Former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, on Friday identified purposeful leadership and teamwork, as factors that can bring positive change and development to the country.
Obasanjo, also noted that Nigeria, as a nation, cannot progress without changes in the way governance is administered.
The former President said these when he played host to six lawmakers from the House of Representatives, who co-sponsored
bills seeking a single six-year term for the president and governors, power rotation between the northern and southern parts of the country, and a single day for presidential, governorship, national assembly, and state assembly elections, led by Hon. Ugochinyere Ikenga, representing the Ideato North and South Federal Constituency of Imo State, at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) Abeokuta.
Other lawmakers in attendance were Honourables Abdulmalik Danga (representing Adavi/Okehi), Dr. Usman Midala (Askira-Uba/Hawul), Hon. Peter Aniekwe (Anambra East/West), and Kama Nkemkanma (Ohaozara/Onicha/Ivo) federal constituencies.
The former president stated that the nation’s challenges would be overcome if Nigerians critically re-examined themselves and consistently did the right thing.
Obasanjo noted that the lawmakers’ calls for a single-term presidency, nationwide elections in one day, and power rotation between the North and South were not sufficient to put the nation on the right track.
“What I know about Nigeria is that we need to get it right in terms of leadership and the team. The point is that, within two and a half years, we can overcome these challenges.
In another 10 years, we need to consolidate what we have achieved, and in the last 25 years, we will be there. Our problem is that we take two steps forward and probably two steps backwards, and that won’t get us anywhere.
“For me, it’s not just about the system; we need to rethink what we call democracy. We need to reconsider the Western Liberal Democracy model, where we talk about loyal opposition.
“In the African system, we typically work through consensus. We need to join hands to make things work. If we get it right, whether we have a single six-year term presidency or two four-year terms, we need to work on our mentality.
“We have to decarbonize our brains. Our main problem is ourselves. Until we address our own issues, the length of office terms won’t matter.
If the same people with the same mentality are in power, nothing will change. Our starting point is ourselves,” the former president added.
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Former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, on Friday identified purposeful leadership and teamwork, as factors that can bring positive change and development to the country.
Obasanjo, also noted that Nigeria, as a nation, cannot progress without changes in the way governance is administered.
The former President said these when he played host to six lawmakers from the House of Representatives, who co-sponsored
bills seeking a single six-year term for the president and governors, power rotation between the northern and southern parts of the country, and a single day for presidential, governorship, national assembly, and state assembly elections, led by Hon. Ugochinyere Ikenga, representing the Ideato North and South Federal Constituency of Imo State, at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) Abeokuta.
Other lawmakers in attendance were Honourables Abdulmalik Danga (representing Adavi/Okehi), Dr. Usman Midala (Askira-Uba/Hawul), Hon. Peter Aniekwe (Anambra East/West), and Kama Nkemkanma (Ohaozara/Onicha/Ivo) federal constituencies.
The former president stated that the nation’s challenges would be overcome if Nigerians critically re-examined themselves and consistently did the right thing.
Obasanjo noted that the lawmakers’ calls for a single-term presidency, nationwide elections in one day, and power rotation between the North and South were not sufficient to put the nation on the right track.
“What I know about Nigeria is that we need to get it right in terms of leadership and the team. The point is that, within two and a half years, we can overcome these challenges.
In another 10 years, we need to consolidate what we have achieved, and in the last 25 years, we will be there. Our problem is that we take two steps forward and probably two steps backwards, and that won’t get us anywhere.
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“For me, it’s not just about the system; we need to rethink what we call democracy. We need to reconsider the Western Liberal Democracy model, where we talk about loyal opposition.
“In the African system, we typically work through consensus. We need to join hands to make things work. If we get it right, whether we have a single six-year term presidency or two four-year terms, we need to work on our mentality.
“We have to decarbonize our brains. Our main problem is ourselves. Until we address our own issues, the length of office terms won’t matter.
If the same people with the same mentality are in power, nothing will change. Our starting point is ourselves,” the former president added.
Obasanjo further stated that Nigerians should elect leaders with proven pedigree and character capable of addressing the nation’s myriad challenges.
He insisted that Nigeria will only progress when upright individuals and good role models are in positions of power, emphasizing that the number of terms spent in office is inconsequential if the wrong people are in leadership roles.
Speaking on the demands of the #EndBadGovernance protesters, Obasanjo said their demands were very legitimate, saying that the government should listen and hear their cry, and stop deceiving the masses that all is well.
He said, “like I have warned earlier, we should know that we are all sitting on a keg of gunpowder if we fail to begin to do the right thing…for instance, what the youth are demanding are very legitimate and should be listened to or why should they be denied of what rightfully belongs to them?
“They are frustrated, they are hungry, they are angry, they are unemployed, they deserved to be given listening ears”.
The former President also warned that the huge corruption in the oil sector will never make our refinery work, stressing that the Shell Company he contacted to take over running the refineries when in government turned the offer down citing unimaginable corruption.
Ikenga, in his welcome remarks, said the lawmakers were in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, to express their solidarity with the former president and to learn from his extensive knowledge on development and good governance.
The lawmaker commended Obasanjo for the various reforms implemented during his administration, blaming successive governments for failing to build on these reforms for the benefit of Nigerians.
“If there had been a consolidation of electricity reforms, foreign policies, civil service reforms, and digital reforms by successive governments, we would not be facing the economic challenges we are today.
If not for the foundation you laid in 1999, things would have been worse.
At that time, many did not see Nigeria’s future, but we can now see the impact of your efforts in telecommunications reform, civil service reforms, and the establishment of anti-corruption agencies,” he added.
Ikenga informed Obasanjo that the lawmakers were co-sponsors of bills seeking a single six-year term for the president and governors, power rotation between the northern and southern parts of the country, and a single day for presidential, governorship, national assembly, and state assembly elections, to eliminate bandwagon effects. (Vanguard)