Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Tuesday declared that he made “successful” mistakes as Military Head of State and civilian president.

Obasanjo, who ruled the country between 1976 and 1979 as a military head and between 1999 and 2007 as a civilian President, however, took responsibility for all his actions.

He spoke in Ibadan, Oyo State during the 50th anniversary lecture to commemorate the call to the Bar of Chief Afe Babalola (SAN).

A civil war veteran and former Chief of Staff of the 3rd Marine Commando Division, Nigeria Army, Gen. Alabi Isama (retd), had recently accused Obasanjo of committing numerous blunders during his reign in government.

Obasanjo said, “One mistake I made that turned out to be successful was when I was looking for somebody to give leadership of the University of Lagos to and I chose Babalola. Some people said I made a mistake but it turned out to be a successful mistake.

“My mistakes as people say were mostly in appointments. I appointed the UNILAG Pro-Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor and the university became the best. The Vice-Chancellor and Pro-Chancellor that I appointed were acknowledged as the best at the time.

“The mother of all the mistakes was that the exposure and involvement of Babalola in the affairs of UNILAG led to the establishment of the Afe Babalola University in Ado-Ekiti.

“If you have not seen ‘instant wonder’, go to ABUAD. Babalola used his experience as the Pro-Chancellor of UNILAG to build what today is the best and fast growing private university in the country.”

Obasanjo, who inaugurated the extension of Babalola’s Emmanuel Chambers on the occasion, said, “There are many Nigerians, but, there are not many good Nigerians of Babalola’s sterling qualities.”

Solicitor-General of the Federation, Ahmed Abdulahi, who represented President Goodluck Jonathan, described Babalola as a product of courage, perseverance, determination and humility.

The Guest Speaker, retired Justice Emmanuel Ayoola, while delivering a lecture entitled, ‘The future of Law in Nigeria’, stressed the need to improve legal education in the country.

He said, “Our legal education should be re-invigorated and made more robust. For instance, we should begin to encourage inclusion of Comparative Law in every aspect of our legal education.

“We can only neglect the history of the principles of the common law at a disadvantage. Our law faculties should be fully equipped with the access to jurisprudence and decisions of other jurisdiction to protect our laws.

“We delude ourselves in this country if we believe that, we can be a great nation without a great legal system. The path to the greatness of our nation is through a reliable, efficient, trustworthy and value-driven legal system.”

Former Pro-Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Chief Wole Olanipekun, (SAN) described Babalola as a reformer, revolutionary and educationist who contributed to national and legal development.

Governors Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo); Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti); Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo) and a former Ekiti State Governor Segun Oni among other eminent personalities attended the ceremony.

Source: Niajagaga

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......Like spending sixteen billion dollars on electricity and leaving the power sector worse off than it was in 1999.....

234GT: ......Like spending sixteen billion dollars on electricity and leaving the power sector worse off than it was in 1999.....

Dat Too was a Successful Mistake!

baba obasanjo should pls take a rest frm public speeches, we've had enuuf.
its becoming an insult now.

like mismanaging and liquidising our National Airline , Nigeria Airways?
Another successful mistake?

Wao!
This is a successful mistake.

And the worse mistake is making the incompetent one to succeed the weak one!

Finally senility has crept in Baba ti di omode elekeji lobatan

Me i like ds man well well.

Why won't this man go and die so we can stop hearing about him and forget he was ever born.

Mistake is mistake, nothing like successful mistake, if it was successful then it's not a mistake.

Was giving away oil rich Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon, without consulting the Nigerian populace or even the Bakassi natives, also a successful mistake ?

All people have the right to stupidity but some abuse the privilege.

Alot of 'successful mistakes' is his middle name. You can't count them.

Useless Primate!!!

Hhmmm.. Never knw some mistake could b successful

OBJ the man

Lobatan

Turning of otta farm into his own was the bravest successful mistake he did .

Afterall he produces the largest number of eggs we eat in Nigeria

But how did this Afe-Babalola become so rich?

