Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, the former president, has voiced serious concerns about the nation’s ongoing division, characterizing it as a significant barrier to Nigeria’s development and international clout.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
Speaking at his penthouse in the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta, while receiving a 20-member delegation of the League of Northern Democrats led by former Kano State Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Shekarau, Obasanjo lamented that Nigeria’s divisions have held it back from achieving greatness and becoming the leading light for the black race.
According to the report by Punch on Tuesday, he said that Nigeria can still correct its mistakes, unite, and thrive.
Obasanjo pointed to the regionalism practised prior to Nigeria’s independence in 1960 as the root of the nation’s continued disunity.
He said, “The truth is that at independence, Nigeria emerged with three leaders, and so it is a situation of three countries making it a situation of three countries in one ever since.”
He described this foundation as flawed, leading to the prolonged lack of national cohesion and progress.
The former president criticized the tendency to prioritize regional and ethnic backgrounds when appointing leaders.
He argued that merit, capacity, and the ability to deliver should take precedence over considerations of origin.
Obasanjo also suggested that the League of Northern Democrats should consider renaming their group to the “National League of Democrats” to reflect a broader national focus, adding that he would gladly serve as their patron if invited.
“I am undoubtedly proud to be a Yoruba but my being a Nigerian should not be an enemy of my being a Yoruba… We must get the best man for the job, it does not matter where he comes from. We must get our acts together.”
He urged all Nigerians to put past grievances behind them and work together to restore the nation’s greatness.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
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