Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said it is unfortunate that many of the country’s leaders lack basic economic skills which he insists is one of the reasons why the country has not made much progress.

He said this, yesterday, at the 15th annual leadership symposium organised by the Center for Values in Leadership (CVL) in Lagos.

Obasanjo, who was the special guest of honour at the lecture, said even though he is optimistic about the country, it has become imperative that the country transitions to a popular movement, which would give the people a feeling that power is in their hands.

“The three ingredients of success are leadership, governance and development. Leaders should understand the world we live in; they should not live their lives in ignorance of what is happening around them.

“Any leader that wants to be successful must have a good knowledge of the economy but some of our leaders do not even understand what demand and supply, which is the most basic aspect of economics. In Nigeria, we are not there yet, but, we would be deceiving ourselves if we do not speak home truths.

“What are these home truths? The first is that diversity must be acknowledged and be appreciated. We should make diversity an asset and not a liability.

“The second is infrastructure and the basis of our development must be adequate provision of infrastructure. We should also be able to transition peacefully from one government to the other or one party to the other. We must transition to a popular movement and give the people the feeling that power is in their hands,” Obasanjo said.

The former president also added that security issues should not be emotional and, in any decision taken towards security, the changing times must be considered.

“You cannot use the security methods that were used in the colonial times and assume that it would be effective in the 21st century. Adapt modern security techniques and don’t say that it is not your culture. Culture is dynamic. It changes. When we ordered motorcycle riders to ensure they wear crash helmets for safety, the late Abubakar Rimi objected and said it was not their culture in the North to wear helmets. I responded by telling him that riding a motorcycle is not their culture, either; it is a western culture.

And, I also told him that if he wants to retain the cultural means of transportation in the North, then, everybody should be riding a donkey or a camel because motorcycles were invented by the West…”

https://www.sunnewsonline.com/some-leaders-dont-understand-economics-obasanjo/amp/

He's included

Especially Nigerian leaders.

Buhari number 1

Baba Iyabo never gets tired of schooling us. Atleast his administration brought some progress to Nigeria

General Obasanjo make some good points, but truth be told, he had 8yrs to make this country better and he blew it.


Didn't build any new refineries or made the ones we already had to work, spent trillions on electricity but we are still in darkness, always used Security agencies to go after people , he disagreed with. Even lobbied to get a third term.
The only standout achievement of his administration is that, mobile networks got their license to operate when he was there.

Mr Obasanjo, truth be told, you are in no position to lecture us on anything

My anger is that u knew Buhari doesn't understand economics and u stupidly supported him in 2015 election all because u wanted GEJ out by all means. May God have mercy on u and u deserve to tender apology to Nigerians

Thief obasanjo that is an economist, did not improve any sector of the economy for his 8yrs of his despotic reign

There is one in particular whose herd of cattle is always 150 year on year out.

A man who is unable to improve his personal life is your preferred choice to improve the lot of a country?

Obasanjo is the worst president Nigeria has ever had. He is slightly better than Buhari because Buhari is an old stark illiterate. So shut the Bleep old man and stop acting like the wellbeing of Nigerians mean anything to you.

Buhari is a cattle rearer who doesn't understand economics yet baba iyabo supported him in 2015

Baba Agbaya!

MichaelBukamzy:
Buhari number 1

that is the problem with idiotic pigs of Biafra.
Buhari regime is still ongoing,
But the messenger, thief obasanjo has finish his tenure and he did not lay a single block you can call infrastructure in 8yrs.
But buhari in less than 3yrs has laid a big foundation in all sector, a foundation of hope that Nigeria will be great again, to be a real giant of Africa

Una Carry man wey no go school make president.
I mean a man who Becos he did not go to school believes cows belongs in class.
www.nairaland.com/attachments/6658963_edocowsclass3_jpeg78caf9860cf64963413cbbab3618c759

www.nairaland.com/attachments/6658964_edocows1_jpeg01df4973a0ca0dab8fa3d7c59180c8a4

Buhari is simply a herdsman with nothing but cows on his mind, so how on earth does anybody expect much from him?

buhariguy:
idiotic pigs of Biafra and the way they fool themselves.

So he has not sold one cattle for the past 10yrs?

You this jesu oyigbo boy. Your monika has been banned and I can see you causing a nuisance all over the place.

Get off my mention before you are banned again

Baba pls mention them

Including you monkeysanjo. A case of kettle calling pot black

Apart from NEPOTISM and indiscipline of the cabals. Buhari is still among the best president nigerians have ever elected.

WHY PRESIDENT BUHARI’S CASE IS DIFFERENT

First was former President Obasanjo’s letter asking PMB not to contest in 2019 citing many reasons why he has to leave the exalted office. It was quickly followed by another letter from former dictator Ibrahim Babangida asking PMB to step aside In 2019 for a younger president. This was followed by the hate and weeping from the losers of 2015 elections who are yet to come to terms with the situations they found themselves since the feeding bottles were forcefully taken away from their rapacious greedy mouths.

It was quickly followed by the cries from those who for years had been stealing our crude oil, selling it and pocketing the dollars, those who stole billions of Pension Funds and Salaries of workers, those who stole trillions of Naira in the name of subsidy, those who stole the federal Government to bones with thousands of fictitious accounts, the banks who raked billions every month as charges, those who stole billions of dollars meant for the purchase of arms to fight insurgents.

What of those in JAMB office, FIRS, NIMASA, CUSTOMS who stole billions meant for government coffers? They are not left out in the era of pains and tears. What about the experts in Budget padding found in the National Assembly? They are still weeping and gnashing their teeth.
Then followed another gnashing of teeth and weeping from the importers of rice from Thailand that cost the country more than 3 billion dollars every year? What about the tragic stories and tales of woes from those whose ill gotten houses, hard currencies, and cars were confiscated by EFCC? They wished and still wish that PMB must die.

