27th July, 2020
By Abankula
Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has been the butt of jokes on Twitter after President Buhari failed to name any of the new train stations in his honour.
According to a statement by the Minister of Transportation, Buhari named the train stations after some deserving Nigerians “who have contributed to the progress and development of their respective communities and the nation at large”.
After former President Goodluck Jonathan was honoured with Agbor Station Complex last week, an expanded list of honorees included, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Prof Wole Soyinka, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Dr Olusola Saraki,Mobolaji Johnson, Babatunde Fashola, Lateef Jakande, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, Chief Segun Osoba and Chief Micheal Ibru.
Others are: Chief Ladoka Akintola, Obafemi Awolowo, Alex Ekwueme, Adamu Attah, Augustus Aikhomu , George Innih, Anthony Enahoro, Tom Ikimi, Samuel Ogbemudia, David Ejoor, Alfred Rewane and Admiral Mike Akhigbe.
(Read details here: Buhari names train stations after Tinubu, Osinbajo, Soyinka
Missing on the list was former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
In many comments, Twitter Nigeria wondered why Obasanjo was left out, especially since the operative phrase for the honours was: those “who have contributed to the progress and development of their respective communities and the nation at large”.
Read some of the comments:
https://twitter.com/OvieSheikh/status/1287771381292322817?s=20
Olusegun Obasanjo…….Ota farm station https://t.co/5M25feAdrE
— Jamiu Oluwadamilare (@JamiuDare) July 27, 2020
Baba OBASANJO will be named after a power Generating plant when we see where he kept the $16bn
..#bbnaijialockdown #BetOnLaycon — FADASON ( DC) (@tempestd1) July 27, 2020
It's funny how some Nigerians think Obasanjo is a legend. Do you know Obasanjo is the first democratic president yet we have been 'undemocratically democratic' till date, he's done worse than any head of state because he needed to set the precedence in democracy.
— King (@Lawrence2jnr) July 27, 2020
Obasanjo Is Not Among The “Deserving Nigerians” – Buharihttps://t.co/0h8cNTqviF pic.twitter.com/gP4LE2mSF1
— Elixiselex Inc (@ItzElixiselex) July 27, 2020
Hmmmm…. By the time OBJ will vex and start writing love letters….. Make Una careful ooo, cos from the way things are going, they will have to rename Aso Rock to settle this matter oh#Obasanjo#Lucy pic.twitter.com/PX6e2wLMIa
— Middle Class Bachelor (@IdisiB) July 27, 2020
https://twitter.com/Vospeaks/status/1287822366152720384?s=20
Obasanjo’s Legal Team on their way to Aso Rock to find out why a station was not named after him pic.twitter.com/Fb48vLmHQy
— MaskUpNigeria (@iameneji) July 27, 2020
https://twitter.com/OlasupoOl0lade/status/1287792856158150656?s=20
Bashir Ahmad, however cautioned that people should not make a fuss over Obasanjo’s omission on the honours list: “In my opinion, this “Former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s name was missing as President Buhari named key railway stations after prominent Nigerians” shouldn’t be a big deal, Chief Obasanjo has many things named after him, including one of the popular roads in my State, Kano”.
Vera Ikem @ayabie_ ikem also shared the same view: Don’t be ridiculous! Obasanjo doesn’t need a railway(station) named after him for his Legacy to be secure! That’s a legend already. He is certainly not a saint, but by all standards one of the greatest Nigerians that has lived and walked this land. No apologies..”