NaijNaira
Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has described the former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, as his daughter in a statement marking her 60th birthday.
Obasanjo praised Ezekwesili’s intelligence, dynamism, reliability, and enterprising spirit, and recounted how he treated her as his biological daughter when she worked with him during his presidency.
He also called her ‘Madam Due Process ‘.
The former president also noted that he met Ezekwesili through Transparency International, an initiative aimed at promoting integrity in the public arena. He said he found it easy to warm up to her due to her hard work and dedication to duty.
In his statement, Obasanjo said, “As she, therefore, clocks 60 today, I cannot but thank God for her life, as I wish her more fulfilling and glorious years and decades ahead.”
Ezekwesili, a former Vice President of the World Bank and co-founder of the anti-corruption organization Transparency International, is a well-known advocate for good governance and human rights in Nigeria.
She was also a presidential candidate in the 2019 general election in Nigeria, running under the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN).
Ezekwesili has been praised for her commitment to fighting corruption and promoting transparency in government, and her work has earned her numerous accolades, including being named one of the 100 most influential women in the world by Time magazine in 2015.
In response to Obasanjo’s statement, Ezekwesili expressed her appreciation and gratitude to the former president, calling him a mentor and father figure to her.
She said, “I am grateful to President Olusegun Obasanjo for the privilege of working with him and learning from him. His wise counsel, guidance, and support have been invaluable to me over the years.”
