Why I admire Charly Boy – Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed why he admires veteran entertainer Charles “Charly Boy” Oputa.

The 89-year-old disclosed during an interview on the “Before Tomorrow Comes” podcast, which was posted on YouTube on Thursday.

He explained that he first met the singer-songwriter through his father, the late Nigerian jurist and judge, Chukwudifu Oputa.

Mr Obasanjo said, although he knew Charly Boy through the late Justice Oputa, whom he described as a close friend, he didn’t support the entertainer’s lifestyle.

He said, “I was close to Charly Boy’s father, Justice Oputa. I don’t have many friends or many people I would say I admire, but the late Justice Oputa was one Nigerian I called a friend and admired. Then I started seeing Charly Boy, and they said he was Justice Oputa’s son. Justice Oputa was a decent man, well-groomed and well-dressed, with an immaculate turnout, and then I saw this man called Charly Boy, dressed in an uncoordinated way.

“I said, “Look, how come an adult dresses like that?” and I didn’t think much of him. I couldn’t raise it with his father, who was my friend and whom I admired. I would go to Justice Oputa and never talk about Charly Boy. When I met him, I scorned him deliberately because I expected the son of a Supreme Court judge of the calibre of Justice Oputa to be like his father, well-groomed, immaculate in turnout and well-presented.”

Furthermore, the Ogun-born politician stated that as the late Oputa grew older, he discovered that Charly Boy took exceptional care of his father despite his unconventional lifestyle.

He added that this, among other things, drew him closer to the Area Fada.

“Going into Charly Boy’s house, you would still see uncoordinated things, motorcycles and the type of clothes he wore. What struck me was Charly Boy’s way of taking care of his father. Even if Charly Boy had dressed ten times more immaculately, he could not have taken better care of his father than what I saw. It was all part of his comedy and amusement, so I got drawn to him.

“Of course, because of that and the regard I had for his father, when the old man died, I was there in their home in Oguta. Then it was his mother’s turn, and, having been close to the father, I automatically became close to the mother, a humorous woman. I realised that Charly Boy’s care for his mother could not even be compared with the way he cared for his father because it was extraordinary”, Mr Obasanjo noted.

Additionally, the former president revealed that he became closer to Charly Boy after the death of his mother.

He added that before her death, the singer never offered him food or drinks whenever he visited his mother.

Mr Obasanjo also disclosed that Charly Boy gave his mother a befitting burial after her passing.

He said, “So I became close to Charly Boy, and his uncoordinated dressing no longer mattered to me. I saw it as part of making life good, and then he approached me. I realised there were many lessons to learn from Charly Boy’s life, particularly from his parents, especially his father. How did his father tolerate him when he was not going the way his father wanted?

“If he would not become a lawyer, then certainly being a singer or comedian was not what the father would have wanted. But he decided to choose a path for his own life. He remained committed to it, and he got his father to learn to live with it. As I said, to the extent that in the latter part of the father’s life, Charly Boy became his father’s favourite.”

He further stated that the lives of Charly Boy and his parents should serve as a lesson to others.

He also announced that he authored a book titled “999: The Memoir of Charly Boy”, which chronicled the singer’s life and their relationship.

“That is a lesson for parents: if a child decides to do something that is not criminal but comes naturally to them, maybe we should give as much advice and guidance as we can and pray for them.

“So I decided that, without much ado, I would write a foreword as requested by Charly Boy, and that is what I have done with “999: The Memoir of Charly Boy”, which is very well written, well produced and a masterpiece.”

In March, PREMIUM TIMES reported that the social activist presented a birthday gift to former Mr Obasanjo during the celebration of his 89th birthday.

The singer arrived at the event, held at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, carrying a large gift box.