Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has publicly admitted that he did not know his true age.
Speaking on Thursday at the 2017 International Youth Variety Day and Public Presentation of Olusegun Obasanjo’s Books for Children, as part of programmes for his 80th birthday, the former President said his late mother merely told him that she gave birth to him on a market day.
Obasanjo revealed that while growing up, he had the challenge of knowing his real date of birth, because his parents were illiterates but when he continued to pressure his mother, the information he was given by her was that she gave birth to him on an ‘Ifo’ village market day.
“At early stage in my life, I had the challenge of knowing my date of birth, and my peers always asked, while in return I persisted in asking my mother, who was an illiterate and had no records,” he said.
“When I continued to put pressure on my mother, she told me that she was preparing to go to market on the said day, and went into labour, and before others could return from the market, she had given birth to me.
“I’m not as lucky as some of my peers who know the dates of their birth. What matters to me is that I have chosen a date. If I don’t even know the exact date of my birth, at least I know my age group.
“When we were growing up, if people doubt the source of your wealth, you will be ostracised. If your father goes out every night, the conclusion would be that your father is a thief, and if a family is seen and known to have engaged in crimes, the community will keep its distance from such family. All those values are gone, and how do we bring them back?”
