By Williams Anuku, Abuja
Ex- President, Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed how his life was saved by whiskers through General Olu Bajowa, who turned 80years on Sunday.
According to Obasanjo, Lieutenant Colonel Buka Dimka and his men in the February 13, 1976 military coup d’etat had laid siege for him on the route he usually takes to work but a slight delay by Bajowa saved him from being killed that fateful day.
He gave the revelation at Igbotako, Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State at the celebration of 80th birthday of General Olu Bajowa (Retd).
“I want to say something about Olu either he knew it or he didn’t not know. When Dimka coup came, if Olu had not been what and what he is, I would have gone with the coup.
“Let me tell you the story.
“Olu is very respectful. He is very conscious of our culture. He had a child, a boy, and wanted to name the child after me. He had to call me early in the morning, that morning that Dimka struck.
“And because Olu said he was coming, I had to wait a little bit. I waited beyond the time I would have gone out.
“Olu then came, he made the request and I granted the request.
“So, I was a little bit late in going on the route that I normally took to work. And Reinumuje went ahead of me and they thought it was me and they shot his car. They shot his car, Murtala was shot.
“Indirectly, that is how Olu Bajowa saved my life,” he stated.
Describing Bajowa as a performing soldier, he revealed that Bajowa performed very well when he(Obasanjo) drafted him to go and lead 11 Battalion during the nation’s civil war.
Obasanjo, who doubled as chairman and compere at the birthday reception held in the compound of General Bajowa, emphasised that any job that Bajowa could not do, no one else could do.
Meanwhile, the state governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu called on owners of local radio stations to dwell more in educating and disseminating information in local languages.
He made the call while inaugurating a new radio station in commemoration of the 80th birthday of General Olu Bajowa(retd) at Okitipupa.
The governor commended General Bajowa for the pivotal role he’s performing towards development of the Southern Senatorial District of the state.
In his address, General Bajowa, who was flanked by his wife, Princess Yemi Bajowa, the Regent of Ayeka Kingdom, disclosed that the aim of establishing the radio station was “to complement the effort of Government in reviving and promoting Ikale, Ilaje, Ijaw-Apoi and Ijaw-Arogbo culture, tradition, custom and by extension the Yoruba heritage, which are now becoming abandoned or extinct.
“We also identify ourselves with the government effort to make information an important tool for social development and dissemination of the benefit of democracy at the grassroots level.”
He, therefore, assured the governor that the station(Awawa Radio 94.1fm) “will support the administration in the provision of necessary information on your government programmes and actions.
