About 10 years after ebullient rapper, Eedris Abdukareem, released a song titled Nigeria Jaga jaga, former President Olusegun Obasanjo is still angry with him.
Obasanjo had hit back at the artiste
when the
album was freshly released, with some people quoting him as
saying it was the singer’s father’s house that was jagajaga.
While many people may largely agree with
the singer that the country is truly upside down based on the state of
things, Obasanjo, has again described the song as being blasphemous.
According to him producing such a song shows that the artiste does not
believe in the future of the country.
The former president made the remarks in
Lagos on Tuesday while speaking at a forum organised by the Nigeria
Leadership Initiative. Obasanjo also expressed his passion to see the
country excel.
Expressing his disdain for the attitude of some Nigerians, he said one of the worst problems Nigeria is facing is disbelief.
“Nigerians no longer believe in
themselves; neither do they believe in their country. That takes me
back to that song ‘jaga jaga’. How could a sane man dare to call his
country jaga jaga?” he said. “It is the height of blasphemy. We are
grooming our youths for tomorrow’s leadership and with such persons, I
don’t think the country can move forward.”
The former president has never hesitated
to express his displeasure at Abdulkareem, a former member of The
Remedies, for deriding Nigeria.
The hit track of the album released on
Kennis Music label was banned from radio airplay by the president in a
televised address, although it enjoyed continued play in nightclubs.
Abdulkareem had a chance to reply
Obasanjo in January during the fuel subsidy protest. He said, “The man
wey say i dey craze because I sing Nigeria Jaga Jaga where him dey now inside this hardship? Na 2002 I sing Nigeria Jaga Jaga, na 2012 we dey so o.”
-Punch
It is unfortunate that Nigeria is jagajaga so manys after.
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