Nigeria Has Disappointed Africa By Not Providing Good Leadership – Obasanjo

Former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has said that only popular movement can save Nigeria at the movement and make it a great country in Africa.

According to The Nation, the former president gave this position at the 15th Lecture and International Leadership Symposium on Monday, February 5.

Obasanjo said the only way out of the development problem in which the nation plunged is for the people to form non-partisan “popular movement that would serve as credible alternative to the current national leadership.”

He said: “The first generation of leaders in this country, whatever you say about them, gave us independence. They helped in the transition from colonial power to indigenous leadership. Within their knowledge, their experience and exposure, these first generation leaders did their best. But then, they made mistake, which led to the transition to the military era. Later, there was another transition to democracy.

“The nation has also witnessed transition from one civilian regime to another within a political party and from one political party to another. But, there is another important transition which the country requires right now; this is the transition to popular movement to give people credible alternatives. Until we are able to achieve this, we are not going anywhere.”

Obasanjo said Nigeria must harness its diversity into economic development.

He said the issue of security must not be politicised and that the country needs strong leaders.

He said: “I believe we need both strong institutions and strong leaders. If there are no strong leaders, we will not be able to build strong institutions. If strong institutions are established and our leaders are weak, those strong institutions will collapse.”

Meanwhile, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti state, Bayo Orire, described the Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CNM) recently formed by ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo as peopled by old politicians often seen as corrupt.

According to Orire, the coalition has members who had contributed to Nigeria’s downfall.

Daily Sun reports Orire as however saying that 90 percent of what Obasanjo raised in his letter to President Muhammadu Buhari were true, advising that the APC must improve on those areas that would be of benefit to the nation, rather than resorting to criticism.