NIGERIA: INTRO: Nigeria's former President Olusegun Obasanjo becomes the country's oldest undergraduate

Record ID: 234711

  • Title: NIGERIA: INTRO: Nigeria's former President Olusegun Obasanjo becomes the country's oldest undergraduate
  • Date: 9th August 2007
  • Summary: (AD1) ABEOKUTA, NIGERIA (AUGUST 05, 2007) (REUTERS) FORMER PRESIDENT OLUSEGUN OBASANJO'S MOTORCADE ARRIVES AT EXAM CENTRE OBASANJO RECEIVED BY UNIVERSITY OFFICIALS / WITH HIS COLLEGE BAG OBASANJO BEING INTERVIEWED BY REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER NIGERIAN PRESIDENT, OLUSEGUN OBASANJO, SAYING: "I have chosen a line of study, which I want to acquire knowledge not for a meal ticket, not for a profession, not for a job, but to know more about my God, my creator, and I have chosen that line - Christian Theology". OBASANJO WALKS INTO CLASS ROOM OBASANJO ARRANGING HIS WRITING MATERIALS FOR EXAMS / PENS AND PAPERS ON TABLE OBASANJO BEING INTERVIEWED BY REPORTERS AT HIS DESK (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER NIGERIAN PRESIDENT, OLUSEGUN OBASANJO, SAYING: "No age limit, no position limit, no question of I'm too busy to learn; you can always learn something; for instance you can say you want to know more about agriculture, and you come to me." OBASANJO LEAVING THE UNIVERSITY/ PHOTOGRAPHED BY MEDIA
  • Embargoed: 24th August 2007 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Nigeria
  • Country: Nigeria
  • Topics: Domestic Politics,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVA4INQ6CYN54Q5ZEW9O4XHOFLLC
  • Story Text: The former ruler of Africa's most populous country is now studying hard for a Bachelor's Degree in Theology. Olusegun Obasanjo - who also owns his own university - is the country's oldest undergraduate.
    Nigeria's former president Olusegun Obasanjo undertook his first exams last Saturday (August 5), which could lead towards a Bachelor's Degree in Theology at the National Open University School of Arts and Sciences in Abeokuta.
    "I have chosen a line of study, which I want to acquire knowledge not for a meal ticket, not for a profession, not for a job but to know more about my God, my creator, and I have chosen that line - Christian Theology", Obasanjo said before the exam.
    Although the former ruler of Africa's most populous country spent about two-and-a-half hours taking the test, he was confident afterwards of getting top marks. Obasanjo - the country's oldest undergraduate - already owns his own university.
    Seventy-year-old Obasanjo said the university had not accorded him any special treatment other than allowing him to drive in with his motorcade.
    He added that there was "no age limit, no position limit, no question of I'm too busy to learn."
    Obasanjo, a former military ruler, swapped army garb for civilian attire, and became Nigeria's first civilian president in 16 years in 1999. He stepped down in April 2007, paving the way for his handpicked successor Umaru Yar' Adua, to win controversial elections. Obasanjo is credited for initiating major economic reforms and a war on corruption.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register