Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed that his imprisonment during the military regime of the late General Sani Abacha was due to his refusal to remain silent on critical national and international issues,Thecable reports.
Obasanjo made this disclosure during an interactive session with 15 young African leaders at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) in Abeokuta, Ogun State, over the weekend. The leaders, part of the Future Africa Leaders Foundation (FALF), included 10 recipients of the 2024 Future Africa Leaders Awards.
In a statement issued by his media assistant, Kehinde Akinyemi, Obasanjo recounted the challenges he faced after leaving the military. “I joined the army and retired at 42, after which I went into agriculture,” he said. “During that time, I was imprisoned—not something I desired. My imprisonment was a consequence of refusing to stay silent. Whenever there was a need to speak out, I did so, and that led to my incarceration.”
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Obasanjo further explained that his decision to contest the presidency in 1999 was driven by the deteriorating state of the nation. “When I came out of prison, the situation in the country was dire, and there was immense pressure for me to step in and help salvage it,” he said.
The former president also criticized Africa’s rising debt burden, attributing it to mismanagement and corruption. “A significant portion of the debt in some African countries is due to reckless borrowing and outright corruption,” he remarked. “I know of a state in Nigeria that took a loan for a carpet industry which never materialized, yet the loan was fully repaid.”
Obasanjo praised Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, founder of the Future Africa Leaders Foundation, for his dedication to empowering young leaders across the continent since 2013. “What Pastor Chris Oyakhilome has been doing is remarkable,” he said. “Some may see it as a drop in the ocean, but many drops make the ocean. I am delighted with this initiative and wish him continued success.”
He encouraged the young leaders to embrace their roles as agents of change, emphasizing that leadership in Africa demands “positive disruptive action.”
Julian New Ariori from Benin Republic, the star prize winner of the event, expressed gratitude on behalf of the group. Ariori noted that their visit to the Obasanjo Presidential Library had broadened their perspectives and inspired them to lead with purpose.
Other participants represented countries including Libya, Morocco, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, South Sudan, Malawi, Egypt, Cameroon, Togo, Ghana, Lesotho, Rwanda, and Burkina Faso. Sylvester Ebhodaghe, FALF’s head of media and government relations, accompanied the group.
