Samuel Awoyinfa, Abeokuta
Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has condemned in strong terms attacks by South African youths on Nigerians and other African nationals in their country, blaming it all on the insincerity of the government of that country.
He made his position known on Wednesday in Abeokuta while receiving the leadership of the Nigeria Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru ,Jos, at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library,during a courtesy call on him by the management of the institute, led by its chairman, Major General Lawrence Onoja(retd).
The former president said the current development in South Africa betrayed the contribution of Nigeria to the struggle for the emancipation of the country during the apartheid era.
Obasanjo who blamed the exodus of Nigerians and other African nationals on the search for the elusive and non-existing greener pasture, however, called on African heads of governments to ensure good governance for the overall development of the continent and its teeming population.
He blamed South African youths for their immaturity, while hitting their leaders more for allowing fellow Africans to rise against themselves.
He said, “Youths can be so immature, they may not understand what Africa stands for, what our continental organisations stand for. But if the youths do not understand what happened, what happened to the leadership?
“I will blame the youths of the country for the attacks but I will blame the leaders more in any country that allows xenophobic attacks against fellow Africans for whatever reason.
“Having said that, it is also the responsibility of everyone of us in our different countries to prepare our countries, so that those our youths that think that there is an Eldorado somewhere outside their countries will be made to know that there is no green pasture anywhere.
“The green pasture is here in your country. I feel disheartened to know that many of our youths perished while crossing the Sahara desert or the Mediterranean.”
from Punch Newspapers http://ift.tt/2mFs7oy
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