Despite Buhari’s Poor Performance, Don’t Despair, Obasanjo Tells Nigerians

Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has said that despite the fact that the President Muhammadu Buhari’s leadership was under performing and things may be gloomy in the country, Nigerians must not despair, just as he asked Nigerians to remain optimistic, but must be vigilant.
Obasanjo said that the time has come when every Nigerian must have a Nigerian dream where there must be some commonalities, even as he said that in assessing the mid-term government of Buhari, security, fighting corruption and job creation remained where they were when the government started as it was not yet a success story.
According to him, if Nigeria as a country must get it right, especially entrenching good democracy, there must be good governance, free and credible elections.
Speaking, yesterday, at the Public Presentation of a book titled, “Politics As Dashed Hopes In Nigeria”, by Dr Auwalu Anwar, Obasanjo, however, urged Nigerians to rise and defend the country’s fledgling democracy.
The former President said that he would do everything within him that was humanly possible to safeguard democracy for good governance in Nigeria and for all Nigerians, just as he said that in the next couple of months, four West Africa countries of Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire will be having their elections, adding that one common feature is that the four incumbent presidents were in the opposition and people voted for them.
He said that the world watching to see how they would strengthen democracy in their respective countries.
Obasanjo, who was the chairman of the book presentation at the Shehu Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, said that democracy without a strong opposition is akin to a marriage without a bridegroom to consummate the marriage.
The book, which is published by Safari Books, is made up of 22 chapters, with 614 pages.
The former President said, “I am not in despair and I would ask the rest of us not to be in despair; our hope lies in democracy with good governance as one of the hallmarks which is free, fair, transparent and credible elections.
“What should be our take home; yes things may be gloomy, things may not be what they should be, yes leadership may be underperforming, we must not lose hope, that is the first thing.
“The second is that I believe we must have some commonalities that we will all hang on to. One our common nationality, Nigeria; this is the time when we must have a Nigerian dream, what is Nigerian dream, what can I hang on to? Yes, I am a Nigerian and because I am a Nigerian I expect this.
“And I believe if we all see ourselves first as Nigerians and then we enunciate for ourselves the Nigerian dream, a land flowing with milk and honey, a land of opportunity, a land that gives you a stake in all that it is, I think, we will have a country that we can all be proud of.
“I believe that every record we can keep of the history of Nigeria in totality, it doesn’t matter from what point of view you are writing, it is good for the future of this country because if we do not know our past, we may not be able to channel the right course to our future. It is important that we keep the memory of the past so that so that we can enlighten our present.
“I must also congratulate him for the courage and the research work he has deplored in writing such a lucid and comprehensive book. I could see from the content from the book what may appear as the author’s frustration which led to the somewhat melancholy title.
“Since the book is about The Buhari Organisation (TBO), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), All Progressive Congress (APC) and Buhari’s political life and activities up to the second year of Buhari’s administration. I will touch on two or three points that may be of interest to all of us.
“President Buhari served the purpose of galvanizing efforts to get former President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan and PDP out of office. Buhari and the APC must get the credit that because democracy without a strong opposition is like a marriage without the bridegroom consummating the marriage.
“But on the midterm score card, Dr Anwar pointed out three significant and tangible areas of failure; security, fighting corruption and job creation. As at today these three areas are still what they were at midterm not yet a success story.
“Dr Anwar touched on another significant but intangible areas of failure; exemplary leadership which induce character and power for the sake of what may be called power for self aggrandisement. I can say that I understand where Dr Anwar is coming from to get the title of the book, but we must face despair with optimism.
“Last November at the launching of Africa Progress Growth (APG) which I chaired, I raised Africa Development Growth and Progress as politics, population, protection, prosperity and partnerships.
“I am not in despair and I would ask the rest of us not to be in despair; our hope lies in democracy with good governance as one of the hallmarks which is free, fair, transparent and credible elections.
“Between now and the next few months, there are four significant countries where elections are taking place in West Africa; Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire. The incumbent in the four cases were in the opposition and people voted for them, it was good for democracy.