General Olusegun Obasanjo succeeded General Murtala Mohammed as military Head of State of Nigeria in February 1976, and ruled till September 1979. He handed over to Alhaji Shehu Shagari who succeded him as civilian president.
Obasanjo introduced a ‘low profile’ policy called ‘austerity measure’ whereby no official car should be bigger and higher in standard than Peugeot 504 salon car.
Before him, the official car especially for the Head of State had been Mercedes Benz. In fact Murtala Mohammed was assassinated inside his Mercedes Benz official car in February 1976 by the coup plotters.
In the final year he was in power, Obasanjo introduced many more austerity measures and insisted on a ‘low profile’ lifestyle for all government officials.
He was aware that Nigeria, despite its oil wealth, was still largely an underdeveloped country and its business persons mainly agents or intermediaries for foreign businesses.
Photo: HistoryVille
The North has always had penchant for frivolities at the expense of Southern resources.