- Tells former President Jonathan to get set for more service
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has called on Nigerians in positions of trust and leadership to consciously take actions that will make the country a better nation regardless of her current economic challenges.
Specifically, he called on all leaders to keep working to ensure the continued unity of Nigeria, as it remained a critical factor in the country’s quest for meaningful progress and development.
Obasanjo made the call on Friday in his ancestral home, Ibogun-Olaogun in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State while receiving former President Goodluck Jonathan who paid him a courtesy visit.
He said, “Nigeria is a good country and we must never be tired of lifting the country up to the height that God has created it to be. God did not make a mistake when he put all of us together and if He doesn’t want us to be together, no power in the world would have made us come together.
“So, the unity of this country is germane, especially if we are to make any meaningful progress as a country.”
Obasanjo also told former President Jonathan to start preparing for more service to Nigeria, as he still had duties to perform given the wealth of experience he gathered while being president.
He said that when leaders come into office, they have little or no experience but by the time they are exiting, they would have amassed a lot of experience.
“Leaders like you and me, who have the grace of God to bow out gracefully, usually have wisdom and experience, which are in high demand. If there is no what I call constitutional office, we have residual responsibilities to Nigeria. I believe that not only Nigeria, indeed West Africa, Africa and the world will continue to tap into our experiences and wisdom. And I hope and pray that when the call is made on you, you will be more than ready to put your experience and the lessons you have learnt into the service of this country, for Africa and indeed for humanity in general,” Obasanjo said.
He urged Jonathan to “rest a bit” before he gets another call to serve. “I believe you are resting now; when you have fully rested, you will hear from me,” he added.
Obasanjo expressed gratitude to former president Jonathan for the visit and expressed the hope that there would yet be time again for both of them to sit, reminisce over situations the nation had been through in the past, discuss new occurrences and look at what the future portend.
