By Seyifunmi Odunuga
The former Presindent of Nigeria Chief Olusegun Obasanjo said the country has failed to take its pride of president the comity of developed nations because of failed leadership.
In his words, “I believe that God has created Nigeria to lead the black race. That we are not doing so is not because God has not given us all that we need to do it. It is because we have failed in leadership to do it and that has to be corrected. But, that is the fault of all of us. As you rightly said, where we should speak up, we should speak up,” Obasanjo said.
He added ” the country must interrogate the mystery behind Nigerians performing wonderfully well at international front but are being shackled in their fatherland.
Chief Obasanjo, who spoke in the Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State on Thursday, during the unveiling of a book in his honour entitled,” ‘The Man, The General, The President,” said no fewer than five Nigerians are either leading international organisations or are second in command with “fantastic performance”
Former President listed the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; African Development Bank President, Dr Akinwumi Adesina; Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Amina Mohammed, among others, as prominent Nigerians excelling outside the country.
To put Nigeria on the right footing, Obasanjo said education must take the forefront, saying over 14 million out of school children must be reunited with classrooms.
In his words, “My prayer is that all of us particularly in this country must have something to contribute to making this country what God has created it to be; a land flowing with milk and honey. Right now, it is a land flowing with bitterness and sadness. That is not what God wants this country to be.
“We must change the narrative; we must talk to ourselves in the civilised language.
“There is no where you go in this country that you will not see genius in any section of the country. Wenowhereeat Nigerians, why do Nigerians bloom outside Nigeria? Chief Obasanjo said.
