Why I built a mosque and church in my library ― Obasanjo

FORMER Nigeria’s president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has explained the reasons why he built a mosque and church in his newly commissioned library. 

The former president who featured on Kaduna based Liberty Radio Programme, guest of the week at the weekend said as a leader he has to set an example without bias to any group for others to emulate from him.

He said he was raised in a community where Christian and Muslims co-exist peacefully and he had lived with that all his life, adding that, even as President of Nigeria, he used to fast during Ramadan and during lent.

The former President however berated a situation where people now kill one another in the name of religion, saying anyone who kills in the name of religion is an enemy of God.

On the fight against corruption, former president Obasanjo commended President Muhammadu Buhari led administration on the anti graft war, reiterating that Buhari has not disappointed him, except that he is weak in the area of economy.

On xenophobic killings in South Africa, he said calamity looms for the country saying it is understandable the South African youths are being childish, but it is unacceptable for their leaders to watch them go on rampage against fellow Africans.

He however stated categorically that, any leader who allows xenophobic attacks to linger under his watch is not fit to be an African leader.

According to Obasanjo who spoke extensively to Liberty Radio on the newly established Obasanjo presidential library, no African country can attain development in isolation. They must move together as a continent if the desired development is to be achieved.

“What all African countries must remember is that, Nigeria fought for decolonisation of most of those African countries. But, whether anyone remembers what Nigeria did for decolonisation of African countries or not is not even an issue, the issue, the issue is that any African must not be treated as unwanted in any part of Africa.

“Any leader who allows xenophobic attacks to happen and linger under his watch is not fit to be an African leader.

“If youths are behaving childishly, then, what is the leadership doing? It is understandable to see children behaving childishly, but if the leaders also behave childishly, that is a calamity for that country and for Africa”.