Renowned economist, Prof. Pat Utomi, has dismissed former President Olusegun Obasanjo as lacking leadership quality.
He also accused the former president of falling to raise capable leaders.
Utomi, after delivering a lecture titled,
‘Re-appraising the Concept of Sovereignty’ at the graduation of the
Philosophy Department of the Dominican Institute, Ibadan on Friday,
regretted that Obasanjo did not make good use of his second chance as
leader of the country.
Obasanjo served Nigeria as a military ruler between
February 13, 1976 to October 1, 1979; and as elected President from May
29, 1999 to May 29, 2007.
Utomi said, “One of my biggest pain is that former
President Obasanjo, after the experience he had, did not do what he
should do as a leader to shape this country. He failed to rise to the
role he supposed to play.
“I think that he was in a position where he could
look at history and dream to be the father of this nation. The only role
that he should have played was to bring the best and the brightest
brains together and inspire them and then watch the country grow, but he
failed. My personal view is that there are things from his childhood
that kept him back.
“Obasanjo responded to people telling him lies. If
you tell him something that makes sense, overnight somebody will come
and tell him a different thing. He would dance and make foolish
decisions. God just put Obasanjo there to play that transforming role in
Nigeria but somehow, he did not correspond with the grace that was
given to him.”
According to the Social Democratic Mega Party’s
candidate in the 2011 presidential election, the leadership the country
requires is one that engages in self sacrifice.
Utomi added, “It is about knowledge. If you don’t
have knowledge you can’t do it. If those two come together well progress
will happen.
“We will get to the point where we can’t excuse the
incompetence anymore. But these characters have to pass away and I don’t
know how.
PUNCH
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