Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has declared that Nigeria needs “more rebels” that are fearless to speak and stand for the truth.
The former president who spoke during the unveiling of autobiography of the Babanla Adinni of Egbaland, Chief Tayo Sowunmi, titled “Footprints Of A Rebel”, in Abeokuta, Ogun state, Saturday said Nigeria is in dire need of someone that will always speak the truth without fear of opposition.
Recall that Sowunmi, a former National Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) recently celebrated his 80th birthday.
Though Obasanjo noted that rebels can be perceived as enemies of government, however, he submitted that a rebel is someone who stands for the good of the country.
He explained that whoever must live life of honesty and integrity has to be a rebel. He added that such person may even become a persona non grata.
In his words, “Looking at the title of the book, I ask myself, why would someone call himself a rebel. But it is good.
“But the truth is that if you have to leave a life of honesty and integrity, you have to become a rebel. There would be some time you would be asked have to do something, but you would say no, this is not right. And when you say that you will become a rebel. You may even become a persona non grata.
“Our country, there is no country that we can call our own except Nigeria. Our country, Nigeria, needs more rebels. Those who would look at things straight in the face and say ‘this is not right, this, I will not be part of, this is not good for Nigeria.”
