Forgive Me, This Is the First Time I’m Crying With My Own Tears– Emotional Obasanjo Talks on Poverty

 

Forgive Me, This Is the First Time I’m Crying With My Own Tears– Emotional Obasanjo Talks on Poverty

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has made an emotional appeal, highlighting the growing hardship and hunger affecting millions of Nigerians. Speaking on the worsening state of poverty, he described it as a crisis that now goes beyond financial lack and touches the core of human survival and dignity. “Forgive me, this is the first time I’m crying with my own tears,” he said emotionally, drawing attention to the depth of suffering many citizens are experiencing. Obasanjo warned that the level of deprivation in parts of the country is not just alarming but “extremely, extremely hot,” and poses a direct threat to the wellbeing and humanity of those affected.

He urged Nigerians to differentiate between hunger and poverty. “A man with a bicycle may be poor compared to one with a car, but at least he’s not hungry,” he explained, emphasizing the need to address objective poverty, which includes hunger, rather than just relative poverty.

Obasanjo recalled growing up in a village where families had little, but never went hungry. “We had garri in the morning, garri in the afternoon, and maybe pounded yam at night. But today, some people don’t know what they will eat tomorrow morning.”

According to him, ending hunger must start with fair distribution of resources. He argued that while God gave the world enough for everyone, the way resources are explored, exploited, and shared often leads to both poverty and hunger.

In his words: “If you really want to find a solution to a problem, you must understand it thoroughly—its causes and implications.” He said hunger and poverty both stem from unjust systems, especially in the way opportunities and natural wealth are handled.

Obasanjo also stressed the importance of education in breaking the cycle. “Education is the most potent weapon against poverty,” he said. Without it, individuals and nations remain handicapped, unable to grow or compete. But beyond schooling, he called for leaders with character, morality, and a spirit of community—not just political ambition. He said, “Leadership starts from the family and extends to the nation. We need leaders who live by the African principle of ‘I am because we are’.”

Wrapping up his message, Obasanjo reminded Nigerians that no human is born without potential. When given the chance to grow, people can lift not only themselves but their families and their nations too.