By Charles Coffie Gyamfi
05
March 2017
Culled
from TheGuardian Newspaper: https://guardian.ng/news/obasanjo-presidential-library-first-in-africa-commissioned/
Boasts Of 15 Million Documents, Two
Million Books, 4,000 Artifacts
Nigeria made history, yesterday, with the commissioning of the first Presidential Library in the African continent.
Nigeria made history, yesterday, with the commissioning of the first Presidential Library in the African continent.
The multi-billion naira Library
complex, facilitated and owned by former President Olusegun Obasanjo is located
in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital.
Eminent personalities across the globe
witnessed the epoch making ceremony. The roll call included, Liberian president,
Ellen Sirleaf-Johnson-, presidents Faure Gnassingbe of Togo, Ernest Koroma of
Sierra Leone, ex-president Boni Yayi of Benin Republic and ex-president Joyce
Banda of Malawi.
Others
were, Prince Michael of Kent, former United Nations (UN) Secretary General,
Kofi Anan, Prof. Akin Adesina, former president of Ghana, John Kuffour, former
president Goodluck Jonathan, Ernest Sonekan, AbdulSalam Abubakar, Emeka
Anyaoku, Namadi Sambo, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Olusegun Osoba, former Kano
State Governor, Rabiu Kwakwaso, among others.
The commissioning was part of
activities to mark the 80th birthday of Obasanjo, who was Nigeria’s President
between 1999 and 2007. The Library was launched in May 14, 2005. It is modeled
along the American Presidential Library.
The co-chairman of the Library’s Board
of Trustees, Christopher Kolade disclosed that the library has preserved over
4,000 artifacts, two million materials in books and 15 million documents to
cater for the needs of students from all over the world. He also disclosed that
the library complex has employed over 500 youths.
Sirleaf-Johnson, chairperson of the
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and Acting President Yemi
Osinbajo in their speeches extolled the virtues of Obasanjo and urged other African
leaders to emulate his leadership qualities “by preserving the history and
culture of their countries for posterity sake.”
Osinbajo described Obasanjo, who is the
Chief Promoter of the Library as a world Statesman, a detribalised Nigerian and
a gift to Nigeria and Africa in various ways.
The Acting-President who was full of
praises to Obasanjo for preserving the history and culture of Nigeria, said the
library would go a long way in teaching, not only young Nigerians but also
adults, especially those aspiring to be future leaders.
Osinbajo said, “Baba Olusegun Obasanjo
is certainly one of those rare human beings. There are at least two advantages
to writing history, there is a personal one, you write a few nice things about
yourself. But the most serious advantage is that it is one sure way of
preserving the lessons, the failures and the successes of the past and also
that we can approach the future with more sure-footedness and less pains.”
Sirleaf urged other African leaders to
emulate Obasanjo and also do the same.
Her words, “History will bear truth to
this precedent setting occasion in Africa that will spell a long legacy of
successful retiring Presidents to record and preserve the history of nation
building for prosperity and for the benefit of today and future generations.”
She advised “African children, adults,
scholars everywhere and friends of Africa worldwide to visit this Presidential
library as we have experienced today, feel the exhibits from the life and times
of a great son of Nigeria and Africa, more importantly read, see, hear, feel
and interact with history and culture.”
Obasanjo said the library was in
fulfillment of his vision and mission he had in 1988 to collect and keep vital
materials of the civil war.
He described the library as a centre of
knowledge said the Library would also sustain culture and encourage tourism.
“Together we are making history today”,
he said and commended former Ogun State Governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba and
Governor Ibikunle Amosun for the roles they played in the actualisation of the
Library.