GenBuhari: Was giving away oil rich Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon, without consulting the Nigerian populace or even the Bakassi natives, also a successful mistake ?

Don't be silly. The British gave away Bakassi long before Obasanjo joined the Nigerian Army. Obeying the judgement of the ICJ which ruled that Bakassi was in Cameroun, meant he gave it away? When the British amalgamated the Federation called Nigeria were we consulted? Likewise when they gave away Bakassi.

Obasanjo is someone I have little respect for but we should not play politics with the Bakassi issue. The man is close to his grave and lets put the records straight.

which one be Afe Babalola University

234GT: ......Like spending sixteen billion dollars on electricity and leaving the power sector worse off than it was in 1999.....

well, he awarded a $16B for the electricity which was still ongoing slow-born yar adua halted it.

Another successful mistake was 'truncating' NOI's appointment. It worked cos he left with grt foreign reserve, no debt, and a rising economy. He started the initiative of promoting SME's.

The worst mistake was the backing of the drunken fisherman who now, with his face-froged mistress-NOI, and flat face diezani, are driving the country to penury!!!

Infact, it's in their joy to keep announcing we are broke!!!

Igbo.owore:


Don't be silly. The British gave away Bakassi long before Obasanjo joined the Nigerian Army. Obeying the judgement of the ICJ which ruled that Bakassi was in Cameroun, meant he gave it away? When the British amalgamated the Federation called Nigeria were we consulted? Likewise when they gave away Bakassi.

Obasanjo is someone I have little respect for but we should not play politics with the Bakassi issue. The man is close to his grave and lets put the records straight.

which one of these are u;
(a) fooolish (b) stoopid (c) an idioot (d) just ignorant

Shutting down PH Airport for years and allowing only Lagos Airport was a successful mistake.

Shutting down Calabar EPZ and keep Apapa wharf was Successful mistake.

Building Gas Plant at Ondo where there is no gas instead of building at Bonny where there is Gas was successful mistake

Holding Lagos State Allocation for 1 yr which finally ended up in Tinubu's account at a single deposit was a great successful mistake.

Leading the last squad that decimated millions of biafrans during the civil was a successful mistake

Pursuing Mike Adenuga out of the country after cancelling his $2m worth of OPL and receiving his 250 million during a Presidential Library launch was a successful mistake.

Choice of sick Yaradua and 'potentially controllable GEJ, who by the way prove he is a man of himself' was a successful which gives me a smile.

Giving out Bakassi to Cameroun without a single gun shot was another successful mistake

OHBEEJAH, you are a successful mistake Nigeria ever made.

I hate obasanjo with very fibre in me for his wickedness,pride and arrogance

Billionaires: Shutting down PH Airport for years and allowing only Lagos Airport was a successful mistake.

Shutting down Calabar EPZ and keep Apapa wharf was Successful mistake.

Building Gas Plant at Ondo where there is no gas instead of building at Bonny where there is Gas was successful mistake

Holding Lagos State Allocation for 1 yr which finally ended up in Tinubu's account at a single deposit was a great successful mistake.

Leading the last squad that decimated millions of biafrans during the civil was a successful mistake

Pursuing Mike Adenuga out of the country after cancelling his $2m worth of OPL and receiving his 250 million during a Presidential Library launch was a successful mistake.

Choice of sick Yaradua and 'potentially controllable GEJ, who by the way prove he is a man of himself' was a successful which gives me a smile.

Giving out Bakassi to Cameroun without a single gun shot was another successful mistake

OHBEEJAH, you are a successful mistake Nigeria ever made.

mumu, i knw all ur rantings are jes to arose the sympathy from ur biafran counterparts.

Didn't the country has 10yrs to appeal on bakkassi issue?

U see, with all ur rantings and crying, it is more easier to stroke the ego of ur fellow 'fake' baifran soldiers who by nature are driven by arrogance and violence!

Baba Obo,u're the first corrupted civilian leader we had.You brought corruption to this country,and yet u're the leader of a party..I bet u're a failure

i use to dislike u until gej came along and i begin salute u say u try.