Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo has expressed his disappointment with current global and Nigerian leadership, describing it as ineffective and lacking direction.
The former President, who spoke on Thursday in an exclusive interview with Kayode Akintemi on News Central Television.
He said the world, especially Africa and Nigeria, is suffering from a “leadership deficit,” meaning leaders lack the foresight, planning, and commitment needed to create progress.
Obasanjo criticized the Nigerian president for taking office without a clear strategy, instead making unprepared declarations.
He said, “I will say, at this point in time, generally there’s a leadership deficit in the world. Otherwise, the situation we have found ourselves in should not be the position we are in. Unfortunately, in Africa, and in Nigeria in particular, we take two steps forward, one step sideways, and take two or three steps backward. That can’t take us far. Leadership is something we should pay attention to.
“What do you say of a Nigerian President who came to office without a plan? And he woke up and just said, ‘three-point plan.’ What are the three points? What are they going to achieve? Who are the people who have worked on it? Oh, you just come and open your mouth and make a pronouncement on something that hasn’t been studied.”
To illustrate what purposeful leadership looks like, Obasanjo shared an example from his own tenure as Nigeria’s military Head of State.
The former president recalled his administration’s commitment to supporting the fight against colonialism and apartheid in Southern Africa.
He said, “Let me again give you an example: when I was military Head of State, we decided to really be part of the frontline states to fight the last vestiges of colonialism and apartheid.
“And we were determined. So, as a result of our policy, pronouncements, and determination, we became known as members of the frontline states, even though we were a thousand kilometers from the frontline. And we decided that we must do what needed to be done. We worked with the frontline states.”
KanyiDaily recalls that the presidency had blamed the current state of Nigeria’s democracy on former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