Even those found to have stolen billions from the coffers of the Police, Army, Navy, Air Force had to cough out and vomit the money and they are not left out in the weeping contest. Even those found in the media (both electronic and print) who got billions of stolen money to help sell rotten eggs in 2015 are still crying without consolation for years now.They sobbed and sobbed and are still sobbing today with no end in sight. What about the billions confiscated from the coffers of the former first lady? The woman and her followers have been weeping and cursing the day PMB was born. What about the religious leaders who got billions from GEJ in the days of the locust? Oh, they are weeping without control and wish that PMB will die immediately.

How come all those who are being accused of stealing money are now feigning sickness? What went wrong? I can go on and on but there is no need to continue to do so. You cannot continue to box a man lying prostrate on ground who has no strength to fight back.

Now, their biggest pains is that PMB is doing what they failed to do in 16 years. PMB is building massive infrastructure across Nigeria. PMB has been growing our internal revenue which is now overtaking crude oil revenue, the first in 45 years. PMB has brought about unprecedented revolution in Agriculture in Nigeria and has particularly reduced Rice importation by 60% and employing millions. PMB has added serious values to Power generation (7000+ MW), the highest so far. PMB has given corruption a bloody nose and no Nigerian head of state living or dead has matched his record. PMB has grown the Nigerian Stock Exchange volume of business to 15.75 trillion naira, the highest so far.

In their own very eyes PMB is now the Anti Corruption Champion in Africa. This is the principal reason the idiots want him out. They cannot withstand another four years. They may all die. Cheap money is no longer flowing. Looted money is no longer available.

They talk about National security, the herdsmen and the killings in Benue, Tarawa, Adamawa. I have been seeing cattle rearers since I was young. Because PMB is a fulani, the bigots think he is arming them to kill other Nigerians and islamize them. Yeye people all!

PMB’s case is very different. He had a mission and vision of what he wants to do and he is doing it. The gang up cannot fly and it will not work.A friend once educated me on the meaning of stupid. He says it is knowing the truth, seeing the truth but still believing lies. Being honest may not fetch you many friends but it will fetch you the right ones. PMB friends and committed followers are the ordinary Nigerians who fight for him even with empty stomachs because they believe he is fighting for them. They can feel it , they see it and they know the man is not corrupt.

Iam told that the loudest person in the room is not always the strongest. OBJ and IBB’s letter may not fly this time because PMB’s case is different. PMB is doing what OBJ and IBB did not do. IBB corrupted our democracy and democratized corruption. Former President Obasanjo wasted eight years of South West presidency and even wanted a third term. He could not find the killers of Bola Ige, Harry Marshall, Ogbonnaya Uche, Dikibo, Funsho Williams, Daramola etc.
Those who destroyed our yesterday cannot be the ones that will control tomorrow’s potentials. This is why PMB’s case is different.

Joe Igbokwe
Lagos.

We all know that Buhari does not understand nada. To think that it him six whole months to shop for these mediocres of ministers.

To think that he refused to buy the idea of CBN pushing out enough dollars to cushion the effects of its scarcity until almost a year later is even funnier.

That guy is stark dullard.

abeggi make we hear word from this man...

hypocrite...

Example, Buhari.

hungryboy:
When we ordered motorcycle riders to ensure they wear crash helmets for safety, the late Abubakar Rimi objected and said it was not their culture in the North to wear helmets. I responded by telling him that riding a motorcycle is not their culture, either; it is a western culture. And, I also told him that if he wants to retain the cultural means of transportation in the North, then, everybody should be riding a donkey or a camel because motorcycles were invented by the West…”

xery funny

Buhari you mean

I hope the 3rd force when it becomes a political party which we all know is the aim, will present somebody who knows Economics?

someone like PMB, if not for Prof osinbajo his administrative be unorganized.

engineerboat:
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said it is unfortunate that many of the country’s leaders lack basic economic skills which he insists is one of the reasons why the country has not made much progress.

He said this, yesterday, at the 15th annual leadership symposium organised by the Center for Values in Leadership (CVL) in Lagos.

Obasanjo, who was the special guest of honour at the lecture, said even though he is optimistic about the country, it has become imperative that the country transitions to a popular movement, which would give the people a feeling that power is in their hands.

“The three ingredients of success are leadership, governance and development. Leaders should understand the world we live in; they should not live their lives in ignorance of what is happening around them.

“Any leader that wants to be successful must have a good knowledge of the economy but some of our leaders do not even understand what demand and supply, which is the most basic aspect of economics. In Nigeria, we are not there yet, but, we would be deceiving ourselves if we do not speak home truths.

“What are these home truths? The first is that diversity must be acknowledged and be appreciated. We should make diversity an asset and not a liability.

“The second is infrastructure and the basis of our development must be adequate provision of infrastructure. We should also be able to transition peacefully from one government to the other or one party to the other. We must transition to a popular movement and give the people the feeling that power is in their hands,” Obasanjo said.

The former president also added that security issues should not be emotional and, in any decision taken towards security, the changing times must be considered.

“You cannot use the security methods that were used in the colonial times and assume that it would be effective in the 21st century. Adapt modern security techniques and don’t say that it is not your culture. Culture is dynamic. It changes. When we ordered motorcycle riders to ensure they wear crash helmets for safety, the late Abubakar Rimi objected and said it was not their culture in the North to wear helmets. I responded by telling him that riding a motorcycle is not their culture, either; it is a western culture.

And, I also told him that if he wants to retain the cultural means of transportation in the North, then, everybody should be riding a donkey or a camel because motorcycles were invented by the West…”

https://www.sunnewsonline.com/some-leaders-dont-understand-economics-obasanjo/amp/