Nigeria’s former president Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has called on old politicians to allow the youths take the front row of leadership in the country.

The former president also advised politicians of his age not to compete g with the younger ones but rather they should take the back seat to collaborate, offer the necessary knowledge and experience to the youths to transform the country for the better.

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He said these while speaking virtually at this year’s annual lecture of the Murtala Muhammed Foundation with the theme, ‘Beyond Boko Haram: Addressing insurgency, banditry and kidnapping across Nigeria’.

He said, “We need to have an intergenerational collaboration. Fayemi said he was in primary school when Murtala-Obasanjo were there. So, if people of Murtala-Obasanjo are competing with you as governor then something is wrong.

“Murtala-Obasanjo group should be stepping aside. Whatever experience and knowledge you have, we should be able to give it to you and should be able to give it to those coming after you, so that whatever you have you are passing it down to those of you who are coming behind not to start competing with you but make you have access to what would make you Nigeria better you find it.”

According to Obasanjo who was also a former military head of state attributed the spate of insecurity in the country on the access to weapons after the Nigerian civil war.

He stated that beyond the crisis caused by the controversial Sharia law, unemployment also contributed to the insurgency in the country.

The former President also said that his fear about Boko Haram had materialized with their links with international terrorist organisations.

During the event, the guest speaker and governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, suggested a national response to stem the tide of insecurity in Nigeria.

Also, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MMF, Aisha Mohammed-Oyebode, said the organisation was committed to improving the socio-economic development of Africa in line with the dreams of her father and late Head of State, General Murtala Mohammed.

She said the MMF, through its programmes, “has made notable impacts in the lives of people, especially the marginalized, disadvantaged, and vulnerable, in addition, to contributing to promoting good governance and empowerment in line with its vision and mission.”

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