Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, says Nigerians are doing great things individually but it’s not to unite to achieve as a country.
Obasanjo said this while speaking during the National Daily Award at the weekend.
The former President disclosed that world leaders had high hopes for Nigeria after it became a sovereign state. He said Nigeria has yet to live up to that expectation to date.
This is as he claimed that Nigerians in his era made better decisions in selecting their leaders than what is in place in this current dispensation.
According to the former president, even though politics was ranging then like the country is experiencing today, they were determined to ensure they chose the right leaders who made the right decisions for the country.
“In fact, in making choices of leaders, I will say Nigerians of post-independence make the right choices of leaders. We all know that if your choice is right, the performance and consequences will be right.
“When the then Prime Minister went to the United Nations post-independence, the world referred to Nigeria as a giant in the sun, not even a giant of Africa.
“But the question is, have we lived up to that? If we have not, the question is why? Are there certain qualities that leaders in the post-independence era had that are absent in leadership today? We talk about values, have our values changed? What is Nigeria today, and what is the Nigeria we want? How do we get the Nigeria we want.
“Over a long period of my life in peacemaking and mediation, I have come to realise that peace, security, and stability are essential ingredients for the development and growth of any country. Without justice, equity, and fairness, no country can attain greatness.
“When you look at us individually, there is something unique about Nigerians. Wherever they go, they excel individually. Today, when you look globally, Nigerians are doing great things individually. It’s time for us to unite and take the country to where it’s supposed to be.
“If we fail to do so, then our existence is useless. We need to make a difference so that we can leave behind a better society.”
