Obasanjo: Nigeria’s Problem Starts with Principle of Regionalism

James Sowole in Abeokuta

Former president Olusegun Obasanjo, yesterday, said the Principle of Regionalism, which was adopted at Independence and still being craved for even today, was the root of Nigeria’s problems.
Rather than thinking of which part of the country, a leader comes from or which part should produce the next president, we should be thinking about nationalism and who is best suited for whichever position of governance.
The former president stated this yesterday, when he hosted a group, known as “League of Northern Democrats” led by the former Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Ibrahim Shekarau, at Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Obasanjo said at independence, Nigeria was about the only African country, that has three leaders at the helm of affairs in different regions, within one country instead of one.
“Maybe we have made mistakes in the past; maybe myself too has made mistakes in the past. But whatever may be our mistakes in the past, we do not want to repeat that mistakes. You said I am a believer in the greatness of this country, yes, I am.
“I am also an incurable optimist in this country. I am totally committed to the goodness of this country. But I believe that if we look back and we want to be sincere with ourselves, we can see some of the mistakes of the past which we must not fall into again.
“So, anytime I hear North, West, East; I feel frightened and that is my honest opinion because one of the things that have led us into where we are today and we haven’t gone out of it is regionalism.
“At the time of our independence, we were probably the only country or one of the few countries in Africa that did not have one leader. At independence, we had three leaders.
“So, we attained independence with putting three countries in one and that remains part of our problems for a long, long time and it hasn’t completely left us.
“So o, when you give the name of your league as Northern League of Democrats, my opinion was how I wish it has been National League of Democrats? But I will also say that you have to begin from somewhere.
“One of the things I always question myself about is, why should I be proud being a Yoruba man. I could as well been born in Sokoto. The fact that I was born in Yorubaland was not my making, it was God’s making because I could as well been born in Maiduguri and I will still be a Nigerian.
“I do not believe that where I was born should be the enemy of my Nigerianess. I believe and I feel that any sensible Nigerian will feel that way that I am increased by belonging to the Federal Republic of Nigeria than belonging to the Republic Oduduwa land.
“I am a Yoruba man and I’m proud to be a Yoruba man, but my being Nigerian should not be an enemy of my being a Yoruba man and neither should my being a Yoruba man being an enemy of my being a Nigerian.”
Shekarau, in his remarks, explained that the group was an amalgamation of like minds from the northern extraction
He noted that the group of 400 membership, came into existence three months ago as a result of various consultations and discussions.

He said the group stood to influence political decisions and the process of recruiting leaders at all levels in Nigeria.