Put Your Toes On My Path, I Crush Them, Says Obasanjo
Olusegun Obasanjo, ex-Nigerian President[/caption]
Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo has said in Lagos on Sunday that he feels no sorry for toes he must have trodden on while he was in power.
Obasanjo said this at a reception organised by his close associates to celebrate his 80th birthday.
His statement may not be unconnected with earlier claims by ex-governors Gbenga Daniel (Ogun State) and Olagunsoye Oyinlola (Osun State) that Obasanjo trod on their toes during his leadership.
“I make no apologies for treading on anybody’s toes. If anybody put their toes on my path, I will tread on them,” PUNCH quoted the former president as saying.
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The former president said governance in Nigeria seems like an impossible task because successive leaders have failed to build on the achievements of their predecessors.
Obasanjo said during one of his visits to Singapore, he asked the country’s former Prime Minister, Harry Lee Kuan Yew, the secrets of the Asian country’s success.
“He (Yew) simply told me their secret was that they did a few things right and continued to do them right. We keep lamenting as if Nigeria is impossible to run or get things right,” he said.
“I think that during my tenure as president, we did quite a few things right but our failure to continue to do what we have done right is the problem.
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“One of the things we got right was the Universal Basic Education. We said Nigerians had no reason not to have at least nine years of education.
“On primary healthcare, we did things right because we realised that if we provided basic care for malaria treatment, we would reduce infant and maternal mortality.
“On anti-corruption, I think we got it right. But did we continue to get things right?,” the former president queried.
