TWO African presidents, state governors, former governors, ministers and captains of industry across the country stormed Lagos and Abeokuta on Monday to celebrate former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

At the event, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar described Obasanjo as the only boss he has in Nigeria, even as he said both of them would continue to work closely for the good of the nation.

Sierra Leonian president, Bai Koroma; his Liberian counterpart, Sirleaf Johnson; Senate President, David Mark; wife of the president, Dame Patience Jonathan; former Vice- President, Atiku Abubakar; Governors Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun); Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta); Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom); Theodore Orji (Abia); Liyel Imoke (Cross River); former Governors Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Olusegun Oni, Adebayo Alao-Akala, Adamu Muazu . Minister of State (Defence), Chief (Mrs) Olusola Obada; Police Affairs Minister, Caleb Olubolade; Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshall Oluseyi Petirin; Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Mr Femi Otedola, Dr Wale Babalakin, Dr Charles Soludo and several other important dignitaries graced the twin event.

The 75th birthday was marked in the morning in Abeokuta with the launch by the former president of the Feed Africa Programme while a dinner was later held later at the Civic Centre, Ozumba Mbadiwe road, Lagos.

Also speaking at the event, the Vice-President, World Bank (Africa), Dr Oby Ezekwesili, has said that oil wealth cannot develop the economies of Nigeria and other African countries, suggesting that governments should promote human capital development.

She said this while delivering a keynote address on Monday, at the launch of Feed Africa Programme(FAP), organised by the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta, as part of activities marking the 75th birthday of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.

She cited Japan and Singapore as non- oil producing countries with the best economies in the world.

Ezekwesili, who described agriculture as the only catalyst for development and economic growth, wondered why a continent that possesses 50 per cent of arable land in the entire world would be facing the challenge of poverty and food insecurity.

She said, “the issue of human capital is much more important for Africa than this incredible debate which goes on all the time about oil wealth.

“Oil wealth never creates the basis for economic development. This is the truth. The only benefit of oil wealth is that oil wealth properly managed, would enable you make an important investment in human capital to transform an economy. But simply sharing of oil wealth is such a lowly vision.


“There is no nation on the face of the earth that shared resources from non-renewable capital or non-renewable endowment and simply by sharing became great.

“How much oil does Japan have? How much oil does Singapore have? Today, Singapore has become a country that the US depends upon concerning its science and mathematics education.”

She noted that the World Bank had been supporting Africa’s quest for food security and freedom from hunger with a sum of US $1billion annually and attributed poor leadership, poor policies, poor commitment, maladministration of resources and inappropriate investment to food insecurity in Africa.


http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/news/37124-obj-is-my-only-boss-atiku-as-2-african-presidents-others-storm-lagos-abeokuta-for-obj-at-75