After he left power many years ago, former Nigerian President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo still has his plate full. Obasanjo, an African Union Special Envoy was in Kenya recently to do what he knows how to do best – restoring peace across the continent of Africa. According to the former Nigerian leader, his recent visit to Kenya was to follow up on the progress of the talks between President William Ruto and Raila, which he brokered to stop the violent protests that rocked Kenya a few weeks ago. Described as one of the most influential African leaders, Obasanjo according to Kenya media said, ” Second thing is that not too long ago I was here with President Ruto and Raila and we went to Mombasa and the outcome of that exercise was for each from the two parties to form a committee and I understand that committee has done great work”. “I want to see what progress we are making in that line. I will be seeing the president with whom I’m also regularly in contact”. From Nairobi to Ethiopia to Monrovia, Obasanjo has become the go-to man for conflict resolutions across Africa. For Obasanjo, serving humanity is a calling for him. He’s a man of action known for his peace advocacy across Africa.
Obasanjo who is fondly known as OBJ or “Baba” is famous for championing peace initiatives and intervening in conflict resolutions. When it comes to brokering peace across Africa, there’s no statesman living in Africa who comes close to former President Obasanjo. Many moons ago when war erupted in Ethiopia between the central government and the authorities in its Tigray region it took the intervention of President Obasanjo to restore peace in Ethiopia when he was called upon by the African Union’s Peace and Security Council (PSC). Obasanjo left his comfort zone and traversed the war zone to hear the Tigrayan grievances and spent quality time consulting with the government in Addis Ababa. Again, he was able to restore peace in Ethiopia with the help of the African Union’s Peace and Security Council (PSC). Not done, OBJ repeated his magic wand in Liberia, too. When Liberia was in conflict and suffered devastating losses, Obasanjo stepped in to save the day. His brave action of offering Charles Taylor, one of the brains behind the war a lifeline through exile in Nigeria calmed nerves in Liberia. A veteran military officer in his own right, Obasanjo knew that without compromise, it would be impossible to rescue Liberia from the devastating war. That’s the stuff Obasanjo is made of – a fearless leader who is ready to go above and beyond for the greater good of all. And leadership according to Colin Powell is solving problems. Obasanjo is a problem solver. A continental peacemaker. And it is no shock that the former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo is being considered as a Nobel Peace Prize nominee.
On the home front, former President Obasanjo is perhaps the greatest Nigerian living. A living legend whose record of public service can best be described as commendable. A man after God’s heart, his life story is a reflection of God’s grace. Obasanjo holds the record as one of the few Nigerian leaders to have had a natural tenure uninterrupted both as a military Head of State and a democratically elected President. Obasanjo etched his name into the history books when he willfully handed over power to President Shehu Shagari on October 1, 1979. Many years after his miraculous escape from former Head of State, General Sani Abacha’s ‘lion’s den’, Chief Obasanjo returned to power, this time, as a democratically elected President on May 29, 1999. To his credit, he paid off Nigeria’s entire foreign debt to the Paris Club and other Bretton Woods institutions. Not only that, he stabilized the country after inheriting a country on the verge of economic collapse. Obasanjo’s administration created the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to tackle financial crimes in the country. His administration also pioneered the mobile phone industry in Nigeria and implemented several other economic policies including privatization. Like or hate him, one thing you can’t take away from Obasanjo is his commitment to peace and prosperity in Africa. He has carved a niche for himself as an architect of peace and one of the builders of modern Nigeria.