News / politics

2023: Don’t vote for anyone claiming his form was bought for him — Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has told Nigerians not to vote for any presidential aspirant “lying” that some persons bought their Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms for them.

Obasanjo said during a colloquium with the theme: “The African Christian Leadership: Radical Transformation in Unsettled Times.”

The colloquium in Lagos on Thursday was to mark the 61st birthday of Pastor Itua Ighodalo.

Obasanjo said: “Today, they are paying N40 million. “Some of them (aspirants) even said it is some youths who bought it for them.

“In fact anybody who would come out to tell you such a lie, you shouldn’t vote for him.

“Which youths gathered N40 million?

“If you want to buy it, buy it and tell us.

“You don’t need to lie to us.”…

News / politics

Obasanjo: How Nigeria can move from being a country to a Nation

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Wednesday said that the country must strive to enthrone justice, equity and fair play in order to build a strong, united nation.

Obasanjo, who is on a tour of the South East, said this when he made a brief stop at the Vision Africa Radio, Umuahia.

He was the Special Guest of Honour at the prize/award presentation to the winners of the 2021 Schools’ Debate, organized by the station, in conjunction with the Abia State Ministry of Education.

He said: “One of the things I believe we need in this country is nation building.  “We have not built a nation.

“We have a country but we need to weave, integrate that country into a nation.

“And you will not get that unless you have justice, fairness, equality and everybody having a stake in that project called Nigeria.

“If that is the situation that we need at the national and continental levels, it means you have to have it at other levels down to the family level.

“Any family where there is no justice, fair play and equity will not be stable.

“This applies to any country, community and state.

“If Nigeria needs these attributes, then any state in Nigeria needs it as much as Nigeria.”

Obasanjo said that this was one of the gospels he had been preaching since he celebrated his 85th birthday last week.

He congratulated the three schools that emerged winners at the debate and admonished them to learn to be good communicators, if they hope to become great achievers in future.

According to him, it takes a good communicator to marshal out his points convincingly, saying that bad communicators end up as poor achievers because of their inability to put their ideas across convincingly, notwithstanding how beautiful they might be.

He also commended the President of the station, Bishop Sunday Onuoha, for organizing the program designed to groom young ones and support the growth of education.

The topic of the debate was: “The development of a nation’s sound education system ensures …

News / politics / Production

Borrowing for recurrent expenditure foolish — Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has opposed the continuous borrowing of the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari for recurrent expenditure.

Obasanjo made his position known when he spoke with Channels Television on the sideline of an event in South Africa.

He told Channels TV: “If you want to build a commercial house and you go and borrow money, and you have 50 per cent of your own money and you borrow 50 per cent and in five years, you pay the 50 per cent that you borrowed, that is a wise thing to do.

“But if you have to go and borrow money for you to be able to feed yourself and your family, that is a stupid thing to do. “So, if we are borrowing for recurrent expenditure, it is the height of foolery.

“If we are borrowing for development that can pay itself, that is understandable.

“Then how long will it pay itself?

“But we are borrowing and accumulating debt for the next generation and the next generation after them.

“It is criminal, to put it mildly.

“What are we borrowing for?

“When I came into government and was elected President, we were spending $3.5 billion to service debt.

“And even with that, our quantum of debt was not going down.”…

News / politics

Nigeria better united than separated, says Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Wednesday said Nigerians would fair better staying together than break up.

Obasanjo stated this in Abeokuta at his investiture as a Fellow of the Nigerian Institution of Surveyor by the Ogun State chapter of the Body of Fellows of the NIS.

The elder statesman called on agitators for the disintegration of the country to shelve the idea and work for the oneness of the country.

According to him, it is better for Nigeria to remain as one indivisible nation than for each tribe to go its separate way.

The former president, who acknowledged that Nigeria is passing through challenges, insisted that “disintegration is not the solution”.

According to him, any Nigerian who does not feel concerned about the challenges of the country is a human being without being human.

Obasanjo said: “It is better that Nigeria stays together and find solutions to its challenges than for each tribe to go its separate way.

“I am a strong believer of one Nigeria, but not one Nigeria at any cost, but one Nigeria where every Nigerian can feel proud that he or she has a stake in this country.

“Those of us who have shed part of our blood and sweat for this country, we did so because we wanted a country where every Nigerian can claim as his or her own.

“I believe that if we talk among ourselves the way we should and if we change the narrative, I believe this is a great country.

“The fact that we are not making Nigeria what God wants it to be is not the fault of God, but our fault, particularly the leaders.”

Obasanjo, who noted that Nigeria’s diversity remained a major source of its strength, explained that disintegration would result in “weak republics”.

He added: “One thing that gives us strength is our diversity.

“If all that we have is Republic of Oduduwa for those who say so, members of that country will be diminished compared to being a citizen of Nigeria.

“Citizens of Oduduwa Republic …