intervened, but President Carter was the only non-African leader, according to my information, that paid a visit to Abacha solely to plead for my release.

OwelekeTV confirms that Bells University official Instagram page posted the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Oludele Ojediran’s to celebrate the landmark birthday.

OwelekeTV also recalls the former leader’s comment on Nigeria as a “failed state” believed to be as a result of the poor leadership of Buhari and Bola Tinubu. While Obasanjo did not name the two leaders directly, he mentioned nicknames used for them by their opponents, “Baba-go-slow” for Mr Buhari and “Emilokan” for the incumbent.

The statement was made during a paper presentation at the Chinua Achebe Leadership Forum at Yale University in the United States on the 17th November, 2024. The annual lecture honours the late Nigerian writer, Chinua Achebe.

The former president delivered his keynote address, titled “Leadership Failure and State Capture in Nigeria”, in a pre-recorded speech played at the event.