Former President Olusegun Obasanjo says he foresaw and
warned about Nigeria’s current recession two years ago, but said he was
ignored.
Mr. Obasanjo said he was concerned about recession when he
saw how “recklessly” the Goodluck Jonathan administration spent the
country’s resources.
The former president spoke on Saturday in an Independence
Day message at a lecture organised by the Youth Fellowship of Owu
Baptist Church, Abeokuta.
“Whoever that has lived to witness the celebration of today
should thank God,” he said. “Things are not what they should be, but we
should pray that next year will be better than this year. We thank God
for those who are alive, we prayed for the souls of those who have
laboured for these country and who have passed on to rest in perfect
peace.”
Mr. Obasanjo said one of the major issues threatening the peace of Nigeria now is the high level of unemployment.
“Unemployment is a major problem in the country today and
if we don’t take care, it will consume all of us. In fact, the rising
unemployment is a time bomb,” he said.
The former president recalled how he got five job offers
immediately he completed his secondary school education at Baptist Boys
High School, Abeokuta.
He said he received offers from the United Africa Company
(UAC) and Moore Plantation, Ibadan, among others. He said the situation
is different today in the country.
Mr. Obasanjo said the businessman, Aliko Dangote, told him
that six Ph.D. holders were among applicants seeking jobs with his
company as truck drivers.
Mr. Obasanjo said the high rate of unemployment was
responsible for youth restiveness in the country, warning that the
situation should be tackled with all the “seriousness” it deserves
before it get out of hand.
The former president said the country cannot develop if it pays no attention to agriculture.
“That is why we have to take it as a key of our development
else the many educated Nigerians who have no job are like time bomb,
sooner than later, it will explode,” he said.
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