We are sitting dangerously on a keg of Gunpowder – Obasanjo

Former Nigeria President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has issued a grave warning about the state of the country, stating that Nigeria is precariously perched on a keg of gunpowder.

Obasanjo expressed his concerns over the country’s poor implementation of good policies, which has led to pushing many citizens into poverty. He pointed out that over the past 63 years, Nigeria has not lived up to its expectations as the much-vaunted giant of Africa.

The former president made these remarks during a keynote address at the public presentation of a book titled “Reclaiming the Jewel of Africa,” authored by Olusegun Aganga, a former Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment, who had also served as Minister of Finance.

Addressing the audience virtually at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja on Monday, July 24, Obasanjo emphasized that despite Nigeria’s potential to be a jewel of Africa, it has not yet attained that status. He posed the question, “Can you reclaim what you have never had or attained?” highlighting the need for a genuine transformation to achieve the country’s true potential.

He said; “Over the last 63 years, we have not lived up to expectations. We have disappointed ourselves; we have disappointed Africa; we have disappointed the black race; and we have disappointed the world.”

“What Segun (Aganga) has tried to identify, itemise and recommend in his book is the way forward. But the beginning of charting a new course for ourselves is to admit our failure because we have not always put the round peg in the round hole.

“We are carried along by ego and emotion of self, selfishness and self-centeredness, ethnic and religious jingoism, with total lack of understanding of the world we live in and gross misunderstanding of what development entails and how to move fast and continuously on the trajectory of development.

“These are peace and security, which we cannot achieve without justice, equity and inclusive society,” he said.

“And telling ourselves the truth, we have not done well on these scores in the recent past — in the last decade and a half.

“I will also point at the issue of education, where over 20 million children that should be in school are not in school. We do not need an oracle to tell us the consequences of that for tomorrow.”

“We do not need to look far for the remote causes of banditry, Boko Haram, kidnapping and other organised crimes.

“The point I am making is that we have, both at home and in the diaspora, Nigerians who have attained world and best standard in their character, professions, attributes, performance and reputation in all walks of life. With such men and women, why are we underperforming at home?”