Former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, has described capitalism as exploitative. He said it is founded on ‘the best for me and the worst for you’ maxim, and thereby urged that Nigeria should get the best for itself and stop been overruled by the powerful economies of the world.

Speaking as the chairman of the Global Conference of Black Nationalities, which kicked off in Osogbo, Osun State, yesterday, Mr. Obasanjo said, “If we do not refuse and reject what is not our own, why should we accept what will never be our own?”

The former president said that when he was in office, “my friend, a European, said ‘capitalism is designed by us for ourselves, and not designed by us for you’ and I asked him ‘what do you mean?’ He said to me that capitalism is exploitative and he said to me, ‘give me a reason why I should buy your tonne of cocoa at $100, when I can buy it for $50 and also send it back to you for $2000?’

“I said the reason is in the interest of common humanity, and he told me that there is nowhere common humanity is written in economic books. So, what he is saying is that see, ‘Segun, capitalism means best for me and the worse for you.’ So, if that is what it means, let us get the best for ourselves. We are not even saying worst for others, but let us get the best for ourselves,” he said.

The former president, however, charged the participants at the event to all go back to their individual countries and let us “put our house in order. If we put our house in order, the world will respect us. What the world understands is success. Where you succeed, you will be acclaimed; and where you fail, you will be ignored. We must not accept where we are now. We must not use other people’s standard to condemn ourselves.”

The conference

The seven days is expected to promote general discourse and inter-cultural dialogue among the various peoples of the world; and also to invite the attention of the world to the rich cultural heritage of the black race; and opportunities for greater attainments, amongst other things.

In his welcome address, the host governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, said that it is the dawn of a new front, with the black nationalities coming together to upsurge its potentials.

He, however, said that the maiden edition holding in Osogbo would determine the plans on how the event would be coming up annually.

Olabiyi Yayi represented the president of Benin Republic, Boni Yayi, who is presently facing a massive political crisis back at home, wherein about 50 signatures from the 83-seat parliament have been gathered to impeach him in what it claims, was needed to summon the president for trial for treason and perjury.

Olabiyi Yayi said he is awaiting the end report of the event to apply the same to cultural integration in his country.

President Goodluck Jonathan was also represented by the minister of state FCT, Omoni Caleb Olubolade, who on behalf of Mr. Jonathan, urged the race to ensure that they foster ahead in unity.

The minister of culture and orientation, Sadiq Abubakar, and many other federal officials, including the representatives of Dora Akunyili, were all at the event.

Mr. Obasanjo said that any black person who wants to come back to Africa is welcome, but maintained that coming back is really not the issue, but to ensure that s/he should excel wherever s/he finds her/himself.

“I will not accept that I am inferior to some because I am black; and that was my own grudge against apartheid and we fought it to a standstill,” Obasanjo said.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/National/5610282-146/let_us_put_our_house_in.csp

hmm obasanjo, political Daddy. i dey admire Ur pic with the hairs inside the big nose. putting house in order ke, is that suppose to be self realization when out of government?. anyway, Good talk OBJ. Extend my greetings to family, iyabo and co. hope u will not come back like IBB to amend things.

This man should be locked up in the zoo.

What remains Mr. Obasanjo is to gather your friends and associates, cronies who have plundered our commonwealth since 1960 and have them plough back same into developing our poor infrastructure back home. Trust between the governed and the governor has eroded over time and at this crossroads we are talking while keeping looted funds in same capitalist countries won't count for much am afraid.
It is doublespeak to harp about exploitation by the West while resisting or propounding measures that keep the very weak in within us at the mercy of the capitalist!
Obasanjo, na action we need! Walk the talk, get your friends to give back majority of the equity they own in the private companies you sold to yourselves_{abi dat wan no b capitalist move?} ; when that is done we surely won't have individuals who are more powerful than the state! Imagine a country where one man is the sole importer of diesel and a known crony of obasanjo, abegi, this whole thing sounds like---( readers make una make am up )

Is this man not supposed to have died??

Nigerians sha. Opportunists, cynics, and hypocrites. Our leaders are actually fully imbued with these three attributes.

While looting the nation silly, they still take time out to remind us how stupid we all are, and suggest to us how we can do better - while ensuring that their stranglehold on resources remains intact. God dey sha.

I thought his government ran capitalistic economy.

^^^ Ajanlekoko, bros true talk. Impunity abounds for them that are at the corridors of power to hold at a time until it becomes evident the end is near and a purpose to life's meaning therefrom eagerly sought. persin wey wan help you repair your car shock first dig swallowing hole say make u drive enter come out from the other end before e go fix your shock . The thing about life is that we all get to that point where a pause is needed and our conscience get pricked albiet momentarily, the picture of the many suffering become plastered in our memory and we fight the other ill-will not to change, that part which subsconscioulsy we made dead in the pursuit of our greed. Obasanjo somehow missed death _{rumours have it}, that's the reason we have this recent people-centered thoughts prevailing and chocking his brain, e go pass and things go return to normal.

