No comment on national issues until after elections – Obasanjo

A former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has said he will henceforth maintain silence on the state of the nation until after the forthcoming general elections.

He said this on Wednesday while addressing traditional rulers from Egbaland who were attending a seminar organised by a non-governmental organisation, The Village Network Empowerment Initiative. The seminar held at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta.

The former president, who had in recent times criticised President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, said it was unfortunate that some people could misconstrue his good intention for the country.

Hence, he said he had chosen to keep mum until after the elections.

Obasanjo, who also flayed the situation in which teachers in some states were being owed salaries for upward of six months, said Nigerians had an opportunity from February 14 to play their own part in enthroning leaders of their choice.

He said, “Where we are now, I have spoken. I have used body language and whoever still does not understand all I have been saying, it would take such a person a long time to understand.

“It is something that is very clear for us all to see. Some people came to visit me from Benue State three days ago and told me teachers in that state had not been paid for six months.

“There are states where teachers have not been paid for four months, three months and two months. That is not good at all. It’s only God that can help us to overcome all these problems.

“All I know is that God has done His own part and it’s now left for us as human beings to do our own bit. Do we, as Nigerians, say that God has not been magnanimous enough to us?

“Is it human or natural resources that we do not have? We are blessed with a lot of fertile land. Shakespeare says the fault is not in our stars but in ourselves that we are underlings.

“God has done his own part and it’s now left for us as human beings to play our own part. That our own part starts from the 14th and it’s now left to you and me. I won’t say more than that. I’ve said I won’t say anything anymore until after the elections.

“You’ll hear from me after the elections. But I’ve said it verbally and through body language and how you understand it all is now left to you. But whatever you still don’t understand about all of these, I will put it in prayers that God should enable you to clearly understand it all better.

“But I won’t say more than this until after the election.”

Delivering a lecture to the traditional rulers on “Waste to Wealth, Health, Biogas productions as an alternative source of energy for sustainable rural development,” the Director of the Zoo Park of the Federal University of Agriculture, Prof. Moses Oyatogun, enumerated the uses of different waste for energy production.

He advised them to take advantage of all manner of waste in their environment.

The initiator of the Village Network Empowerment Initiative Network, Oba Olufemi Ogunleye, said he organised the seminar to enable the traditional rulers to acquire knowledge and exposure towards the development of their communities.