Nigeria disappointed the black race, its leaders are empty — Obasanjo

Former president of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, has said the country has disappointed Africa, the black race and the world.

He spoke in Abuja yesterday during the public presentation of a book written by a former Minister of Trades, Investment and Industry, Olusegun Aganga.

Obasanjo said that since Nigeria got its independence 63 years ago, it has not lived up to expectations.

“We’ve disappointed ourselves, we’ve disappointed Africa, we’ve disappointed the black race and we’ve disappointed the world,” he said.

“We’ve not always put the round peg in the round hole.

“We’re carried along by ego and emotion of self, selfishness and self-centeredness, ethnic and religious jingoism with total lack of understanding of the world we live in and gross misunderstanding of what development entails and how to move fast and continuously on the trajectory of development.”

He said the country needed leaders that would shape and give direction for the development

“If you ask most of our leaders why they want to be in the position they’re craving for, you’ll weep for your nation over their level of emptiness as far as development issues are concerned,” he stated.