Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has asserted that Nigerians should not be living in poverty, given the country’s extensive natural resources.
He attributed the nation’s poverty to the mismanagement of its abundant resources.
Mr. Obasanjo made these remarks at a dinner hosted in his honor by the Abia State Government at the Government House, Umuahia, on Friday.
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He said: “Nigerians have no business with poverty because God has given us all that we need.
“If we are mismanaging what God has given us, we do not have God to blame, we have ourselves to blame.”
The former president commended Abia State Governor Alex Otti for his efforts in transforming the state, acknowledging the widespread public approval of his administration’s performance.
He affirmed the governor’s positive impact on governance in the state and encouraged him to maintain his good work.
Mr. Obasanjo further stated that if Nigeria had 18 governors performing their leadership duties effectively, the nation would progress significantly.
He reiterated his concern for the well-being of Nigerians and the quality of governance they receive.
“For me, whether you don’t greet me or I greet you and you don’t answer, what is important to me is that the people of this country are getting what they deserve and what they deserve is good governance,” he said.
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Mr. Obasanjo recounted an instance where he advised former Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, during his time in office.
He said that Mr. Amaechi was unaware of a previously established national railway development plan and had to be directed to the archives to locate it.
“I believe that even if you don’t like me, if I have pieces of advice to give you, as I did when you were Minister for Transport, I will give the advice.
“You didn’t know that we had a national plan for railway for this country, to reach every state capital as we have them now and I told you to go into the archives, it is there.
“But again, I believe as Minister of Transport, you got a bit of it right, you got a bit of it wrong.”
