Nigeria needs more rebels – Obasanjo

Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo on Saturday said Nigeria needed more rebels for it to move forward.

Obasanjo spoke in Abeokuta, Ogun State at the unveiling of autobiography of the Babanla Adinni of Egbaland, Chief Tayo Sowunmi, titled “Footprints Of A Rebel.”

According to the former president, looking at the title of the book, he asked myself why someone would call himself a rebel, but he said this is good.

He said the truth was that if one has to live a life of honesty and integrity, one has to become a rebel.

Obasanjo stated that there would be some time one would be asked to do something, but that “you would say no, this is not right. And when you say that, you will become a rebel. You may even become a persona non grata.”

He said Nigeria needed more rebels of the nation must move forward, adding that the nation needed people who would speak the truth to those in power no matter whose ox is gored.

In his words: “Our country, there is no country that we can call our own except Nigeria. Our country, Nigeria, needs more rebels. Those who would look at things straight in the face and say ‘this is not right, this, I will not be part of, this is not good for Nigeria.”

The Punch reports that Obasanjo lauded the octogenarian for living an exemplary life worthy of emulation by the younger generation.