By Uche Onyeali
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has described his imprisonment under a former Head of State, General Sani Abacha, as a price for standing on principle.
Obasanjo made the assertion at an international colloquium titled ‘Burden and Blessing of Leadership: Reflections from Global Africa to the World,’ held in Abeokuta, Ogun State, as part of activities marking his 89th birthday.
The former president, in a statement Wednesday by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi, described leadership as a “heavy burden” and a “profound blessing,” drawing from decades of military command, imprisonment and democratic governance.
Reflecting on pivotal moments that shaped his understanding of power, responsibility and service, Obasanjo recalled his role as commander of the Third Marine Commando Division during the Nigerian civil war.
Obasanjo, who noted that leadership often requires difficult decisions that its consequences affect millions of people, said in the final days of the war in 1970, he chose restraint to prevent further civilian casualties.
He described the decision as an example of the moral weight leaders must carry, adding that the public frequently underestimate the personal cost of leadership.
“My imprisonment was evidence of the price that can accompany principled positions,” he said, describing leadership as a rare privilege and an opportunity to serve during defining historical moments.
Obasanjo cited the 1979 handover to Shehu Shagari, which marked Nigeria’s first peaceful transfer of power from military to civilian rule, as one of the most fulfilling decisions of his career.
On Africa’s development trajectory, Obasanjo said the continent’s enduring challenges stem largely from governance failure.
“Africa remains richly endowed with natural and human resources, but continues to suffer from weak institutions, corruption and self-serving leadership,” he said.
The former president called for deeper investment in leadership development, institutional strengthening and democratic accountability across the continent.
Obasanjo also urged African governments to engage the global African diaspora more effectively, describing it as an underutilised asset capable of accelerating continental renewal.
He highlighted the African Continental Free Trade Area, AfCFTA, as a transformative initiative capable of expanding markets, attract investments and improve Africa’s global competitiveness if fully implemented.
“Africa is not a problem to be managed. Africa is a promise to be fulfilled — and leadership is how that promise gets kept,” he said.
Obasanjo’s 89th birthday activities will end tomorrow (Thursday) with a distinguished lecture titled ‘The Global African Enlightenment from Chains to Renaissance.’
The lecture is to be delivered by Haiti’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Jean Robert Pillard, at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, OOPL, in Abeokuta.
