Obasanjo To Nigerian Youths, You Must Strive To Achieve Your Goals In Life

Chief Olusegun Obasanjo with some of the children of late Alhaji Chief Abdul Rasak Olajide Sanusi at his 25th Year Remembrance

Former Nigeria president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has advised Nigerian youths not to allow whatever challenges they are currently facing to deter them from achieving their set goals in life.

Chief Obasanjo gave the advice on Monday while speaking at the 25th remembrance organized by the family of the late Iron and Steel Business Magnate, Alhaji Chief Abdul Razak Olajide Sanusi, held at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), Abeokuta, Ogun State capital.

Speaking at the event, which had in attendance, the former female Speaker of the House of Representatives, Patricia Olubunmi Etteh, the former President specifically called the Nigerian youths, to emulate the deeds and achievements of the late industrialist and 3rd Asiwaju of Egbaland, Sanusi, by ensuring that they surmount whatever challenges they encounter in the course of achieving their life-set goals.

It should be recalled that Obasanjo’s admonition was, however, coming on the heels of an extension of the ongoing industrial action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in Nigeria.

Chief Obasanjo, Deputy Governor Osun State & former Speaker Rt. Hon. Patricia Etteh cutting the cake with the family of late Chief A.R.O Sanusi at the 25th Year Remembrance held recently at OOPL Abeokuta

The late Sanusi’s 25th post-mortem celebration witnessed 12 students, 2 class teachers, as well as the Principal of Alabata Community High School in Odeda Local Government Area of Ogun State, honoured with various prizes, which included laptops and bursary awards for having distinguished themselves in their studies and works respectfully by AROSAF Foundation.

Commenting on individual strives toward attaining formal education, Obasanjo stated that the deceased is worth being emulated because, despite his inability to achieve educational degrees, he still made it to the point of becoming one of the foremost industrialists in Nigeria ever proud of.

“If there was any self-made man, Abdul Rasak Sanusi was a selfmade man. If there was an industrialist, he was an industrialist, if there was a philanthropist, Abdul Rasak Sanusi was a philanthropist. He was a lover of his town, his family and his friends.

“The question we should be asking ourselves now is that, why are people like Sanusi now scarce to come by these days? He was handicapped by education, but he did not allow that to be a hindrance. He surmounted the challenges of education and achieved what even those who went to universities could not achieve. And what lesson do you learn form that? Alhaji Sanusi surmounted all the challenges that he encountered.

“To me, in an occasion like this, we should learn the right lesson and the lesson is that whatever we do while alive will live after us. What we are celebrating today is what Alhaji Sanusi did while he was alive: they were not buried with him. Though he is in the grave, his deeds are not in the grave. His deeds live after him.”

Also speaking at the event, one of the Children of the late icon, Tola Sanusi, a Director in the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, said: “one the things the family could do to keep the memory of their father alive continually include being more united as one big family and building on the legacies the late Asiwaju left behind.”

She said, “When you read the tribute written by the children concerning him, it would bring tears to your eyes. We pray that the legacies that this great icon and this great Egba man has left behind will be more than what he has done.”

Late Chief Sanusi was born in January 1932 to the family of Idowu Agbabiaka Sanusi and Seliat Agboola Anike Sanusi, hailed from Olowu Titi near Alabata in present-day Odeda Local Government Area of Ogun State. He died in 1997 after many landmark achievements in business, manufacturing, marketing and service to humanity among others. He was the third Asiwaju of Egbaland.