Suffering, hardship responsible for rising spate of volatility in Nigeria–Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has blamed the current spate of volatility in the country on the suffering and hardship being faced by ordinary masses.

Obasanjo who made the assertion on Saturday at the Africa Methodist Council Heads of Conference Summit and Women’s Movement Leadership Summit in Lagos where he was the Chairman of the public lecture, stated that insecurity had made the country a dangerous place, filled with so much suffering and hunger.

Speaking on the topic, ‘Leadership in a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world’, the ex-Military Head of State said the country’s leadership has to wake up to its responsibilities in order to create a better world for all Nigerians.

“Nigeria as it is now is volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous and dangerous.

“When we get good leaders, let’s make maximum use of them because good leaders don’t flog. When you get one in a generation, make good use of them. Let’s learn the right lesson from them.

“We cannot make the world less volatile, simple or unambiguous unless we have the right type of leaders. We are talking about leaders that take examples of Jesus Christ and become like him.

“How do we re-evaluate the world? That is what I believe we have to do in re-evaluating the world. What do we do? Jesus Christ himself told us that in this world, we would have trouble.

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“I will give you two points. Wake up! We need a new generation of leaders; moral leaders, transformational leaders, and servant leaders.

“This new generation of leaders will lead by showing love and leading the re-evaluation and transformation.

“Politicians are a different kettle of fish. They have to be in the world and be to some extent of the world.

“You must not be a professional politician. Politics is one profession you go into without any training. You can wake up today and say you are a politician.

“If you are going to be a successful politician you must have an alternative to being a politician, another means of livelihood

“When I was President, because I had to listen to my party and they wanted to push me in the way I should not go, I always told them, ‘Look! My farm is there. Take your job. I’m going back to my farm.’

“Some politicians have no second address. That is a great pity. A politician who has no second address will stand for anything. He has no principle, morality, dos and don’ts.”

Also delving into the problems the country has faced due to its dependence on oil, Obasanjo said:

“One of the things that was a little bit of misfortune in Nigeria is crude oil. We were drinking and sleeping oil, and it was a misfortune for us. It made us abandon agriculture. Oil is a waste asset. Agriculture is renewable. We have to go back to it.

“We have to give something to our youths who are becoming restive, frustrated and dangerous.

“If we are going to curb that, it is giving them education, skills, empowerment and employment. If we don’t, they will soon come to attack us in our homes in the daytime, and it is a matter of time.

“Even food, we don’t produce enough. We spend over $20bn to import food. 60 percent of arable land is not cultivated. The one cultivated is not used to maximum capacity. We need leaders who will lead us to the promised land.

“But, whatever resources we have, if we are devoid of leadership, it won’t get us anywhere. That is why leadership in Africa is very important.”