“Nigeria Sitting on a Keg of Gun Powder”: Obasanjo Identifies Cause of Protests, Warns Tinubu

“Nigeria Sitting on a Keg of Gun Powder”: Obasanjo Identifies Cause of Protests, Warns Tinubu

  • The former president of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, has shared his thoughts on the ongoing nationwide protests
  • Obasanjo voiced concerns against youths unrest caused by rising unemployment, and warned that Nigeria might be "sitting on a keg of gunpowder"
  • The elder statesman urged President Tinubu's government to create more opportunities for the youths as the protests enter day 6

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has expressed concern over youths’ restiveness caused by unemployment.

Protests: Tinubu gets strong message from Obasanjo over rising unemployment in Nigeria
Obasanjo sends crucial message to Tinubu amid youths unrest, unemployment in Nigeria. Photo credit: Tinubu Media Office
Source: Facebook

Protests: Obasanjo warns Tinubu against youth unemployment

Obasanjo made the statement during an interview with the Financial Times monitored by Channels Television and warned that Nigeria might be sitting on a keg of gunpowder.

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Nigerians took to the streets on Thursday, August 1, to begin the 10-day nationwide protest against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

The protest was an avenue for aggrieved Nigerians to express their anger over the country's level of hunger and hardship.

Reacting to the troubling development, Obasanjo warned:

“Our youth are restive. And they are restive because they have no skill. They have no empowerment. They have no employment. We are all sitting on a keg of gunpowder. And my prayer is that we will do the right thing before it’s too late.”

Speaking further, Obasanjo said Nigeria’s economy would have been much better if it had not relied on just crude oil production.

He described the country’s reliance on crude oil as a “deadly mistake,” SaharaReporters confirmed.

“I believe we made a deadly mistake by putting all our eggs in one basket by relying on oil. We had a very important commodity, gas, but we were flaring it,” he said.

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Read more on hardship protests

Nigeria's hardship protests: Shehu Sani voiced concerns

Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that Shehu Sani has pleaded with citizens to call off the ongoing nationwide protest against economic hardship.

Legit.ng reports that Sani emphasised that civil unrest was not a viable solution and would only worsen northern Nigeria’s fragile condition.

The former federal lawmaker observed with concern how the protest that commenced peacefully on Thursday, August 1, turned violent, resulting in the loss of lives and property.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Esther Odili avatar

Esther Odili (Politics and Current Affairs Editor) Esther Odili is a journalist and a Politics/Current Affairs Editor at Legit.ng with 6+ years of experience. Before joining Legit.ng, Esther has worked with other reputable media houses, such as the New Telegraph newspaper and Galaxy Television. She Holds OND and HND in Mass Communication from NIJ, where she was recognized as the best student in print journalism in 2018. Email: esther.odili@corp.legit.ng.