Obasanjo Decries Nigeria’s ‘Poorest Economy’ Rating

Femi Ogbonnikan in Abeokuta

Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has berated the recent ranking of Nigeria as the poorest country in the world.

Speaking, while addressing executives of the Lagos State chapter of African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Abeokuta, last Tuesday, Obasanjo said as the party continued in its growth, it should stay away from such ideology of having leaders that would not improve on the country’s economic situation but rather destroy it.

He said the present situation in the country could not be isolated from the current poor leadership of the ruling administration running the economy.

The former president, who was reacting to the remarks made by the Lagos State Chairman of ADC, Chief Tunde Daramola, on the economic situation in the country, asked if Nigerians wanted a repeat of such leadership.

According to Obasanjo, “As you have rightly said, this is a hard time on the economy for us all. It is for all of us, except the very few, to decide the type of administration we want to have for another four years in the upcoming general election.

“Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and ADC cannot do it alone. It must be the collective efforts of all Nigerians to get the right leadership for the country. Recently, the country was rated as the poorest country in the world.

“India is with a population of 1.3 billion and Nigeria is about 180 million, yet we still have the poorest citizens in the world. Nigerians do not deserve this current excruciating economic condition, and this is the honest truth.”

On the larger representation of women in the state chapter of the party in Lagos State, Obasanjo admitted that the development is a true reflection of the society, as some women are more responsible and result-oriented than the male counterparts.

“Even in schools, our girls are performing better than the boys. So, if you have more women in the executives, it is not strange because they can get us going,” Obasanjo said.

Daramola had earlier intimated the former president on the purpose of the visit, noting that the party was planning to have a rally as well as open its state secretariat in Lagos this week.