When OBJ spoke on IBB, Abdulsalami

To fulfill all righteousness on this very day, I set out for the day’s normal duty by getting to the Murtala Muhammed Local Airport precisely, the Presidential Lounge, the ‘almighty’ VIP Lounge where notable citizens, including the presidents of different nations, including our own, governors, ministers, diplomats and others come in to relax before proceeding to their destinations.

On this fateful day, I was the first to report at the VIP Lounge, hoping to get a front page story.

Not quite long, a big fish came, this time round, in the person of former President Olusegun Obasanjo whose aircraft touched down at the Lounge as early as 8.00am.

Disembarking from the Gulf Stream Presidential Jet that flew him in, he walked majestically towards an official car already stationed to take him to Ota Farm.

Looking at the hard-looking security operatives surrounding the area, I almost lost the hope of realising my dream of making a front page story for the day.

But I suddenly remember that as a reporter, you need fear nobody and just throw your question and expect reaction.

It was like Baba Obasanjo, a known no-nonsense man with military blood flowing in his veins, was ready for me on the day in question.

Approaching him while he made way into a waiting jeep, I declared: Your Excellency, you are welcome:

Baba responded with a smile.

The question I threw at him though did not shake him as usual.

Your Excellency, how do you react to the refusal of Generals Ibrahim Babangida and Abdulsalam Abubakar to appear before the now late Justice Oputa Panel?

At that point, some other colleagues who had now come to join me knew my question did not go well with Baba at that point in time.

Waiting for a tough response from him as usual, Baba looked at me up and down and responded to my question saying: “Go and arrest them.”

With the response, my dream of making a front page the next day became fulfilled, even though the story was no longer exclusive to me.

The story became one of the most controversial ones then because it ended up becoming the lead in many newspapers across the country, with the late media aide to Baba, the late Tunji Oseni defending the position of Baba by the statement.

My joy on that day was that as a reporter I knew what I wanted and I set out for this against all odds.