NewStats: 3,261,719 , 8,174,909 topics. Date: Friday, 30 May 2025 at 09:58 AM 5s6m28

Diplomat and ex-Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, has narrated how ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo 1991 lost out in the race to become the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Gambari revealed that Obasanjo’s military background disqualified him from being selected by the countries with veto power.

He stated this on Wednesday at the public presentation of the biography of the first African UN Secretary-General, the late Boutros Boutros-Ghali, who assumed office in 1991 but served only one term till 1996.

The book, the first historical biography of the Egyptian diplomat in English, was written by Prof. Adekeye Adebajo and titled Boutros Boutros-Ghali: Afro-Arab Prophet, Pharaoh, and Pope.

The book launch, held at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs on Victoria Island, had Ambassador Martin Uhomoibhi as the reviewer. Also present was the NIIA Director General, Prof. Eghosa Osaghae.

Reminiscing on the event leading to the choice of the late Boutros-Ghali as the US Secretary General in 1991, Gambari said he recalled how some envoy told him: “Your candidate (Olusegun Obasanjo) has no chance in hell of becoming secretary.”

He said, “I asked: ‘What do you mean? He is the most qualified former head of state, handed over power voluntarily to civilians, and was head of the group that led to the process of the end of apartheid.’

“He said ‘No. Listen carefully, when we, the big ones, are looking for a Sec Gen, the emphasis is on the secretary and not on the general.’ A very profound statement.

“The thing was that the veto ruling power wanted somebody they could dictate to, not a general, who would be giving them orders. Sometimes they think they are getting a secretary but they end up getting a general.

“Ghali, who they thought would be a secretary turned out to be a general and Koffi Annan, who they thought was a secretary turned out to be a general.

“When you turn out to be different from what the big powers want, they do something about it. Boutros-Ghali was not given a second term, and Koffi Annan was nearly forced to retire over frivolous charges.”

Gambari described his relationship with the late Boutros-Ghali as ‘up close and personal,” adding that apart from being the first UN Secretary-General from the African continent, he was also the first Post-Cold War Secretary General but encountered difficulty organising a security council meeting that had all the heads of states as delegates.

“He hardly had a meeting of the security council where the chief delegates were the heads of states of those member states.”

Gambari also touched on the high and low points of Boutros-Ghali’s career, saying the 1994 Rwanda genocide was the low point of his career.

He said, “It was under his watch that the UN failed to respond adequately and to prevent genocide and when it was happening, the big powers also did nothing.”

The author, Adebajo, explaining the reason for the title of the book, said Boutros-Ghali acted as a peace-making prophet in of being the de-facto foreign minister of Egypt during the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel between 1977 and 1981.

https://punchng.com/how-obasanjo-lost-chance-to-become-un-secretary-general-gambari/

Never heard of such in our media

Being a military man is better than being a drug baron

T

Busy body ...i don't think it affected obasanjo in anyway.

Olawade24:
Isn't idiotic been a wittywriter with Wittyness.

Just asking for a Friend

Try engage productively or in relation to thread if/when you engage but as regards if/when you want to be petty >>>Google is your friend...henceforth ill ignore your unproductive or derailing mention(s).

RECTEM:
No evidence

Wittyness.

Yes, you're right.

Obasanjo is better than the people whose region is known and identified with drug worldwide.

Ndi developers

Xhuntra:
Being a military man is better than being a drug baron

So they wanted a puppet, plus who are those "Big Powers"?

Na everywhere superior power dey for this world

I actually long to be one of them but as a Nigerian, na juju dem go use puf person comot at young age


OBJ wanted to be everything

He's still an accomplished man tho...He con enjoy long life

No evidence

but his military background qualified him as president.

Obasanjo is better than Awolowo, Abiola and Thiefnubuu combined.

Y

Ebora Owu you have done your best for us wishing you longlife Sir

Obj na d best leader so far since 1999......You'll see obasanjo initiating peace talks and going to observe election in different countries after he left office, same with Jonathan and even namadi sambo his quiet vice president has been going around as election observer after leaving Aso rock....



But u see oga Atiku, na every 4 year we dey see am.... After supreme court verdict again baba go retire to dubai..

Infantile RUBBISH! Obasanjo that is more powerful than the UN. If Gambari likes let him be ing encoded bribery messages from Aso Rock, Baba no go send you. The Prince will do as he as always done. No veering off path. Onward, Baba will go.

True4word:
He's still a very accomplished man

and part of the reason why Nigeria is the way it is today

Oh, alright then.

Who UN help?
Who be Obasanjo?

Nelson Mandela:...... Speech

"If there is a country that has committed unspeakable atrocities in the world, it is the United States of America. They don't care for human beings,"

..... Obj just have to improve his connections more to get the job....

eliwa47:


Who be Obasanjo?

The Prince.

I know many will not read before commenting..the man simply praise African leaders for being dogged in global Politics

That would have been legendary

Keep lying to yourself. Kofi Annan was the Secretary General some years back. It will take a long time for that position to return to Africa again.

Look at them singing his praise up and down because he’s ing one of them today , watch out as they insult him if he mistakenly find himself in their bad book tomorrow. Internet bullies

Decision

Xhuntra:
Being a military man is better than being a drug baron

I will ever military ahead of civilian government for Nigeria.


I've tasted both the devil and God, and I can say authoritatively that military government is "God-like" as far as Nigeria and indeed Africa is concerned.

If you want to argue this, pls first gouge your eyes out because, you don't really have to read what I wrote if you don't believe me.

We never had it this bad even under military rule. Fake and foolish polithiefians everywhere.

That's history.

I stand with the oppressed Palestinian against their oppressors

But the election rigger and a certificate forger has assumed office as a president