Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has re-affirmed that he no longer bears ‘Matthew’ as one of his names again. He said this yesterday at an event to mark his 80th birthday celebration by the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) in Abuja.
Obasanjo Aremu Okikiola, as fully known when he was the president of Nigeria revealed that he had to drop the biblical name – Matthew in spite of the deeds of the character portrayed in the Christian’s concordance, bible.
At the event, he however warned being called the name so as not invoke his wrath.
“When I was born, my mother and father decided to name me Matthew. I grew up being called and addressed Matthew. What is the meaning of Matthew in the Bible? He was a tax collector,” he said. “So, when I grew up, I dropped Matthew from my name. If anyone does not want to see my eyes red, no one should call me Matthew again. People ask, what is in a name? For me, there is so much in a name.” “A doctor’s mistake often leads to the death of one patient,” he said. “A lawyer’s mistake leads to the client going to jail. But if an engineer makes a mistake that leads to the collapse of a bridge or house, many people would lose their lives. “That is why engineers must be very careful and must be efficient not to allow mistakes to be made”, the former President stated.
Obasanjo ruled Nigeria as the president for two consecutive tenures between 1999 and 2007.
