Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has raised serious concerns about Nigeria’s current state, describing the nation as being “sitting on a keg of gunpowder.”
Obasanjo’s remarks were made during a meeting with six members of the House of Representatives at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta on Friday.
The lawmakers were led by Hon. Ugochinyere Ikenga and are behind proposed bills aiming to reform Nigeria’s political system.
Obasanjo emphasized the critical need for purposeful leadership and effective teamwork to foster development and positive change in the country. He stressed that Nigeria’s progress hinges on significant changes in governance practices.
The former president’s comments come in the wake of widespread protests demanding better governance and accountability.
According to Obasanjo, the demands from the #EndBadGovernance protesters are legitimate and warrant serious attention. He urged the government to heed these demands and stop misleading the public into believing that all is well.
He said, “like I have warned earlier, we should know that we are all sitting on a keg of gun powder 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 belong to them?
“They are frustrated, they are hungry, they are angry, they are unemployed, they deserved to be given listening ears”.
