Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, yesterday, expressed the view that Nigeria “needs more rebels” for the country to move forward. He said Nigeria needed rebels, who would speak the truth to power “not minding whose ox is gored.”
This, according to him, remains one of the greatest steps towards rebuilding Nigeria. Obasanjo spoke in Abeokuta, Ogun State, while unveiling the autobiography of the Babanla Adinni of Egbaland, Chief Tayo Sowunmi, entitled “Footprints Of A Rebel.”
The autobiography reviewed by the Founder of Kudirat Initiative for Democracy, Hafsat Abiola Costello, was unveiled, as part of activities to mark Sowunmi’s 80th birthday.
Obasanjo said for Nigeria to move forward, it required “more rebels” who could stand and speak the truth.
“Whoever must live a life of honesty and integrity has to be a rebel,” he said, adding: “Looking at the title of the book, I ask myself, why would someone call himself a rebel? But, it is good. The truth is that, if you have to live a life of honesty and integrity, you have to become a rebel. And when you become a rebel, you may even become a persona non grata.
“There is no country that we can call our own except Nigeria. Our country, Nigeria, needs more of rebels. Those who would look at things straight in the face and say ‘this is not right’, ‘this, I will not be part of’. This is not good for Nigeria.”
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He saluted the octogenarian for living “an exemplary life worthy of emulation by the younger generation.” Earlier in his speech entitled “Worthy Nation Building Legacies by the older generation of Nigerians,” the Serving Overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church, Pastor Tunde Bakare called for inter-generational reintegration between older and younger generations, as part of efforts to rebuild Nigeria.
According to him, it is a shame that while younger generations are taking over leadership in other countries, older generation refuses to leave the stage in Nigeria.
Bakare argued that the nation rebuilding development had suffered because of the marginalisation of the youths and the progressives, who abandoned politics.
Bakare, however, called for generational reintegration, beginning from the households, embracing of cultural values that foster nation building as well as mentoring and leadership development for the younger generation.
