by Kolapo Olapoju

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, says if Nigeria manages its resources efficiently, no Nigerian would lack basic amenities.

Obasanjo spoke on Thursday, March 5, inside the auditorium of his Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta, during the celebration of his 78th birthday and 2015 annual summit, that there were too many ‘think-tanks’ in the country instead of ‘do-tanks.’

While stating that there were too many ‘think-tanks’ in the country instead of ‘do-tanks’, he prayed that “God to give us leaders that occasion like this deserves.”

Obasanjo said that every time he travelled to West African countries and Britain, they were always worried about the fate of Nigeria, adding that he was usually queried about the country’s security, political and socio-economic challenges.

He stated that people in those countries always warn that any turmoil in Nigeria may have serious consequences on its West African neighbours as well as Britain.

He said, “We are about 180 million now, our brothers and sisters in West Africa are worried and when they talk to me and I ask why they were worried, they always reply that, ‘if half a million Nigerians go to Republic of Benin, we will overwhelm them.”

“If two million (Nigerians) go to Ghana. Even Britain is worried, they are worried. They said their problem is that if one million Nigerians go to Britain, they said in 10 years, there will be 10 million Nigerians in Britain and they will rather keep us here.”

Speaking on, Obasanjo said with the abundance of resources the nation has, no Nigerian child should lack access to education, food and employment if the resources are properly managed.

He said: “My concern is that we have too many think tanks, we need more of do tanks. The point is, we can do and we have no reason why we can’t do and we have also seen that one individual can make a difference.”

“There is no reason why any Nigerian child, at this point in time should not have a basic education, food and nutrition. Not only Nigerian child, no Nigerian should go to bed without food. We have the resources to achieve all that, that we are not achieving it does not mean we don’t have the resources. It is because we haven’t managed our resources well.”

“Employment, if all other things are right, there should be no reason for any Nigerian who wants to be employed not to have the opportunity for employment.”

Obasanjo added that if the unemployment situation persisted for the next 15 years, “and if all those things that all these young ones are expecting are not there, in 15 years time, they will be be good recruits for Boko Haram or its equivalent.”