Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has decried Nigeria’s inability to live up to expectations since it gained independence in 1960, noting that the country had not only disappointed itself but also Africa and the world.
He made the statement in his keynote address at the public presentation of the book titled ‘Reclaiming the Jewel of Africa,’ written by former Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, who also served as Minister of Finance, Olusegun Aganga.
Obasanjo identified two of the major issues that were interrelated in terms of factors for all-round development. According to the former leader, Nigeria is being carried along by selfishness, ethnic and religious jingoism and lack of understanding of the modern world.
In his address, Obasanjo said; “Over the last 63 years, we have not lived up to expectations. We have disappointed ourselves; we have disappointed Africa; we have disappointed the black race; and we have disappointed the world.”
He also stated that “What Segun (Aganga) has tried to identify, itemise and recommend in his book is the way forward.
“But the beginning of charting a new course for ourselves is to admit our failure because we have not always put the round peg in the round hole.
“We are carried along by ego and emotion of self, selfishness and self-centeredness, ethnic and religious jingoism, with total lack of understanding of the world we live in and gross misunderstanding of what development entails and how to move fast and continuously on the trajectory of development.
“These are peace and security, which we cannot achieve without justice, equity and inclusive society. And telling ourselves the truth, we have not done well on these scores in the recent past—in the last decade and a half.
“I will also point at the issue of education, where over 20 million children that should be in school are not in school. We do not need an oracle to tell us the consequences of that for tomorrow”.
He said the skill acquisition, empowerment and employment of youth would seem to be ignored or not appreciated.
“We do not need to look far for the remote causes of banditry, Boko Haram, kidnapping and other organised crimes. We are living dangerously on a keg of gunpowder, driving more people into poverty through good policies poorly and thoughtlessly implemented or bad policy and no policy at all,” Obasanjo stated.
