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Liberia Honors President ObasanjoLiberia Honors President Obasanjo
The Analyst
28 May 2007
Liberia's highest honor, the Most Venerable Order of Knighthood of the Pioneers, with the grade of Chain Collar of State, has been conferred on Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, at an impressive ceremony at the Foreign Ministry in Monrovia.
In a citation read by Protocol Official, Mr. Emmet Kennedy, Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf said she was conferring the honor on President Obasanjo in recognition of the outstanding success the Nigerian leader has so laudably achieved in his military, political and diplomatic career.
The citation, according to an Executive Mansion release, recounted the numerous contributions President Obasanjo has made on the international stage in championing the African cause.
"As Chairperson of the African Union, you were noted for your strong and unwavering stance against undemocratic assumption of power, and this you demonstrated by your rejection of three governments instituted by coups d'etat," the citation recalled.
The citation further noted that Nigeria, under President Obasanjo's leadership, has taken and continues to do so honorably, the burden of many crisis-ridden nations, such as Liberia.
"Through your astute leadership, you kept the torch of peace-building alive on the African continent. Liberia will never forget the role Nigerians played, and continue to play, at heavy cost, to their lives,' adding, 'when all seemed lost, and no country dared venture putting their citizens at risk in rescuing Liberia from the brink of anarchy and annihilation, it was you, from your famous statement:
'When your neighbor's house is on fire, you don't ask the cause of the fire, but help to quench it first before asking,' and with this in mind, 'you took the bold step in putting the boots of Nigerian soldiers on Liberian soil for the second time, as a vanguard force after which the largest peace keeping force followed."
"That singular action", the Liberian leader noted in the citation "and many others before and after, carved for you a special place in the inner hearts of all Liberians."
Seemed visibly moved by the sentiments, the Nigerian leader said he was touched by the honor bestowed upon him. Mr. Obasanjo said whatever he did, in his private or official capacity, or whatever Nigeria has done to help where help is needed, particularly in Liberia, "we've done it to help ourselves."
Mr. Obasanjo said the events in Liberia must teach all a lesson that none of us in Africa, South of the Sahara, has crossed the line of conflict, destruction, violence and death."
Mr. Obasanjo noted that Africa will not make progress until all Africans work together. The Nigerian leader praised Pres. Johnson-Sirleaf for the progress made thus far since she assumed the Presidency of the country. "Anybody who has been here lately would know that changes are being made.
It takes time for things to happen, don't expect it overnight," President Obasanjo cautioned, emphasizing that it takes peace and security for development to take place.
President Obasanjo said though he will be leaving office on Tuesday as President of Nigeria, his task as a factor in the development of Africa will not be ending. "With me now having the key of Monrovia and this great honor, I think you will see me more often, than you will want to...I will ask you to bear with me," drawing warm reception from the audience.
The Nigerian President paid special homage to Pres. Johnson-Sirleaf, describing the Liberian leader as an exemplary woman in Liberia and the African continent. "You have been a model; I am saying this with admiration and a bit of anxiety, because the men are not taking it for granted that power belongs to them.
" Taking a swipe at the centuries long male domination of political power in Africa, the Nigerian leader vowed to change the trend. President Obasanjo drew loud cheers from mostly females in the audience when he said, "we will change Africa from being a male dominated to being a gender friendly and gender equitable society."
Meanwhile, the University of Liberia has conferred an honorary Doctor of Law degree on the Nigerian leader. At a ceremony at the University, the Institute's President, Dr. Alhassan Conte, said the Institution was conferring the honor on President Obasanjo for his services to the advancement of peace and security and the emancipation of the African continent.
President Obasanjo said the honor by the University marked a high point of the overwhelming warmth accorded him. He assured Liberia that his country will continue to stand by Liberia. "Nigeria's commitment to Liberia is assured; you will not walk alone; we will always be with you."
Saturday's ceremony attracted a respectable turnout of government officials including the cabinet and members of the National Legislature, members of the diplomatic corp, traditional leaders, Heads of non-governmental organizations and cultural dancers as well as students and citizens who lined the routes leading to Monrovia early Saturday morning, to welcome the Nigerian leader.
The visit which came upon the invitation of President Johnson Sirleaf, marked Mr. Obasanjo's last visit to Liberia as President of Nigeria.
He steps down next Tuesday as President, following elections in that country last month. President Johnson Sirleaf is expected to attend the inauguration of Mr. Obasanjo successor, on Tuesday, May 29, in Abuja. President Obasanjo left the country for home on Saturday afternoon following the investiture and honoring ceremonies.
Here Comes Obasanjo!
Liberia fell in and out of the throes of war and difficulties, something hovering on the brink of being wiped off the map of Africa. But there was one man who stood tall as the beacon of strength and hope: he is President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria.
His long years at the Hassock Rock was ended by last month's presidential elections, but the Nigerian leader will not go unless he said goodbye to the leaders and people of a country for which his government made ultimate sacrifices.
The Analyst adapted this article of the Nigerian leader's visit to Monrovia from the Front-page and the Nigerian embassy press release of May 24, 2007.
The man who withstood approbation, criticisms, and threats variously by how his government handled the Liberian peace process, President Olusegun Obasanjo, comes to Monrovia, today, as guest of the Liberian government.
With the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria expected to hand over power to the acclaimed winner of last month's presidential and legislative elections on May 29, 2007 in Abuja, President Olusegun Obasanjo is expected to pay a one-day visit to Liberia.
Historic moment: Obasanjo escorts former President Charles Taylor out of Liberia.
Sources informed FrontPageAfrica that while visiting with Pres. Johnson-Sirleaf at the weekend, the Liberian leader is expected to confer Liberia's highest distinction on the out going Nigerian President.
