Obasanjo has a message for rich and successful Nigerians (READ)

Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has urged wealthy Nigerians to participate in the development of their local communities.

Obasanjo said rather than wait for the government to develop every region of the country, the rich can assist in rural development.

The retired politician made the call over the weekend, while delivering a goodwill message at the 2015 edition of the Ibogun-Olaogun Day, in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun state.

“Successful individuals who have made it in life will be doing the country a lot of good in reducing the menace of unemployment, only if they can interact with the rural areas and establish businesses in the rural communities without waiting for government.

“We don’t need to wait for government before developing our communities, particularly some of us who were raised from the village. We should not wait for any government ticket.

“Let us think of what we can do for ourselves and our communities; what we can do for ourselves to make our rural communities more habitable for us.

“When I was growing up in this community, there was no latrine, no bathroom, and no clinic. But today, there are over a dozen of people who would have died if the clinic we constructed through the community’s self-effort had not been in existence.

“Each of us can encourage village renewal; we don’t need to wait for government if we don’t want to tarry for too long. The need to raise fund for our community secondary school is borne out of the need that we cannot wait for government to do it all. We have to carry our load by ourselves before we say government should come to our aid. That is the reality today.”