It was banters and reminisces all the way as former Head of
State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (retd), former President Olusegun Obasanjo
and a former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP), Dr. Ahmadu Ali relived old times at certain points in their
military careers.
The occasion was the launch of Ali’s biography – “Many Colours
Of A Rainbow,” at the Shehu Yar’ Adua Centre, Abuja, on
Thursday.
Obasanjo was the chairman of the occasion while Gowon was father
of the day.
As chairman of the occasion, Obasanjo was listed to deliver the
welcome address.
Typical of him, he did not come with a prepared speech. He
mounted the podium and cleared his throat in his characteristic
manner.
Expectedly, journalists that came to cover the event immediately
adjusted their sitting positions. Some were ready with their tape
recorders while others had their writing materials in the
ready.
Their ears stood erect like a rabbit’s as they waited for the
usual “bombshell” from the ex- President. The news hounds were very
sure that Obasanjo was going to “vibrate.”
Protocols over. The reporters had already set their tape
recorders rolling. Chmm…chmm…chmm. The old man cleared his throat
once again.
“When we were discussing earlier, Ahmadu (Ali) said Gen. Gowon
is older than him but that he (Ali) claimed to be older than me.
Then I asked Gen. Gowon if his date of birth was recorded and he
said his late father wrote it down and kept it in his bible.
“I asked Ahmadu if his own date of birth was recorded and he
also said his father kept the record. And I told them that’s why
they could talk like that. My own date of birth was recorded in my
mother’s memory.”
And the entire hall went toothy for a while. Then Obasanjo
cleared his throat once more and continued: “When I was in primary
school, my teacher sent me home from school to get my date of
birth. On getting home, I asked my mother for my date of birth and
she shouted at me that I was being stupid.”
Recalling his mother’s response at the time, Obasanjo quoted his
mother as saying, “I gave birth to you on Ifo Market Day. I had
prepared to go to the market with other women on that day but I
fell into labour at dawn. So I could not go the market. The other
women went to the market and came back only to find that I had
given birth to you. So go and tell your teacher that you were born
on Ifo Market Day.” The hall erupted in another bout of prolonged
laughter.
He then went down memory lane to capture his relationship with
Ali who was then a fellow army officer.
According to the ex- President, it was way back in 1975 when Ali
approached him for assistance.
Ali, then a Federal Commissioner for Education, wanted a
particular building located close to Race Course, Lagos, for use as
office accommodation.
Incidentally, the said building was being occupied by an agency
of the United States as operational office.
“So a few days after, I conspired with Ahmadu and mobilised
troops to surround the building as early as 4:00 a.m. When the
officials of the agency came to report for work in the morning,
soldiers prevented them from entering the building. That was how I
seized the building for Ahmadu and his staff,” Obasanjo
recalled.
Then hell was let loose. The U.S government had protested the
action, which sparked a bitter diplomatic row between the U.S and
the then Federal Military Government, headed by Gen. Gowon.
Consequently, Obasanjo was summoned to Dodan Barracks where he said
he was tongue-lashed by Gowon and other superior officers at the
time.
“I was scolded and dressed down by Gen. Gowon and other superior
officers for my actions. I was seriously washed down.”
It was banters and reminisces all the way as former Head of
State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (retd), former President Olusegun Obasanjo
and a former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP), Dr. Ahmadu Ali relived old times at certain points in their
military careers.
The occasion was the launch of Ali’s biography – “Many Colours
Of A Rainbow,” at the Shehu Yar’ Adua Centre, Abuja, on
Thursday.
Obasanjo was the chairman of the occasion while Gowon was father
of the day.
As chairman of the occasion, Obasanjo was listed to deliver the
welcome address.
Typical of him, he did not come with a prepared speech. He
mounted the podium and cleared his throat in his characteristic
manner.
Expectedly, journalists that came to cover the event immediately
adjusted their sitting positions. Some were ready with their tape
recorders while others had their writing materials in the
ready.
Their ears stood erect like a rabbit’s as they waited for the
usual “bombshell” from the ex- President. The news hounds were very
sure that Obasanjo was going to “vibrate.”
Protocols over. The reporters had already set their tape
recorders rolling. Chmm…chmm…chmm. The old man cleared his throat
once again.
“When we were discussing earlier, Ahmadu (Ali) said Gen. Gowon
is older than him but that he (Ali) claimed to be older than me.
Then I asked Gen. Gowon if his date of birth was recorded and he
said his late father wrote it down and kept it in his bible.
“I asked Ahmadu if his own date of birth was recorded and he
also said his father kept the record. And I told them that’s why
they could talk like that. My own date of birth was recorded in my
mother’s memory.”
And the entire hall went toothy for a while. Then Obasanjo
cleared his throat once more and continued: “When I was in primary
school, my teacher sent me home from school to get my date of
birth. On getting home, I asked my mother for my date of birth and
she shouted at me that I was being stupid.”
Recalling his mother’s response at the time, Obasanjo quoted his
mother as saying, “I gave birth to you on Ifo Market Day. I had
prepared to go to the market with other women on that day but I
fell into labour at dawn. So I could not go the market. The other
women went to the market and came back only to find that I had
given birth to you. So go and tell your teacher that you were born
on Ifo Market Day.” The hall erupted in another bout of prolonged
laughter.
He then went down memory lane to capture his relationship with
Ali who was then a fellow army officer.
According to the ex- President, it was way back in 1975 when Ali
approached him for assistance.
Ali, then a Federal Commissioner for Education, wanted a
particular building located close to Race Course, Lagos, for use as
office accommodation.
Incidentally, the said building was being occupied by an agency
of the United States as operational office.
“So a few days after, I conspired with Ahmadu and mobilised
troops to surround the building as early as 4:00 a.m. When the
officials of the agency came to report for work in the morning,
soldiers prevented them from entering the building. That was how I
seized the building for Ahmadu and his staff,” Obasanjo
recalled.
Then hell was let loose. The U.S government had protested the
action, which sparked a bitter diplomatic row between the U.S and
the then Federal Military Government, headed by Gen. Gowon.
Consequently, Obasanjo was summoned to Dodan Barracks where he said
he was tongue-lashed by Gowon and other superior officers at the
time.
“I was scolded and dressed down by Gen. Gowon and other superior
officers for my actions. I was seriously washed down.”
Read more https://nairalaw.com/43-years-after-obasanjo-exposes-ahmadu-ali-on-seizure-of-u-s-building/