Buhari Will Perform But Nigerians Must Exercise Patience, Says Obasanjo

OBJ-Women leadersEx-President Olusegun Obasanjo on Sunday said Nigerians should not expect any miracles from the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, because he will not be able to repair eight years of bad governance overnight.

Mr. Obasanjo, however, warned the president-elect against cover up, urging him not to take Nigerians for granted too when he assumes office as the President from May 29.

The ex-president said this while addressing a delegation of South West women leaders under the leadership of the Iyalode of Yorubaland, Chief Alaba Lawson, who paid him a courtesy visit at his Hilltop Mansion in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

The South-West women leaders, which included Iyaloja General of Lagos, Folashade Tinubu-Ojo; Iyalode Otan-Ayegbaju; Stella Olubunmi among others, pleaded with Obasanjo not to abandon Mr. Buhari when he assumes office.

According to them, “we are aware that you took over the reins of power of this country at a critical time and with the help of the Almighty, you were able to bring us back from the brink. The same goes for now.

“We, therefore, appeal to you not to leave the incoming government alone”.

“Though we are confident in time proven abilities of our incoming President, Muhammadu Buhari, we also believe that two heads are better than one and where there is a gathering of wise ones, wisdom will issue forth from there”, the women added. T

The former president in his remarks, decried the mismanagement of the country in the last eight years, stressing that it will take some time for the incoming administration to transform the country owing to the level of rot in the system.

Obasanjo, who traveled down memory lane, said: “The situation was like this when I took over in 1999, no light, no fuel, but it didn’t take us so long before the issues of light and fuel were resolved.

“There’s something very important that I observed; the incoming President has a lot of experience, he’s not a green horn, it is not as if he hasn’t been in power before, he is experienced.

“He knows what we did to turn things around, even when we were there together during the military regime, we did it together, and it was as a result of our performance that we were invited to do it again.

“What I would say is that we should all put our minds at rest, he’s someone that would perform but we must exercise patience, because what has been destroyed for eight years cannot be done overnight.

“But like the Chinese proverb, that says ‘the journey of a thousand miles starts with a step’, it is not only first step but first step in the right direction because if you took a wrong step, you’re not likely to get to the destination.

“Let’s give Buhari some time, let’s support him with prayers and relate with him. Like you’ve said, it’s everybody’s duty, not only those who have governed before, all of us are keen about Nigeria”.