Nigeria will be great in my lifetime, says Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has expressed optimism that Nigeria will begreat in his lifetime.

According to the former leader, he remained an incurable optimistic about Nigeria.s

Obasanjo who stated this during his 88th birthday celebration and book launch, held at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital, said Nigeria will be great again.

The former president explained that though the country is going through a lot of challenges at the moment but they are all surmountable.

He added that the current situation in the country will soon be over as he is not losing hope of a Nigeria every citizen will be proud of before he died.

“For me, I am an incurable optimist about Nigeria. Yes, the situation is bad no doubt, but I believe that in my lifetime, we will have a Nigerian that we will be proud of.”

The former president, speaking about his new books, lamented that Africa, although yet to recover from the effect of slave trade, must not forget the dark history and painful past.

He opined that until Africa breaks completely from slavery and colonialism of all forms, it may never be able to make progress as it should.

According to him, the continent must do all it can to shrug off residues of colonialism and Slavery, so as not to be re-enslaved again.

Obasanjo said, “Part of our problems in Africa is what I may call residues of slave trade, slavery and colonialism and until we can break ourselves completely away from it, we may not be able to make progress as we should do.

“We have to shrug off residues of colonialism and slavery, we have to do this so as not be re-enslaved again after more than two centuries that we suffered the first one.

“We must not forget slavery, whether transatlantic or trans sahara slave trade, they have the same effect on us. If we forget, not only will we continue to suffer from the effect, but we will be re-enslaved again.

“We haven’t come out from the one we have suffered for more than two centuries. It is for us to see where we have gone wrong without any exception as a group and seek the way out.

Also speaking at the event, Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, represented by his Deputy, Engr. (Mrs) Noimot Salako-Oyedele described Obasanjo as a strong figure in the national history.

The Governor added that the elderstateman remained a global icon and pan-Africanist whose contribution across the continent are invaluable.