Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has recalled how his perception of Nigerian entertainer Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charlie Boy, changed after witnessing the care he gave his late father, Justice Chukwudifu Oputa.
Obasanjo made the remarks during an interview with media personality Bae U, published on Saturday, while explaining why he once frequently referred to Charlie Boy as “Jaga Jaga.”
The former President initially described Charlie Boy as someone he knew little about before praising his late father, whom he said was a great man.
“Well, Charlie Boy is so jaga jaga that I don’t know anything about him,” Obasanjo said.
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Speaking about Justice Oputa, whom he said he respected greatly, Obasanjo added, “He has a good father, Justice Oputa. Oh, what a great man. I wish Charlie Boy had resembled him.”
However, Obasanjo said his opinion of Charlie Boy began to change after he visited Justice Oputa and discovered that the former jurist was living in Charlie Boy’s house and being cared for by him.
“When I first came to know Charlie Boy, I had no iota of regard or respect for him,” he recalled.
He said he was initially surprised by the unconventional appearance of a motorcycle parked outside the house, but his perception changed after seeing the way Charlie Boy cared for his father.
“And then I went inside the house. I saw how Justice was being taken care of, and by whom? Charlie Boy,” Obasanjo said.
According to the former President, Charlie Boy continued to care for Justice Oputa until his death and also extended the same attention to his mother.
“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 also praised Charlie Boy for caring for 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,” he said.
The former President said his perception of Charlie Boy further changed after the entertainer explained that his unconventional public persona was part of his approach to making a living.
According to Obasanjo, Charlie Boy’s ability to turn his unusual persona into a source of income also demonstrated his intelligence.
“You said that Jaga Jaga, all those Jaga Jaga things that I see, is to make chop-chop and it’s an intelligent boy,” he recalled.
Obasanjo said he eventually developed some affection for Charlie Boy, although he humorously qualified it.
“So now I like him a bit, not too much,” he said.
