Obasanjo responds to critics of his letter

FORMER president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, yesterday, responded to the criticisms that trailed his controversial condolence message on the death of Senator Buruji Kashamu

Obasanjo, in the condolence message, said the late Kashamu, who was wanted in the United States of America for alleged drug offences, was able to escape justice but could not evade death.

Obasanjo had been criticised by some notable personalities including APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose. They had lambasted Obasanjo for what they termed disrespect for the dead.

Obasanjo however responded saying “it is okay for people to mourn every death but that the living, must draw the right lessons from the lives of those who have died”.

He said: “When I was growing up, in our community, when anyone known with bad character died, we usually only mourn him and bury him. No eulogy. No praise-singing”.

He further stated that “There is an English saying that urges us never to talk ill of the dead. But in this case, we are not talking ill of the dead. We are only drawing lessons from the life and history of the dead. I am not gloating over his death. It is sad for anyone to die and we must mourn him”.

“But we must learn from such a passage. There will be bad lessons. There will be good lessons. But we should not just be praise-singing or eulogising the dead, especially when there is no need to do so.

“We should not cover up bad histories and conducts so that the right lessons can be learned”.