A former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has said that current President, Muhammadu Buhari might have to step on a few toes and perhaps betray friends and well-wishers in a bid to achieve the change agenda he promised Nigerians.
Obasanjo made this statement while speaking at the 7th convocation ceremony of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) where he was conferred with a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Christian Theology.
He said some hard choices must be made for a better Nigeria and that this might cause some discomfort to the people who the president called friends.
He said, “Poverty is not our lot or a lot of any individual or group in Nigeria.”
“It is a choice made consciously or unconsciously by our leaders.” The beginning of getting Nigeria out of poverty to the wealth creation and employment generation is in the choice of our leaders who understand what development means and what it entails and who are ready to do what is needed to be done and make hard choices that need to be made.
“This includes stepping on toes of friends and well-wishers who would not conform to the transformation or change agenda,” he said.
Obasanjo also spoke on how during his time at NOUN, he asked to be treated the same as any other student.
“During my student days, at this great University, I requested that I should not be given any special treatment or privileges because I want to go through it as other students.
“I carry my NOUN bag like any other student, took my lectures like any other student, wrote my examinations in my study centre with other students and utilize the learner support services like any other student.”
“The second part of my aim to study at the University is to show to the public and academic community that knowledge or education acquired through open and distance learning is not in any way inferior to knowledge or education acquired from bricks and mortar or walled universities,” he said.