Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has once again spoken out about the state of poverty in Nigeria, saying the country has no justification for being poor considering its rich natural and human resources.
He made these remarks during a dinner organized in his honour by the Abia State Government on Friday night at the Government House in Umuahia. Obasanjo pointed out that Nigeria is well-blessed by nature, yet continues to suffer due to years of poor leadership and mismanagement of resources.
“Nigerians have no business with poverty because God has given us all that we need.
“If we are mismanaging what God has given us, we do not have God to blame, we have ourselves to blame,” he said.
The former president, who governed Nigeria from 1999 to 2007, noted that the country has what it takes to rise above its current economic challenges if leaders at all levels choose to serve with honesty and vision. He stated that it is not enough to have resources, but that the real issue lies in how those resources are used.
Obasanjo also praised Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, for the progress seen in the state under his leadership. He said the governor appears to be on the right path and encouraged him to stay focused on delivering good governance to the people.
He expressed hope that if at least 18 state governors across the country were performing their duties well, the nation would see major improvements in many areas. Obasanjo stressed that leadership is not about personal recognition but about how well leaders can meet the needs of the people.
“For me, whether you don’t greet me or I greet you and you don’t answer, what is important to me is that the people of this country are getting what they deserve and what they deserve is good governance,” he added.
Obasanjo also shared a story from his time in office, recalling when former Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, was unaware of a national railway plan. He said Amaechi had to be referred to the archives to study the previously established plan.
Governor Otti, in his own speech, acknowledged the support he has received from Obasanjo, calling him a strong pillar throughout his political journey. Otti said that having a clear vision and staying committed to it is key to achieving goals, even when the process is long and difficult.
“Once you have vision, you have to keep to it. It took us ten years to get here. The two elections we contested from 2015 to 2019, we won clearly but they were all stolen.
“A lot of people had given up hope and said it wasn’t going to work, but I was sure that I heard clearly from God,” he said.
