BITTER -SWEET: My Life With Obasanjo by Oluremi Obasanjo - Global Quest Magazine

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Tuesday, April 19, 2022

BITTER -SWEET: My Life With Obasanjo by Oluremi Obasanjo



From the book we know the followings:

* Oluremi Obasanjo was from Olokemeji village an Egba village situated half way to Ibadan from Abeokuta. 

* In 1933, Remi's brother  called Akintunde Akinlawon was born but became  a classmate of MKO Abiola and both were a year ahead of OBJ,  but all left the school the same year bc OBJ did Cambridge GCE secretly and passed. This angered their school BBHS Baptist Boys High School Abeokuta and initially refused to give OBJ HIs Testimonial Certificate. He was being groomed to pass and bring Distinction to school, now he left suddenly. The principal was later pressured to give him his testimonial.

* We learned that MKO was an Agidigbo singer in naming and wedding ceremonies. 

* Remi Obasanjo was once a member of the singing group of Dayo Dedeke composer of Ise Agbe Nise Ile wa. 

* OBJ planned to go and read Geology up to Ph.D level in USA in order to become a  Prof,  so he joined  UAC but not having time to read,  he left to start teaching where he had all the time  to read, by this time through her younger brother,  OBJ had won over Remi bc she was leading her class. But it was not easy winning Remi over bc OBJ was too poor but very caring,  brilliant and had a sense of humor. 

* We learned that one day,  OBJ abandoned the USA plan and told Remi that he was joining the army as an officer. Remi was devastated. So,  OBJ and Benjamin Adekunle were allocated the same room in Ghana during the army training  and they used plywood to divide the room in order to avoid each other. They didn't like each other. 

* We learned that OBJ loved writing letters at the rate of 4 per week to Remi. 

* We learned that during the  Zaire crisis,  OBJ was captured by the Congolese cannibal rebels who earlier captured  and ate an Igbo NigerIan officer.  But Kaduna Nzeogwu pressurized the cannibals that if anything happened to OBJ that he would level their whole camp.  OBJ was released and Remi was relieved.

* We learned that OBJ later went to training in UK and he took Remi along and both  got married there.  Again his friend Kaduna Nzeogwu was there.  Nzeogwu came home first. 

* We learned  that OBJ too came home on Jan 13, 1966 and Kaduna Nzeogwu picked him up and were in the same room but on Jan 15,1966 Kaduna Nzeogwu staged a coup without informing OBJ. 

* Remi later came back to join OBJ in  Kaduna but there was a counter coup on July 29, 1966 and many Southern officers were massacred but strong man Usman Katsina took OBJ and wife to hide them with  Mai Deribe in  Maiduguri.  Bc the Far North planned to make use of him in future to unite Nigeria. That's exactly what they did later both after Murtala was killed and in 1999.

* We learned that  Iyabo was born on April  27, 1967.

* We learned that  MKO as the Accountant of LUTH got a good job for Remi as a diet specialist.  That was the happiest moment of Remi in life, doing what she was trained for, but OBJ still used strong head to take her to IBADAN where she worked at Premier Hotel.  OBJ did not want her to work bc he, OBJ was comfortable and caring. 

* Busola Obasanjo was born on Nov 05, 1968.

* Olusegun Obasanjo Jnr, was born on Nov 04, 1969.

* OBJ recommended Ukpabi Asika who refused to leave UI during the war,  as an Administrator of Enugu when the City fell to Nigeria. 

* We learned that OBJ and Benjamin Adekunle fought physically in the office of Usman Hassan Katsina  when Adekunle was to hand over  3rd Marine Commando to OBJ.  but Katsina called in the press and both immediately separated. That was in April 1969.

* We  learned that OBJ ended the war on Jan 12, 1970, brought the rebel leaders to Lagos on Jan 15, 1970. From then on,  he changed suddenly as if the war affected him.  He started womanizing  and started beating and abusing Remi.  There was a time  the Head of State Murtala Ramat Mohammed had to get a flat for  Remi and Children in Surulere.  . . . . .up till today it was a rat and cat race. Then so many women  came into their life eg Stella Obasanjo.  Remi suffered but remained the only legally  married wife to OBJ. Obj once pursed her on the streets of Lagos. On that day,  a vehicle almost knocked down Gbenga. 

* OBJ once in Port Harcourt told Remi to move to the guest room so that OBJ and his juju man would sleep together because they had an "ise" in the middle of the night.  Remi refused and she was terribly beaten up. 

All her children her doing well but Iyabo and Gbenga are not in talking terms with OBJ up till today and Awujale had tried many times to settle the matter to no avail. 

I CAN'T CONTINUE bc the rest of the details are bad bc OBJ physically abused Remi Obasanjo.

She lost Dayo due to poor care during one of the threw outs of Remi by OBJ. THE REST OF THE REMI'S CHILDREN are:

Iyabo Obasanjo
Olubusola Obasanjo
Olusegun Obasanjo Jnr the architect 
Olugbenga Obasanjo
Enitan Obasanjo the Agric Consultant

They  all have Ph.D. Iyabo and Gbenga read Medicine up to Ph.D level. 

She said OBJ never helped her on his own,  but his name opened the doors for her, in her numerious businesses. Working for Ibru Family sharpened her business acumen. Her best biz was stock fish biz but the business was destroyed by OBJ bc he would give a large quantity of the stock fish as a PR to visitors without paying her. She started the poultry farm in ABEOKUTA  but OBJ threw her out one day  and locked her up but Simbiat Abiola bailed her. OBJ later moved the poultry to Ota. 

There was a country indeed  !!!

CREDIT: Ayo Ojeniyi

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