…As Kukah calls for national rebirth, value reorientation
By Prisca Sam-Duru, Olayinka Ajayi & Juliet Umeh
Former Presidents, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, alongside the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Most Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah, at the weekend celebrated veteran journalist and former presidential spokesperson, Dr. Reuben Abati, on his 60th birthday, describing him as an intellectual asset and national treasure.
The trio joined other eminent Nigerians in Lagos for the public presentation of three new books authored by Abati, chronicling his experiences and reflections on journalism, governance, and national life.
The books include ‘Portraits,’ ‘How Goodluck Jonathan Became President,’ and ‘A Love Letter.’
Obasanjo: ‘You have made progress, now make success’
Chief Obasanjo, who chaired the event, commended Abati’s transformation from a young journalist into a seasoned writer, politician, and public intellectual.
Obasanjo recalled: “When I met you about 30 years ago, you were a young man with ambition, to have a roof over your head, a car to move around with, and to make progress.
“I am glad that you have achieved these and more. You have not only progressed but have become a writer of repute and a community leader.
“However, there is a difference between progress and success. You have made progress; now, you must make success.”
The former president stressed that moral and ethical foundations remain essential to both individual achievement and national development.
He said: “Those attributes that define a life of meaning, ethics, morality, and integrity, are essential to personal growth and nation building. Without them, no society can endure.”
Kukah: ‘Nigeria must reload morally and institutionally’
Delivering a keynote address titled “Nigeria: Time to Reload”, Bishop Kukah reflected on Nigeria’s faltering moral and institutional framework, warning that the country risked further decline unless it embraced self-reflection and value reorientation.
He said: “Nigeria is in a place where it must reload. Something happened or did not happen, and the result is that we have lost direction. We must ask ourselves how we got here and how even the things we did right lost their vitality.”
He lamented the absence of shared ideals binding Nigerians together, contrasting the nation’s situation with countries that have built moral and historical monuments around their founding philosophies.
He said: “Our country lacks monuments, myths, and moral anchors that bind people together. We must create them.
“In the United States, their founding fathers, Washington, Jefferson, Franklin are not just historical figures but moral monuments.
“The Chinese built their civilization on Confucian ideals of moderation and virtue. In Nigeria, we must rediscover and define the values that can unite us and give us a sense of purpose.”
According to him, “We need to rediscover equilibrium — moderation, justice, and virtue — the moral centre that keeps a people sane and focused. Without it, we will continue to drift as a nation of disrupted dreams.”
Jonathan: ‘My rise to the presidency was a miracle’
In his remarks, former President Goodluck Jonathan described Abati as a “brilliant scholar and an outstanding contributor to Nigeria’s communication landscape.”
“Today we celebrate my younger brother and good friend, Reuben Abati,” Jonathan said. “Genesis 6 verse 3 says a man should live for 120 years. So as you mark 60, you still have another 60 years to go. And luckily for you, Kiki will still be elegant for those 60 years.”
Jonathan recalled first meeting Abati in 2010 when his Facebook posts were compiled into a book titled Friends of Jonathan, which Abati reviewed.
“From the way he analysed that book, I knew immediately that he was a scholar and a man with something upstairs,” he said. “All your colleagues have spoken about your impact on journalism and scholarship in Nigeria. I pray that you continue to do even more in the next 60 years before you reach the biblical 120.”
Reflecting on his political journey, Jonathan described his rise from deputy governor to president as “a political miracle.”
“There were a lot of ups and downs in my political journey. It looked like a political miracle—from deputy governor to becoming the president of this country in less than four years. Only God made that possible,” he said. “So I thank you, Reuben, for documenting that story.”
The former president further praised Abati’s loyalty and professionalism during his tenure as Special Adviser on Media and Publicity. “Reuben served with me very well. He is like a younger brother to me, and I deeply appreciate that,” Jonathan said.
A celebration of intellect and legacy
The event was attended by several dignitaries, including the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ola Olukoyede; media icon, Dame Maiden Ibru; former Ogun State Governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel; and members of the clergy, academia, and public service.
Other dignitaries at the event included the Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti; former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi; former Ogun State Governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba; Dr Dele Cole; former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu; and the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo III among others.
Father Kukah’s thought-provoking address and Obasanjo’s reflections lent the gathering a blend of history, introspection, and renewed patriotism, as all speakers agreed that Nigeria’s true rebirth must begin with a return to values, truth, and collective purpose.
Jonathan summed up the mood of the evening, saying: “Reuben Abati has done very well and deserves to be honoured. His works and intellect will continue to enrich our national conversation.”
On his part, the reviewer, a seasoned journalist Mr. Louis Odion described Abati as an Essayist who is among top Nigerian editors of the last three decades who is a multi-tasker- writer, bibliophile and Television and Radio anchor, speaker, dramatist, compere and wine connoisseur.
He said, “ If you like call him Jack of all trades, but he is a master of all. Abati stands as the very antithesis of this parochial tendency.
“But as sympathetic as Abati might sound in his portraiture of former President Goodluck Jonathan at the hands of Aso Rock cabal before Yar’ Adua passed on, he nonetheless does not hesitate to whip the same Jonathan over his poor habit soon after assuming full power in a piece entitled “The Speech Jonathan shouldn’t have made.”
The post Obasanjo, Kukah, Jonathan hail Abati at 60 appeared first on Vanguard News.
