Buhari is not strong on the economy, says Obasanjo

Former President  Olusegun  Obasanjo says that the current Nigerian leader, Muhammadu Buhari, has not disappointed him since he assumed office  in 2015.

Obasanjo stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria at his hilltop residence in Abeokuta.

While reflecting on the Buhari  administration since 2015, Obasanjo said that the president had done his best to move the country  forward.

“Whatever anybody says, President Buhari has not disappointed me from what I know of him,’’ he said.

He said the president  had delivered on his core areas of strength and ability, particularly  in thanti-corruption crusade and the war against insurgency.

“In my book, I have said that Buhari is not strong on the economy and I did not write this to run him down.

“I also used to think that he is not strong in the area of  foreign affairs, but I have realised that he has improved very well.

“He has actually done his best in the areas where we know him to be strong,” he said.

The elder statesman urged  Nigerians not to relent in their support for Buhari and not to give up on Nigeria.

“Whatever you  might see as bad in Nigeria, other societies have gone through the same at some period in their history.

“It is not for us to begin to condemn but to begin to join hands together and consider how we can make the best out of our present.

“Our present situation is a passing phase and we need to be resilient to ensure that we are not consumed by it.

“I will be the first to admit that we have not been where we should have been, but note that we have also been far from where we could have been because it could have been worse.

“It is the height of ingratitude for people to say Nigeria has not achieved anything or much as a nation.

“The generation before mine fought for Nigeria’s independence, that is great.

“My own generation,  which is the next,  fought to sustain the unity of Nigeria.

“Since 1999, Nigeria had  enjoyed 18 years of unbroken democracy.

“We witnessed in 2007 a transition of  power from one individual to another in the same party.

“We witnessed in 2015 a transition of power from an individual in the ruling party to another individual in the opposition party.

“All these should not be taken for granted,” he said.

March 5, said he had no regrets at such an  age.

He said that his hope that Nigeria would still be a great nation was still intact.