Tuesday, March 19, 2024

African leaders ‘treat Former Presidents like animals’, says Nigeria’s Obasanjo

Share

FLASHBACK: Former president Dr Fredrick Chiluba with the first president Kaunda after they attended the launch of the Sixth National development plan at Mulungushi Conference Centre

African leaders should treat their former presidents with more dignity, says former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo.

Obasanjo told a tale of how Zambia’s independence leader and first president Kenneth Kaunda, who is now 93 was treated by his successors over an apparently trivial matter involving books.

Obasanjo also spoke out when former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak was “being treated like an animal in a cage” when he had to face various trials in Egyptian courts before being acquitted earlier this year.

Obasanjo was speaking at a French Embassy event in Pretoria on Wednesday night at the launch of the French translation of a book he co-authored with three others, including writer and consultant Greg Mills, called “Making Africa Work”.

“I came to Zambia when President Kaunda was being harassed, and I thought in Zambia, or any other country in Africa, we should treat our past presidents with a little bit more dignity,” he said.
Kaunda’s successor, Frederick Chiluba, was unhappy with Kaunda during the handover of power after Kaunda’s party lost in a snap election, and Obasanjo asked him what the matter was.

“If president Kaunda had done anything that is wrong, deal with it humanely, but let me know what exactly he has done so I can go to him as my elder brother. And what he said to me, is president Kaunda removes all the books from the shelf in the State House, and I said: ‘Is that all?'”

Obasanjo said he went to Kaunda and asked him what was the matter. Kaunda said there was “not a single book” when he moved in, and all the books in the shelves were his.

Obasanjo said he went back to Chiluba and offered to “go around the world and collect more books” from the printers and publishers he knew to fill up his shelves.

Obasanjo said he told Chiluba to treat Kaunda well, because he was the first president to have the opportunity to treat a past president well.

Obasanjo said he also spoke out when former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak was “being treated like an animal in a cage” when he had to face various trials in Egyptian courts before being acquitted earlier this year.

Mubarak was deposed in 2011.

Source: News24

20 COMMENTS

  1. Chiluba was a thief. A conman, a crook.

    He created a smoke screen so he could steal. In one hand, he held the bible. In the other, the treasury. He laid the foundations of corruption in zambia, a template that Lungu and his people are using now. I wish he were still alive to face up to all that he did wrong.

    • BECAUSE MOST OF YOU FORMER PRESIDENTS EXCLUDING KK AND NYERERE WERE THIEVES WHO DO NOT DESERVE ANY RESPECT BUT CONDEMNATION.

  2. OBASANJO, a man with little respect in his own country!! While what he is saying is somehow true with respect to KK, leaders WHEN IN POWER SHOULD ALSO RULE IN THE INTEREST OF THEIR POPULATIONS and AVOID ABUSE OF POWER! A leader who works or RULES IN THE INTEREST OF THE PEOPLE HARDLY GETS PURSUED AFTER LEAVING POWER except in cases of external interventions to settle scores when some western powers are denied chances to exploit a country. The book Obasanjo has written could be an interesting reading more so that he has written with GREG MILLS, A “MERCENARY”!!

  3. Zambians must treat General Obasanjo’s sentiments with a pinch of salt. Africa produced some of the World’s respectable leaders. But Obasanjo is not among them. His association with the racist Brehurst Foundation speaks volumes of his evil mind. His comments on Zambia are veiled in hypocrisy. Obasanjo has used the Brethurst Foundation headed by Greg Mills to attack the Zimbabwean and Zambian Govts governance styles. His attacks on Zambia is hinged on KK’s Govt that once sympathised with Briafra under Ojuku. He was a Military Officer under General Gowon. Obasanjo must use his military skills to deal with Boko Haram rather than offer military tactics to opposition leaders in SADC region.

  4. Comment:
    Indeed Obasanjo the former Nigerian dictator pretending to nurture democratic tendencies with South African racists and mercenaries. Very SAD!

  5. And who is this abasonjo. Name sounds like someone who plays banjo. What songs has he produced a buy one.

  6. This Nigerian donkeys also! No example from his own country, speaks volumes about the donkey! And by the way Obasanjo donkey, President Chiluba is dead and cannot defend himself. And if Obasanjo donkey is trying to take credit for KK’s release, no Mr Military Donkey please, we are old enough to remember it was Mwalimu Nyerere of Tanzania who intervened.

    • Ha,ha,ha, Mr. Terrible…you are terrible indeed! Do you know that Nigeria is the largest economy in Africa? Don’t think that you are equal because they are way ahead of little Zambia, whose GDP is a paltry figure in comparison to the great Nigeria. Try to be proud of your African brothers and sisters and listen to their advice when they try to help you from a wrong path.

  7. All part of his hatred of Zambia, what we do to this military Donkey? Look at his ugly mouth and nose, real donkey features!
    My Nigerian brothers, you did not elect this donkey did you?

  8. Did Obasanjo get into power after a military coup? Then he must shut up! Of course he got back later as a “civilian president!”

  9. Theirs enough time for Lungu to redeem he’s legacy, it’s not too late to start working for the poor folks.

  10. Chiluba was a pathetic stinking brutal thief and I’m glad an overdose of viagra mtototo nyaope killed the Katangese Pygmy! Lungu should know after leaving power we are executing the bloody illegal Mozambican refugee’s son.

  11. I don’t know why politicians in Zambia don’t learn we as a people despise stupidity. There will be grave consequences for Lungu and his fools.

  12. Yes Chiluba did something wrong, but since that time KK even Rupiah has been accorded the best respect. any former president anywhere .Obasanjo cannot be respected because of his clandestine activities against African leaderships.

  13. Nonsense to say when Lungu leaves office you will do him what kind of hate has he done anything wrong. Have respect to the president. I repeat to you Ngombala it is nonsense hearing from you.

    • So some people want Lungu to fold his arms when someone is disturbing peace in the country? Just for calling the president a dictator the Tanzanian opposition leader has been arrested. Don’t abuse democracy. Democracy also means discipline and respect for others. Democracy doesn’t entails lawlessness or disorder. If it were so USA or any other western country wouldn’t have police.

Comments are closed.

Read more

Local News

Discover more from Lusaka Times-Zambia's Leading Online News Site - LusakaTimes.com

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading