Former president of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, former president of Malawi, Mrs. Joyce Banda and General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Pastor Enoch Adeboye among others have congratulated the former vice president of the World Bank, Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili, on her 60th birthday.
Obasanjo in his goodwill message during the Thanksgiving Service: 60 minutes of Extravagant Praise organised at the Redeemed Christian Church of God (The Everlasting Arms Parish) in honour of Ezekwesili yesterday in Abuja said she is like a daughter to him.
According to Obasanjo, even when she was a minister, he treated her the same way he treated his biological daughters, and she is a dynamic young woman who is competent, reliable and very enterprising.
“As she therefore clocks 60 today, I cannot but thank God for her life as I wish her more fulfilling and glorious years and decades ahead. As president, I tried to expose some of the brightest talents I had in government to opportunities available to be the best they could possibly be.
“Without any doubt, Oby was one of the best talents I had working with me. On a lighter note, when Oby worked with me, she was quite young but very intelligent. There were three of them at that time that used to fight about who was older and I enjoyed their banters—Oby, Frank Nweke and Nenadi Usman. The three of them were under 40 and then in council.
“They were always arguing among themselves about age seniority, and Ngozi used to treat them as juniors. But it was all fun. I recall when Oby informed me that she was given a job at the World Bank, I did not want her to go because I really needed her. But then I said to myself, “Let her go, it may be part of Nigeria’s contribution to global development, especially in Africa”.
“And she went to the World Bank and did her best. She was for me one of the best from Africa. Now that she is 60, she should look at what she has done in the past and what God has enabled her to do and give thanks while preparing herself for the future. She is still a young lady. My prayer is that God’s grace will continue to abound in her.”
Also, the former president of Malawi, Dr. Joyce Banda, in her goodwill message during the service, said Ezekwesili was her advisor, and that when she was Head of State, she saved her from going to jail.
Ezekwesili in her thanksgiving message expressed gratitude to God for allowing her to clock 60 years on earth.
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