Assalamu alaykum

Dear Esteemed Parents,
The magnificent Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) is located in Abeokuta, Ogun State and is the first of its kind in Nigeria and Africa; and the 14th in the World. The concept which is akin to that of the 32nd President of America, Franklin D. Roosevelt – the first presidential library in the world. It is instructive to note that the architectural design of the library is a masterpiece.

Assisted by the veteran Tour Guides, the students were taken round the marvellous facility which houses many sections, they include; the classical Green Legacy Resort, Youth Centre, Honey moon lodge, Squash game centre, Auditorium, Amphitheatre and indoor and outdoor children’s playgrounds. Other facilities includes, a church, a mosque, the Adire and African fabrics centre, medium-sized football pitches, a zoo under construction, Rock of Inspiration and finally to the main OOPL.

The Tour Guide minced no words in stating the two basic rules guiding the tour; rule number One, no snapping of artifacts and two, maintain relative silence in honour of those who lost their lives in the civil war. The first relic was Baba’s bicycle which he used to go round Otta farm, his first car – Blue Volkswagen Beetle, official Peogeot 504 which he used as military head of state, a personal jeep that took him to and fro the prison, a white Mercedes benz similar to the one used by Pope John Paul II, a bullet-proof presidential Mercedes beast used in 1999, a military helicopter, an armoured tank, range rover all used during the civil war and a miniature warship of NNS Aradu.

Across the Unity bridge is another section of the library. The first section captures the indelible history of pre-colonial Nigeria and Obasanjo’s humble background, from a typical Nigerian village setting, his primary school report cards(OBJ no carry last position ooo), his family tree, his enrolment into the West African Frontier Force which metamorphosed into Nigerian Army, his military attires as an Officer and later as the C-in-C. A section was dedicated to career development of the Nigerian child. The section ended where he was imprisoned in the 1995 phantom coup and all the items he used in his Yola prison. The prison was code named 333 meaning, he spent three years, three months and three days in prison.

The second section of the library chronicles his democratic life. His campaign t-shirts, attires and all other accessories used by the PDP ( the former largest party in Africa) during the electioneering campaign. The awards he received nationally, globally and different official correspondences. An exclusive section was reserved for his late wife, Stella, whom he describes as “more than a wife”. There is a section for the OAU which later metamorphosed into AU and finally the Eagle Office used by the President during his presidency. The educational tour of the OOPL was breathtaking, sensational and above all, inspirational.

I would like to recommend that all parents of Medmina extraction should take a group trip to Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential library because our visit was worthwhile and highly rewarding.

You may describe OBJ as highly controversial, erratic and always courting trouble but you cannot accuse him of of being unpatriotic. This educational visit to OOPL depicts OBJ as a nationalist, pan- African crusader and someone who is passionate about the unity and growth of Nigeria and Africa at large.

Maa salaam

Principal