Obasanjo To Host Memorial Service For Late US President, Jimmy Carter

Erstwhile Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, will host a memorial for the late former President of the United States of America, James Earl (Jimmy) Carter, in Abeokuta, Ogun State on Sunday.

Naijaonpoint reports Carter died on December 29, 2024, at age 100, in Plains, Georgia, USA.

He was the longest-living U.S. president and the first to reach 100 years of age.

Speaking via a statement on Saturday, the Special Assistant on Media to Obasanjo, Kehinde Akinyemi, disclosed that the former Nigerian president and foremost Africanist would host the memorial service to honour his friend, the 39th US President.

Akinyemi indicated that the service is scheduled to take place at the Chapel of Christ, The Glorious King, located within the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta, Ogun State, at 9:00am.

The President of the Baptist Convention, Rev Israel Akanji, will present a special sermon on the occasion, while Obasanjo is to deliver a special tribute on “Jimmy Carter: The Departure of a Titan”.

In other news, Obasanjo has revealed that his imprisonment under the late military dictator, General Sani Abacha, in 1995, was a result of his refusal to remain silent on pressing national and international issues.

Obasanjo shared this information during an engaging session with 15 young leaders chosen from various parts of Africa, organized by the Future Africa Leaders Foundation.

Naijaonpoint reports that the event, held at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) in Abeokuta, Ogun State, featured winners of the Future Africa Leaders Awards.

Obasanjo recounted how he transitioned into agriculture after retiring from the military at the age of 42. He noted that his outspoken nature often landed him in trouble.

“I joined the Army, and at the age of 42, I finished my career as a military officer. But what could I do? I was still young, energetic, and dynamic. So, I took to agriculture,” Obasanjo said.

“During that time, I went into prison, and that is not what I really wanted. Going into prison is really a challenge because I refused to keep quiet. For me, if there was anything to comment on, I did, and so, I landed in prison,” he added.

Obasanjo explained that upon his release, the deteriorating state of the country prompted calls for him to step in and run for president in 1999

“When I came out of prison, the situation was so bad in the country that some people felt the need for it to be saved, and pressure started coming,” he said.