James Sowole in Abeokuta
Former Nigerian President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has asserted that there was no option for the next generations of Africans to relieve the continent from its huge debts.
President Obasanjo in 2003 secured a debt relief for Nigeria likewise his counterpart from Algeria at the same period.
The former president’s assertion was revealed in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi, quoting an engagement with 2023 awardees of the Future Africa Leaders Foundation, an initiative of Pastor Chris Oyakhilome.
He noted that with the level of mismanagement of the previous debts written off for the country, it would be almost impossible for any administration to get similar gesture on the continent.
Obasanjo declared that the debts were a trap that no individual or nation should fall into, as it constitutes an albatross on any economy.
sserted that leadership was the number one problem facing the continent, said: “The coming generations will have no other choice but pay the current debt being incurred by different countries on the continent.”
He commended Pastor Oyakhilome for the efforts put into building leaders, adding that the country needs more people like him to address the leadership crisis facing the continent.
Highlighting the qualities of a leader during the questions and answers session, Obasanjo said: “A leader should be able to set good examples, being bold and courageous when making decisions, accepting mistakes and learning from them as well as having a realistic dream.”
