Notes on the Farmer ,Olusegun Obasanjo

[Augustine Togonu-Bickersteth]

Obasanjo: cultivating soil and mind; cultivating talent and friendship; cultivating peace.
Obasanjo is highly revered by many including those who say they belong to the Obasanjo school of Politics. He has been called “Foremost authority” and “Oracle” as it pertains to Nigeria and how Africa interacts with herself and with the rest of the world. He is atimes almost deified
In a world where we are told “If there are no sinners there would be no saints” Obasanjo has been accused of being a sinner. Almost crucified. He has been a target for humiliation much against the advice of the ancients of his country that you do not humiliate a courageous man. Nigerians have been enjoined to forget the messenger but study the message
A torch bearer of 1.2 billion Africans and blacks worldwide, Obasanjo is gracefully courted abroad and severally hosted by iconic leaders, world leaders who he may even interact with on first name basis .
An astute political communicator, now followed by the masses of readers of Nigerians newspapers, Obasanjo, sitting on his presidential throne, had quite rhetorically questioned the use of such disciplines of sociology and mass communication. His country Nigeria is now plagued by an interplay of sociology and economics. There are several youths and adults not in education, employment or training. Obasanjo had said then, that it is not the business of government to create jobs whilst admitting that there were millions of people unemployed. That business had been outsourced to entrepreneurs who as we know like to change the world. That business was also sorely outsourced to business men who strive to maintain the status quo.
On a significant Birthday, Obasanjo was seen as a Team Player complete with professional Jersey but his real sport is squash racquets, a dual sport which psychologists could use to reveal his style of leadership. Obasanjo affirmed that he needn’t take advice from his advisers; infact he was reported to have lectured them sometimes. He kept the Oil portfolio to himself and practically usurped the functions of the foreign affairs minister in his days as President.
Going by the words of Wangari Matthai, Enviromentalist and Nobel Peace prize winner, Obasanjo, a Farmer and Avid Reader, is the Archetype person cultivating soil and Mind. But Obasanjo cultivates not only Soil and mind. He cultivates Talent and friendship and he cultivates Peace.

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[Cornelius Hamelberg]

Sir,

We are well aware that in the Faculty of Hagiography, there’s a special department known for Yoruba Praise Singing, so at Uncle Olu’s funeral, Osseh’s mum asked him to please open the casket to confirm that it was really his dad that preacher man was praising to the skies. 

But please, Sir, let us not make every exception, even an outstanding one to be the rule. True: Praise should be given, where praise is due, just as we have seen in numerous eulogies lodged in the USA-Africa Dialogue Series archives, eulogies written by a generous spirit, Ojogbon Toyin Falola the master of eulogies, and I never cease to marvel at each and every one of them. 

There’s this general rule of thumb:  Never speak badly of the dead. I have only seen this violated once ( by a Zionist) when he was told that Yasser Arafat was dead and he said, “good”. The other time this dictum was almost violated was when Chinua Achebe of all people raised his voice against AWO being given a national funeral on the grounds, so he said, on the grounds that Chief Obafemi Awolowo “ was not an Igbo God”  

Today, we can only thank God Pastor Obasanjo is still very much alive. 

Samuel Ajayi Crowther's translation of the Bible into Yoruba is another matter altogether, to date, my Yoruba Bible is “ ETCHES on Fresh Waters “ beautifully ilöluistrade and a veritable compendium of Yoruba ethics. It has the following all-encompassing chapter headings : 

Part A: Odes and Praises

Part B: Truth In Fiction 

Part C: The Genius of Absurdity

Part D; Desire and Fantasies

Part E:  Stress and Tensions

Part F: Concerns and Caution

Part G.  Politics and Modernity

I’d say that most of this thread and many other threads in this series, embrace parts A to G.

Since words have meanings, I think that we ought to be careful with our words. 

Sure, Brer Obasanjo is or was a pig farmer, and there's no denying that.

