I once had no respect for Charlie Boy — Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has recalled how his perception of Nigerian entertainer Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charlie Boy, changed after he witnessed the care he gave his late father, Justice Chukwudifu Oputa.

Obasanjo, who described the late jurist as a “great man”, said he initially had little regard for Charlie Boy and even wished the entertainer had resembled his father.

The former President spoke during an interview with media personality Bae U, published on Saturday.

Recalling his first impression of Charlie Boy, Obasanjo said, “Well, Charlie Boy is so jaga jaga that I don’t know anything about him.”

He, however, praised Justice Oputa, whom he said was one of the Nigerians he respected during his lifetime.

“He has a good father, Justice Oputa. Oh, what a great man. I wish Charlie Boy had resembled him,” Obasanjo said.

According to him, his perception began to change after he visited Justice Oputa and discovered that the retired Supreme Court Justice was living in a house owned by Charlie Boy and receiving care from him.

Obasanjo said he was initially taken aback when he saw a motorcycle parked in front of the house, but what he witnessed inside changed his opinion of the entertainer.

“When I first came to know Charlie Boy, I had no iota of regard or respect for him.

“But when I went to visit Justice and it was in Charlie Boy’s house. I didn’t know it was in Charlie Boy’s house.

“So the first thing that put me off in that house, I saw a motorcycle in front of the house. The way the motorcycle was dressed and all that, I said, ‘What is this?’”

He said his opinion changed after seeing how Charlie Boy cared for his father.

“And then I went inside the house. I saw how Justice was being taken care of and by who? Charlie Boy.

“Ah, so I started changing my mind about Charlie Boy and until Justice Oputa died, Charlie Boy took perfect care of him, looked after him and he really behaved like a good child would give to his father,” he said.

Obasanjo added that Charlie Boy extended the same care to his mother, whom he described as a humorous woman.

“He didn’t stop there. He did the same to his mother. And I used to frequently visit the mother, who was a great humorous woman.

“Charlie Boy took care of her. Then I started changing my mind. I changed my mind about him,” the former President said.

He said Charlie Boy later explained that his unconventional public persona was partly a means of making a living.

Obasanjo said the explanation further influenced his perception of the entertainer, whom he described as intelligent.

“Then one day I asked him, I said, ‘Look, Charlie Boy, what is all this?’

“You said that Jaga Jaga, all those Jaga Jaga things that I see, is to make chop-chop and it’s an intelligent boy, that Charlie Boy, all Jaga Jaga, because you cannot do Jaga Jaga to earn a living without being intelligent,” he said.

Obasanjo said he subsequently developed some affection for Charlie Boy, although he jokingly qualified it.

“So now I like him a bit, not too much,” he said.