When his mansion in Abeokuta, South-West Nigeria, was gutted by fire last week Thursday, former President Olusegun Obasanjo made a joke of it, dancing and playing the comedian when journalists sought his reaction to the incident.

Yesterday, however, the only man who has ruled Nigeria thrice got serious for once and admitted that he would have died in the inferno if not for divine intervention.

Addressing Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders from neighbouring Lagos State who visited him at his residence in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, to commiserate with him on the incident, Obasanjo said: “The fire incident, which occurred in the office of my private secretary resulted in thick smoke which pervaded my bedroom; if it had happened at night, I would have been a dead person now.”

Thanking all those who called him on the phone both within and outside the country, Obasanjo urged appreciation of God’s mercies.

“Let us appreciate the mercy and kindness of God. There are many we started last year with together but are no more today, we are not mocking them, but to extol God,” said the man who ruled Nigeria from 1975 to 79 as a military dictator and as an elected civilian president from 1999 to 2007.

“In fact, that I am able to stand erect is God’s blessing, many of my age group cannot stand well. I am not mocking them, but I am thanking God. My hope and prayer is that this year 2013 will be a glorious year,” Obasanjo added.

The elder statesman advised Nigerians to be grateful to God for surviving 2012 and hoped that 2013 would be a better year. He appealed for peace in the crisis-torn Lagos PDP and prayed for the delegation led by Lagos PDP Chairman, Mr. Tunji Shelle.

•Photo: Obasanjo.