 In Old Major's ( Karl Marx’s) speech to his curly-tailed companions in Animal Farm, he also puts it straight:  “we are slaughtered with hideous cruelty.” As  you well know, pork is neither kosher or halal, which means that politically speaking Pastor Obasanjo’s farm should not particularly endear him to halal-oriented Muslims 

You say of Olusegun Obasanjo, that  he is 

 “ highly revered”

 “Foremost authority” 

“Oracle'' ( but dead wrong about the 2023 Presidential Election in Nigeria)

 “atimes almost deified”

 “Almost crucified.” (Well, here’s  Richard Dawkins sounding off about the real Jesus. About Brer Obasanjo  being “Almost crucified”, perhaps some other praise singer could say of him, “ almost human, he sank beneath your wisdom like a stone”) 

“An astute political communicator” ( that’s why he said” God will not forgive me”?)

“A torch bearer of 1.2 billion Africans and blacks worldwide.” ( How much did he pay you to write this kind of nonsense?)

True too: Every dog has its day. The saying is that “The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interred with their bones.”

Do you know that there’s a Sani Abacha Street in Freetown Sierra Leone?

The Nigerian Ambassador to Sweden told me, “ There’s no price that’s too high to pay when it comes to helping our brothers in Sierra Leone. " This was during the  Sani Abacha presidency and the  ECOMORG bill was several billion naira when the naira was stronger than it is today…

If all of the above is too depressing, here’s T.S. Eliot’s The Ad-dressing of Cats

More cats: Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats

[Augustine Togonu-Bickersteth]

Ojogbon Cornelius  Hamelberg, your criticisms are most welcome. part of the benefits of  being on the platform. i am learning..you streghtenmy bones, shrpen my mind and bolster my spirit by your interntion. thanks a million.  

augustine  Togonu-Bickersateth

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[Cornelius Hamelberg]

Dear Saint Augustine,

There’s a certain generosity of spirit that makes you say all the things that you have said so generously about our Egba Brother Olusegun Obasanjo, and maybe because last week it was his birthday, in accordance with Yoruba ethics, good home training, respect for our elders and all that you are permitted and even encouraged to blow your mind about him, in the four cardinal points, all positive directions, and no negativity  - 

for he’s a jolly good fellow 

 I take some of my cues from what Baba Kadiri has written here severally about him. Anyway, far be it from me, to wish that it should rain on his birthday parade. 

BTW, my main point of irritation is that he said  - and it was a very public utterance, “God will never forgive me if I support Atiku for president” - and then to our utter consternation, as if taking the Lord’s Name in vain, he goes ahead and does just that: supports Ariku for president.

 Is one supposed to trust such a man, a pastor, besides? And yet you decorate him with false feathers referring to him as some sort of elder statesman? “A torch bearer of 1.2 billion Africans and blacks worldwide.”  , “ Almost crucified” 

Of course, you are entitled to your opinions however unfounded they may be. 

And, by the way, as you very well know, I am no Ojogbon, so please don’t call me that, not even in jest. As things are, I still have a little to unlearn 

If indeed “Criticism is as inevitable as breathing” then it is inescapably a part of the game, especially the political game where  - if we are to take Israel as an example, then it would seem that lashon hara does not apply to the sometimes fiery political debates that take place in the Israel kitchen, the Israeli Knesset, and the Israeli media Well, I suppose that we are commanded to be holy, not to be holier-than-thou  - which is what we mostlöy do when we stand in judgment over others.

Fortunately, I have yet to encounter any hate speech in this forum or in the Naija social media

I should strongly recommend  The Letters of Marsilio Ficino Volume 2 & 3 ( which I have on a special shelf,  next to Etches on Fresh Water.

This is  the first  of seven verses from page 121 of  Etches on Fresh Water :

DECEPTION 

Seven nights away from moon day

A gang of seven robbers 

Coasted down seven hills

Crossed seven rivers

Climbed seven mountains

Dragged their seven-bag loot in tow

Across seven pathways