Ex Nigeria President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has reacted to the criticisms that trailed his controversial condolence message on the demise of Senator Buruji Kashamu.

Recall that OBJ had said that Kashamu, who was wanted in the United States of America for alleged drug offences, could escape justice, but not death.

Reacting to the blasting he received, Obasanjo has come out to say that it is right for people to mourn every death, but the ones living should always learn to pick the right lessons from the lives of those who have died.

He added that he never spoke ill of the dead because it is always a sad thing when someone dies.

His words, “When I was growing up, in our community, when anyone known with bad character died, we usually only mourn him and bury him. No eulogy. No praise-singing.

“There is an English saying that urges us never to talk ill of the dead. But in this case, we are not talking ill of the dead. We are only drawing lessons from the life and history of the dead. I am not gloating over his death. It is sad for anyone to die and we must mourn him.”

“But we must learn from such a passage. There will be bad lessons. There will be good lessons. But we should not just be praise-singing or eulogising the dead, especially when there is no need to do so.

“We should not cover up bad histories and conducts so that the right lessons can be learned.

“But we must learn from such a passage. There will be bad lessons. There will be good lessons. But we should not just be praise-singing or eulogising the dead, especially when there is no need to do so.

“We should not cover up bad histories and conducts so that the right lessons can be learned.”