A former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo on Monday said he was “bubbling with joy” while he was incarcerated.
Recall that the military junta of Sani Abacha sentenced Obasanjo to life imprisonment in 1995, after he was convicted for allegedly plotting to overthrow that government, but he regained freedom three years later, following the death of Abacha.
Delivering a keynote address titled ‘Man in Pursuit of Happiness’ at the 50th anniversary and founder’s day lecture of the Bible Society of Nigeria (BSN) in Lagos, Obasanjo said no man could succeed and achieve anything in life outside God.
“When I was in prison, I was always bubbling with joy, because I derive joy in the presence of God. This shows that you can be happy in spite of your situation,” he said.
“So, rather than seek happiness, seek God and every other thing will fall into place. Man has been in search of happiness through position, reputation, greatness, wealth and even through atrocities.
“All these can only produce man-made happiness that cannot last. Man lacks the ability to make himself happy and in the quest for happiness, we look in the wrong direction and places.”
Obasanjo expressed profound gratitude to the society for making it possible for people to have better understanding of the word of God through the many local languages that BSN had interpreted the Bible into.
Speaking, Dare Ajiboye, general-secretary, BSN, said support and assistance from Churches and Christians, especially in helping to translate and distribute the Bible to more Nigerians, were not adequate.
“BSN is not where it is supposed to be today because it is not getting adequate support,” he said. “The society has only been able to translate the Bible into 24 local languages. It costs N40 million to translate the Bible into a local language, therefore, we need financial support. We have been able to introduce Brail Bible for the blind and Bible for the deaf and dumb in 2014.’’
The event also featured the unveiling and presentation of the Legacy Bible, which has been translated into five parallel Nigerian Languages – English, Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, and Efik.