I don't like Obasanjo but i won't throw away the point in what he has just said. In truth, Africans especially Nigeria depends so much on the west. I read in a National daily that Nigeria spent between January 2009 - June 2010 the sum of  N354Bn on Universities in Uk and America. If our Universities were standard, why would Nigerians go overseas for education.

Guys, Obasanjo's tenure as President is nothing to write home about but when we criticize him and our leaders, we should criticize them based on the merit of what they are saying. I know their slogan is "do what i say, not what i do".

@ poorest boy: Is this man not supposed to have died??

U re simply wishing yourself dead

OBJ might be right and I think he has the right to say anything as he felt and I dont see any need abusing him or wishing him dead.

What remains Mr. Obasanjo is to gather your friends and associates, cronies who have plundered our commonwealth since 1960 and have them plough back same into developing our poor infrastructure back home. Trust between the governed and the governor has eroded over time and at this crossroads we are talking while keeping looted funds in same capitalist countries won't count for much am afraid.
It is doublespeak to harp about exploitation by the West while resisting or propounding measures that keep the very weak in within us at the mercy of the capitalist!
Obasanjo, na action we need! Walk the talk, get your friends to give back majority of the equity they own in the private companies you sold to yourselvesabi dat wan no b capitalist move? ; when that is done we surely won't have individuals who are more powerful than the state! Imagine a country where one man is the sole importer of diesel and a known crony of obasanjo, abegi, this whole thing sounds like---( readers make una make am up )

AM SURE THIS MAN FORGOT HIS BRAIN WHILE STILL IN PRISON IN THOSE DAYS! MAYBE HE SHOULD GO BACK AND HAVE IT RESTORED?

@ Vavavoom, spot on bro!

@ Vavavoom, spot on bro!

@ Vavavoom, spot on bro!

mmmm chimpa!!

I would have loved to be at the conference where Obasanjo uttered these words. I would have stood up and shouted- '' What did you really do to put Nigeria in order when you were in power?'' We need leaders who can match their words with action. Enough of this bullshit


www.vibes-extra..com

Listen to the message not the messenger. At least, he speaks the truth.

Mehn you people deserve to die before Obasanjo. How do you see his message, is the message good? What is wrong with his message? He said something that unites all black people. In time when capitalists are trying Africa, we really need to put our house in order else we lose the little progress we have made in Africa.

You folks just never listen. Because you hate me, 1+1 isn't = 2?

koko_oro:

Listen to the message not the messenger. At least, he speaks the truth.

The Listeners' ears hear this message whose messenger has the power to effect the message! We know and have solutions to what we desire as a nation, the problem has never been the message but the bringers whose cumulative greed continue to prevail over the common good sought by the message!

wales:


The former president, however, charged the participants at the event to all go back to their individual countries and let us “put our house in order. If we put our house in order, the world will respect us. What the world understands is success. Where you succeed, you will be acclaimed; and where you fail, you will be ignored. We must not accept where we are now. We must not use other people’s standard to condemn ourselves.”

Hum! so Obj knows what it means to put a house in order? Did he say "our house" I guess he was putting our house in order through his aborted 3rd term bid in which he shared 50m each to the national assembly members just to achieve. this to be is another meaning of "putting our house in order"

Did OBJ by any chance give instances of when he made sure he got the best for the Nigerian people during his many years as this nations leader. While I appreciate and agree with some of his points, I can't but feel the hypocrisy of some one who doesn't follow his own advice.

Republic of Benin representative name is Olabiyi Babalola Joseph Yayi use to be the  Chairman of UNESCO's Executive Board. Olabiyi Babalola are yoruba names.

@ post, OBJ perfect timing!

Capatalism looks so bad when you see the very rich and the very poor in the same society.But it still remains the only system that could drive growth.

locking him in a zoo is understatement for this barboom,

Come on people. It is not like this bumbling idiot knows what he is talking about. Someone fed him those words, because his illiterate sef cannot speak in such terms.

amaikama:

locking him in a zoo is understatement for this barboom,

BARBOOM

Baba Iyabo talk true sha,

BUT wait oh, who has contributed the most to put our house in disorder?
AS a single individual, after IBB, it must be Baba Iyabo next.
Although truth is good, you should be consistent, not selectively truthful and selectively amnesic.
You had 11 years in total to put our house in order, you didn't.  Ok the first 3 years were ok: Festac, fighting apartheid, M. Mohammed airport, agriculture, return to demoCRAZY etc. But 2009-2007 were awful. Even GSM and debt cancellation cannot mask it. Although ITT and unknown soldiers (Mama Fela) cases still tainted his first coming.

EzeUche22:

Come on people. It is not like this bumbling knows what he is talking about. Someone fed him those words, because his illiterate sef cannot speak in such terms.

He is better informed that you on inner workings and conspiracies against developing countries ,you dont need to be a textbook economist to undestand economic issues at his level .

He has some hidden truth in what he has uttered, "but the past record has covered the sense in it"   ,