Former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo has reacted to criticisms over his condolence message to the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun to commiserate with the State Government over the death of senator Buruji Kashamu.
Obasanjo who had on Saturday, August 8, 2020 sympathised with the family and friends of the deceased in a statement said “the life and history of the departed have lessons for those of us all on this side of the veil. Senator Esho Jinadu (Buruji Kashamu) in his lifetime used the maneuver of law and politics to escape from facing justice on alleged criminal offence in Nigeria and outside Nigeria.
“But no legal, political, cultural, social or even medical maneuver could stop the cold hand of death when the Creator of all of us decides that the time is up.
The statement however, did not go down well with some Nigerians who felt the former president mocks the dead after demise. Some of the People who reacted to the statement includes former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, who condemned the statement issued by Obasanjo on his twitter” He (Obasanjo) should also remember that his own end will come too and nobody knows how the end will be.”
Also reacting to the statement, the National Leader of All Progressive Congress, Bola Tinubu show displeasure in the statement by the former head of State stating that “people should be kind to the dead since everyman would die someday.
Obasanjo who according to a report responded to some of the mixed reactions in an interview said “As you know, I say my mind as truthfully as I know them and in line with my convictions. People are free to say whatever they want about my comment. I don’t begrudge people for holding opinions on whatever I say or do.”
“Let people say whatever they like when I transit. Now that I am alive, am I not being abused? Whenever I transit, let people say whatever they know or think about me. Let them say it as it is. What my maker thinks of me is what matters most,”.
“When I was growing up, in our community, when anyone known with bad character died, we usually mourn and bury the person.
“There is an English saying that urges us never to talk ill of the dead. But in this case, we are not talking ill of the dead. We are only drawing lessons from the life and history of the dead. I am not gloating over his death. It is sad for anyone to die and we must mourn him.”
“But we must learn from such a passage. There will be bad lessons. There will be good lessons. But we should not just be praise-singing or eulogising the dead, especially when there is no need to do so.
“We should not cover up bad histories and conducts so that the right lessons can be learnt,” Obasanjo states.
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