The Nigerian leader, Matthew Olusegun Aremu Obasanjo, is a retired Nigerian Army General. A Christian of Yoruba descent, President Obasanjo was a career soldier before serving twice as his nation's head of state, once as a military ruler, between February 13, 1976 and October 1, 1979 and again, since 1999, as elected president.
He was reelected in 2003 and was very instrumental in bringing peace to war-ravaged Liberia. Primarily, during Liberia's latest round of civil upheaval in 2003, the Nigerian President was very instrumental in persuading former President Charles Taylor to resign as Liberia's President and offered him asylum in Calabar.
The Nigerian President was instrumental in contributing Nigerian troops that led the vanguard force (ECOMIL) that initially established peace in Liberia and paved the way for the establishment of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) that is consolidating the peace in the country.
The Nigerian embassy near Monrovia also provided further information concerning President Obaanjo's visit to Liberia today in a press release issued May 24, 2007. The release said Obasanjo's visit is upon the invitation of the Liberian government.
The Nigerian leader will be received on arrival at the Roberts International Airport by President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and an array of government officials, diplomats, traditional and local leaders amongst others. Following formal airport ceremonies, the two leaders will proceed to Monrovia, amidst a rousing welcome of citizens.
The press statement said a major highlight of the visit is the conferral on President Olusegun Obasanjo of Liberia's highest national honor. The leader of the Federal Republic will also be conferred the honorary Doctor of International Laws degree at a Special Convocation Ceremony of the University of Liberia and also be given the key to the City of Monrovia.
The visit, which is accordingly the fifth in the last four years of his presidency, is significant and timely. It will give President Obasanjo another opportunity to make on-the-spot assessment of Nigeria's significant contributions to the building and sustaining of peace in Liberia.
It will also enable the government and people of Liberia to felicitate an African leader, whose pledges to them have been fully redeemed. On another level, the visit will foster mutual understanding as well as provide opportunity for both leaders to underscore their aspiration for the continued constructive and warm relationship between their two countries.
According to the press release from the Nigerian embassy, the visit is important since it will be a valedictory trip to a friendly and brotherly country as it is the very last external engagement the President of Nigeria will be undertaking before leaving office no May 29, 2007.
The acceptance by the President Obasanjo to come to Liberia at this time reaffirms his deep esteem for the country and support for the impressive political, economic and social reforms taking place, here. Indeed, President Obasanjo has always been a friend of Liberia. He has been unwavering in his support for the country.
The determined efforts on both sides to find a convenient date for this event is in itself, a worthy testimony of the mutual resolve to strengthen the bond of friendship between the two countries, Diplomatic indicators have it that the visit will usher in a climate of even stronger and more vibrant bilateral relations between Nigeria and Liberia.
Is it not known what the Liberian government would be saying relative to the coming of the man who has done so much to put the country back on the path of democracy and recovery, but what is certain is that the Nigerian President has been a strong ally for continuous peace and stability in Liberia, specifically and the West African sub-region, generally.
It may recalled that President Obasanjo was highly instrumental in providing the first batch of soldiers that landed on the soil of Liberia during what is now known as the era of "World War II" in Liberia. Their advent gave hope and renewed the aspirations of Liberians that hope in the final analysis was not lost in the pursuit of an end to the senseless civil war that raged on in principal parts of the capital city.
The acceptance of President Obasanjo to send troops inspired other African leaders, who also agreed to send their troops to Liberia in order to salvage the nation from the debris of protracted civil war.
President Obasanjo was instrumental in convincing former President Charles Taylor to relinquish power to save the nation and its people from further destruction. He also agreed to give the former Liberian president sanctuary in his country when others dared not do so.
In the wake of these rather encouraging and life-saving developments, observers are wondering as to how Liberians are welcoming the news that the Nigerian president is paying his last visit to Liberia, observers wondered Dr. Togba Nah-Tipoteh, a Liberian economist and politician in a tribute to the Nigerian leader wondered as to how Liberians can find befitting criteria to pay farewell "to someone who fared well."
He said in his tribute that President Obasanjo helped Liberians immensely in seeking peace "through storms." Apart from Dr. Tipoteh, many other Liberians described the Nigerian leader as a true hero for Liberia.
Paul Derby, an economics major at one of the universities in town said that Liberians should remember the Nigerian leader as their hero because he used his country's natural and human resources to save them from death and destruction under the control of their own children, uncles, sons and daughters.
Olusegun Obasanjo: President Obasanjo turns over to Umaru Yar'Adua, of his party, the People's Democratic Party (PDP) after the electoral commission headed by Maurice Iwu declared him winner with 24.6 million votes, far ahead of his closet rival, former Nigerian General Muhammadu Buhari, with 6.6 million.
Most elections observers including the opposition candidates rejected the results while observers condemned it and termed it a 'charade'.
European Union observers cited poor election organization, lack of transparency, significant evidence of fraud, voter disenfranchisement, violence and bias. With President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf: The Nigerian President played a key role in the Liberian peace process over the past fourteen years.
"These elections have not lived up to the hopes and expectations of the Nigerian people and the process cannot be considered to have been credible," said chief EU observer Max van den Berg.
The United States said the vote was "flawed" but stopped short of calling for it to be overturned. Problems should be resolved peacefully and according to the constitution, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said.
A coalition of civil society observers called for the vote to be cancelled and held again. "The election was a charade. A democratic arrangement founded on such fraud can have no legitimacy," it said in a statement.
But any annulment would plunge Nigeria into a constitutional crisis because by law Obasanjo must hand over power on May 29. Obasanjo said the election could not be described as perfect but appealed to aggrieved losers to use the courts for any complaints over the next five weeks.
"Nothing should be done to make our people lose faith in the electoral process and its democratic outcome," he said.
Copyright © 2007 The Analyst
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