''I am still friends with OBJ'' - Bode george

Ex-convict and former Ondo state governor, Olabode george in a recent interview with Gbenro Adeoye of Punch, stated that he is still in good terms with former president, Olusegun Obasanjo contrary to the wide spread belief that bode george's imprisonment was largely conspired by the former president.

Are you friends with Obasanjo now?
How can you say I and somebody older than me are friends? Baba will always be my Baba. Of course, I was angry and I’d tell you. I worked with him like a soldier should work with his boss; your loyalty should be more than 100 in minimum. I never asked for anything, never. That is the soldier in me, let it come from your boss,Baba is still alive, you can ask him. Just do your work.

And on the day when the zoning thing had been concluded and that it was going to the South East, we thought the zoning for the chairmanship of the party would come to the South West. When Baba said Bode was not going, that the chairmanship of the party was going to the South East, so be it, I said ‘as your lord pleases sir.’ I still went ahead and fought for Baba, defended him when people were going against him. When we were having the Board of Trustees Chairmanship thing, I was still the deputy national chairman, I stood my ground there that day, I said ‘no’, so what was it? But rumours, but I didn’t believe any rumours. Yes, we disagreed on certain things but it was not a fundamental thing. I knew Baba because Stella (his late wife) and I grew up together in Lagos , we were age group. My first wife, Feyi, at that time, we were very friendly with Baba. It was a reporter that came and said that Baba said this. We were planning to have a thank-you visit with 20 local government chairmen from Oni of Ife’s palace, greeting people and ending up in Baba’s house. When I heard it, I said, no, it’s not true. The reporter said he was waiting for my reaction. He brought a press statement. It hit me like a bullet. I turned my chair around, but I said you know, I don’t believe that Baba said it and if he said it, I’ve left him to God and his conscience. That was all I said. It wasn’t a fundamental thing, it was like, from my experience and age, I was abandoned. That’s how I felt, because I did not commit any crime.

So how is your relationship with Obasanjo now?
No problem. Like I said, in the interest of this nation, in the larger interest of the Yoruba people and in the interest of our party, I have swallowed my anger and my pride. Who am I? Yes you can be annoyed but no matter the annoyance, it must not last more than 24 hours. So I thought what was I angry for? Here I am; they pulled me up in spite of the efforts of those who wanted to sink me. The more gold spends time in the heat, the better the experience. All I know is, I will not steal government money because no matter how long, nemesis will catch up. If it doesn’t catch up now, it will catch up with your children. God will revisit it. I’m not a poor man and I’m not a rich man. I’m not a contractor and I don’t have the patience to go and sit in front of someone’s office waiting for contract. Amassing wealth, building mansions, go round Ikoyi here, all those tall buildings, nobody is inside. If they had set up businesses to employ or give scholarships to people to encourage them, those generations will continue to bless them.