Hardship: The Timed-Bomb Is Ticking Fast – Obasanjo Warns

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has warned that Nigeria is sitting on a keg of gunpowder, stressing that the timed-bomb is ticking fast as a result of the hardship being experienced by citizens.

He specifically said that until we banish poverty in Africa, the international communities will not recognize us as a serious continent.

Obasanjo said that if China was able to strategically lift 700 million people out of poverty, Nigeria should have nothing to do with abject poverty.

The former President who stated these at Dele Momodu’s leadership lecture on Friday, pointedly said that a country’s leadership has a big role to play in dealing with hardship and poverty.

He said that education remains one of the tools that can be effectively used to banish poverty, adding that where there is no education, there will be poverty.

While proffering solution to hunger across Africa, Obasanjo insisted that a country’s leadership has a big role to play in dealing with hardship and lack.

In the words of Obasanjo; “In all works of life, we must have leaders whose characters display ‘communality’. Leadership is the greatest ingredient for ending poverty.

“There is no human endeavour that does not thrive on leadership. To get it right, we must ensure no child is uneducated.

“Nigeria can eliminate hunger and poverty with integrity, discipline, and good governance. We can do it if China can lift 700 million people out of poverty.

“Nigeria should have no business with abject poverty. If we don’t take responsibility, we all sit on a gunpowder keg.