By Olayinka Ajayi
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, and the Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, have called urgently for the need to end abject poverty across Africa.
Obasanjo insisted that if China could lift 700 million people out of poverty, Nigeria should also do its part.
Speaking during Dele Momodu’s leadership lecture themed “How to End Hunger and Poverty in Africa,” Chief Obasanjo, in his keynote address, stated, “Before we talk about food, security is key.”
He emphasized that a lasting solution to hunger in Africa hinges on education, saying, “Education is one of the tools we can use to banish poverty. Where there’s no education, invariably, there will be poverty.”
He further stressed that leadership is crucial in addressing poverty: “In all works of life, we must have leaders whose characters display ‘communality’.”
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“Leadership is the greatest ingredient for ending poverty. There’s no human endeavor that does not thrive on leadership. To get it right, we must ensure no child is uneducated. With integrity, discipline, and good governance, Nigeria can eliminate hunger and abject poverty. If China can lift 700 million people out of poverty, we can do it.”
He added, “Nigeria should have no business with abject poverty. If we don’t take up the responsibility, we are all sitting on a keg of gunpowder. Until we banish poverty in Africa, we will not be recognized by the international community as a serious continent.”
While congratulating Chief Momodu on his leadership center in Ibadan, Oyo State, the Ooni of Ife urged everyone to be patriotic and collaborate with the government.
He said, “If we want to break poverty in this country, we have to be patriotic in all ramifications. From the food we eat to the clothes we wear. We may not get it right at first, but in a short time, we will be the envy of the world.”
On his part, Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, while congratulating Chief Momodu on his leadership center, maintained that many political officeholders are too detached to reach out for guidance.
“The problem we have is that people don’t have the fear of God. I invited President Obasanjo twice to Osun State to inspect the rapid development I am bringing there. I am trying to build the Atlanta standard of Spaghetti Junction,” he stated.