Politics

Nigeria needs a president who understands economy – Obasanjo

Published

6 years ago

October 9, 2018

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Tuesday harped on his argument that Nigeria requires a President with a sound knowledge of the economy to make a headway .
This , he said , was what a former German Chancellor , the late Helmut Schmidt , who was one of his international friends , told him during a discussion about African countries .

He argued that there was no way that a President with a poor knowledge of the economy could meet the needs of the citizens , adding that even Jesus Christ understood the economy .

Obasanjo spoke in Lagos at this year’ s edition of Foursquare Gospel Church annual public lecture , which held at the church’ s national headquarters in Yaba .

He chaired the lecture with the theme , “ The trying triangle of economy , faith and politics – Looking through the eye of the needle . ”

The lecture was delivered by the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Rev . Fr . Matthew Kukah .

Commenting on the lecture , the former President said even if Kukah was right in his description of politics as a game , politics must be the most serious game created by man .

He said he agreed with Kukah that even Jesus Christ had a good knowledge of the economy .

Obasanjo said he believed that for Nigeria to get it right, the country must strike a balance among economy , faith and politics.

He said , “ There is no doubt at all that if we have to get it right the three ( economy , faith and politics) must go together.

“ One of my international friends , the late Helmut Schmidt , who was a former Chancellor of Germany – he died at the age of 96 about three years ago , I was at the burial – and he said if we in Africa have to make it , all our political leaders must have good grounding in economy .

“ As a fact from Bishop Kukah , even Jesus Christ understood the economy and if you have a leader who does not understand economics , then you cannot have a leader that will satisfy the need of the people , the physical and the material needs of the people . ”