President Olusegun ObasanjoFORMER President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has hinted that the country is in need of ‘rebels’ that can speak truth to power, for it to move forward. Obasanjo said this in his brief remarks at the unveiling of an autobiography of Babanla Adinni of Egbaland, Chief Tayo Sowunmi, entitled “Footprints of A Rebel”, as part of the celebration to mark his 80th birthday, in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, on Saturday.
He noted that for the country to move forward, more ‘rebels’ must come on stage to speak the truth to those in power. He, however, said whoever must leave a life of integrity and honesty, must automatically be a rebel.
“Looking at the title of the book, I ask myself: why would someone call himself a rebel? But it is good.
“But the truth is that if you have to leave a life of honesty and integrity, you have to become a rebel. There would be some time you would be asked to do something, but you would say no, this is not right. And when you say that, you will 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 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,” the former president said.
He saluted the octogenarian for living “an exemplary life worthy of emulation by the younger generation.”
The Serving Overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church, Pastor Tunde Bakare, in his speech entitled “Worthy Nation Building Legacies by the Older Generation of Nigerians”, said it was a shame that the older generation in the country has refused to leave the political scene for the younger ones.
He blamed the nation’s retrogressiveness on those he described as “money bags and bullion vans politicians.”
He argued that the country’s development had suffered because of the marginalisation of the youths and the progressives who abandoned politics.