Ahead of 2019 elections, the Coalition for Nigeria Movement, CMN, being promoted by former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has registered no fewer than 3 million members.Obasanjo revealed this, Thursday, while delivering a lecture at the 14th Annual Lecture of the Women in Management, Business and Service (WimBiz), a non – governmental organization, in Victoria Island, Lagos.
Obasanjo said the Movement would make an inroad into the grassroots across the country, reiterating that he would pull out of the Movement should it metamorphose into a political party or sponsor persons for elective offices in future general elections.
According to him, the only solution to Nigeria problem is a grassroots and popular platform that can provide a system driven environment.
The lecture is themed: Press for Progress: Women in Politics and Nation Building.
According to the former president, gender inequality has continued to cost Africa a whopping sum of $193 billion annually saying that the continent cannot continue with the waste of human resources.
The former President preached positive discrination against women in order for them to take their rightful position in the leadership of the continent.
This, Obasanjo said, isn’t because they are inferior but because they have the capacity but are being held back by men folk.
Obasanjo said politics anywhere in the world is dangerous and risky and that nobody should go into it except the person is prepared for the danger and risk.
He however called for critical mass of more virtuous women into politics in order to correct the impression of seeing women in politics as ones with easy virtue.
He noted that women have not done enough for themselves to take reasonable positions in the nation’s political space, stressing that they also should be adequately prepared, first put their feet right and be willing to pay the necessary price to witness the desired change.
He noted that there is no tradition, religion or culture that encourages subjugation of women in Nigeria, but blamed the shortchanging of womenfolk in the scheme of things on male chauvinism mentality and selfishness.
Obasanjo said experience had show that when women are put in positions of responsibility, they do better and preached that they should be incorporated into all strata of leadership for nation building.
He explained that in his time as a young Nigerian, people had more opportunities but less facilities to take advantage of such opportunities contrary to what obtained today where Nigerians have more facilities but less opportunities to function or embrace.
“Oyinlola (Olagunsoye) knows about the movement more than myself but I am giving them encouragement, I have registered and I believe today, we’ve registered more than three million members.
“I believe we need a grassroots movement, I belive we need a popular movement that can bring about the change that this country needs. We need a platform, we need a system, a system where anyone who becomes the President of Nigeria will also work within the system.
“If you become President of Nigeria, by being voted for by majority of Nigerians at that time, or you get majority of votes, then you’re a product of Nigeria and you have to rule with Nigerian, not with your kits and kins, not with your family or your tribe.
“And I believe a Coalition for Nigeria Movement, a popular Movement, a grassroots platform that can bring about that and I believe the Coalition for Nigeria Movement, with the people that are coming together is the right way.”
On women in politics, Obasanjo said, “If only womanhood was enough, Mrs Hilary Clinton would have made it to the White House but she had a man(Donald Trump) who did what he could do to get to power.
“I don’t want or expect women to climb palm trees to harvest bunch of palm fruits. If anybody says he wants to see my mother climb palm trees, I will take a second look at that person but women must do what it takes to succeed in Nigerian political space.
“To you women, do not allow anybody to build your world for you. Build your world for yourself. Yes, women need encouragement but they must do enough for themselves.”
The former President also revealed that it will take him sometime before writing another explosive letter on burning national issues.
“After my last letter, it will take some time before I write another one.”
