Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said that state governors are more powerful than President Muhammad Buhari or any other Nigerian President. Speaking with African Arguments in an up close interview, Obasanjo said “in fact, state governors are more powerful than the president. That’s the truth’
In a veiled criticism of President Buhari’s government, he also said the President has not done enough on unemployment and recession, adding that “Buhari has made some announcements. He has tried to keep on going in the area of agribusiness, but not enough. It is not yet enough to prepare the ground for uninhibited growth of the economy, which we need”.
He further said that he believes that President Buhari can do more for the youths in the area of empowerment. “All youths in Nigeria have legitimate reasons to feel frustrated and angry.” He advised that if “youth empowerment, skill acquisition and youth employment, education are provided ‘’the ticking bomb of possible youth explosion out of restiveness and anger will subside.”
He went on to say that many of those who are agitating or protesting the sovereign state of Biafra do not know why they are doing so. “The protesters don’t even know what the struggle is all about, but if it gives them false hope, why not hang onto it? Let the elders handle it or ignore it until it loses momentum. There are elders in any community who are still respected…After all, they’re their fathers and mothers, grandfathers and grandmothers, and can still be used effectively”, he said.
On federalism Obasanjo said he does not believe in it and that those talking about devolution and true federalism don’t know what they are talking about. “I don’t believe in true federalism. What is true federalism? Why are they not accountable? What powers do they not have? In fact, state governors are more powerful than the president. That’s the truth. If anybody tells you they want devolution or true federalism, he doesn’t know what he is talking about. The fact that anybody talks about it doesn’t mean it’s right”, he said.
On the N20,000 said to be in his account before he became president in 1999, he said he was a wealthy man despite that and that even then he had the largest poultry farm in Africa then. “Come off it. I had the largest poultry farm before I became president, the largest in Africa. The fact that I have N20,000 in my account does not mean I’m not wealthy.”
