Special Assistant to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri, has urged Nigerians to study former President Olusegun Obasanjo if they want to live longer, thrive and remain relevant, saying the ex-leader’s sense of purpose, discipline and intellectual output offer lessons for a new generation.
Omokri said this on Sunday in a statement titled “If You Want To Thrive And Feel More Alive, Do Yourself a Favour and Study Chief Obasanjo,” posted on his X account.
Explaining reasons behind Obasanjo’s longevity, the former presidential aide said the former president’s sustained public relevance stems from a life driven by commitment to Nigeria and from habits such as regular travel and daily exercise.
“What has kept President Obasanjo alive long after many of his age mates and former military and governmental colleagues have died? Along with good health, which principally comes from God, his longevity stems from the fact that he has a purpose to live for. He is purposefully committed to Nigeria,” he stated.
According to Omokri, “Other than former President Jonathan, who is much younger than General Obasanjo, no other past leader in Nigeria, and, when you think about it, in Africa, has carried Nigeria and Africa on their head like Chief Obasanjo.
“He considers himself, rightly or wrongly, a father of modern Nigeria and a pillar of contemporary Africa. Without invitation, he would dabble in statesmanship to identify dangers on the horizon and provide solutions before they manifest.
“And that has kept his acumen agile. His continuous refusal to sit idly in one country, preferring to be a frequent traveller and a regular sportsman, playing squash daily and religiously, means that his body is forced to defy the laws of physics and biology and keeps serving him well into his eighties.”
Omokri described the 88-year-old as a figure whose restlessness, intellectual curiosity and willingness to intervene in public affairs have kept him influential long after leaving office.
He argued these attributes should be emulated.
“The focus of this piece is what we can learn from him, because I have yet to see a person who is not suicidal who does not want to live long. But the issue is that living long without living strong is only to exist.
“Mr Obasanjo does not just exist. He thrives. And his life thrives because he strives, survives, and revives himself by the lives he imbibes and impacts. Many people misunderstand strength.
“Especially in Africa, where strength is often only seen in physical terms. Strength in reality is your ability to continue to assert your will through whatever means you can on this plane of existence.”
Omokri acknowledged Obasanjo’s flaws, describing him as occasionally self-serving with an “outsized ego.”
But he argued that the former president’s achievements and sustained impact outweigh personal shortcomings.
Obasanjo is a two-time head of state, first as a military head of state from 1976 to 1979 and then as a democratically elected president from 1999 to 2007.
He has authored several books, including Not My Will, This Animal Called Man, Nzeogwu, Democracy Works, and Africa in Perspective.
Omokri said Obasanjo’s writing has kept his “acumen agile” and argued that Nigerians could benefit from studying his life and work.
“Mr Obasanjo’s books should be required reading in all Nigerian schools, from secondary level upwards,” he said.
He added, “The positive outputs of Chief Obasanjo’s life, and their impact on Nigeria and the world, more than excuse his flaws, which are to a large extent exaggerated by his enemies.
“If you, as a Nigerian, want to know how much you personally owe General Obasanjo, then read his 1980 book, My Command: An Account of the Nigerian Civil War, 1967-1970.”
