Obasanjo: Democracy that promotes insecurity, poverty must be abandoned

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo says a democratic system that promotes insecurity and poverty must be abandoned.

Obasanjo spoke in Oyo town on Friday during the inauguration of the rehabilitated 34.8-kilometre Oyo-Iseyin road.

The former president said a democracy that nurtures poverty, unemployment and insecurity should be discarded as it only denotes backwardness.

In a recent interview with TheCable, the former president said Nigeria needs to rethink its democracy.

Obasanjo had said the liberal type of democracy practised in the West would not work for the country.

“Democracy that nurtures a lack of peace and security must be thrown overboard. Democracy dividends must involve peace, security, stability, prosperity, wealth creation, employment and the wholesomeness of the society,” Obasanjo said.

“Democracy that nurtures poverty is abortion. Democracy that nurtures unemployment is a failure.”

He charged political leaders to embrace democracy that promotes prosperity, poverty eradication, employment and adequate security for the good of Nigeria.

“That’s when democracy would continue to survive and people will feel that yes, democracy is a worthwhile system of government that must be embraced,” he said.

Obasanjo also commended the governor of Oyo for the rehabilitation, reconstruction and construction of roads linking the five zones in the state.

He said such projects would fast-track socio-economic development across the zones.

He urged the people of Oyo to support Makinde’s government in its efforts to develop the state’s economy.

Speaking at the event, Makinde said the reconstruction of the Oyo-Iseyin road and other ongoing projects were in line with his administration’s vision to connect all the five zones in the state and mitigate rural-urban migration.

The governor promised to fast-track the completion of all the ongoing projects and rehabilitate all internal roads across the state.

The rehabilitated Oyo-Iseyin road was awarded in 2021 at the cost of N8.4 billion to Kopek Construction Limited.