Olusegun Obasanjo quotes

Olusegun Obasanjo is a Nigerian statesman and retired military general who served as both military head of state and later as a democratically elected president. Widely recognized for his influence on Nigerian politics and Africa's development, he played a key role in the country's transition to civilian rule. He has remained active in international diplomacy and African leadership initiatives. Here are 23 of his quotes:

What the oil producer gets paid is about 16 percent. The majority of it is tax, which in fairness to the government of this country they have accepted and admitted.

Olusegun Obasanjo

My gut feelings and my faith tell me that until God shuts a door, no human can shut it.

Olusegun Obasanjo

I am a black man inside and outside and you are white men on the outside, but inside, you are Africans like me.

Olusegun Obasanjo

Nigeria has no business with poverty. With our human and material resources, we shall strive to eradicate poverty from our country.

Olusegun Obasanjo

My joy knows no bounds... I will devote all my energy and all the powers available to me to the service of Nigeria and humanity.

Olusegun Obasanjo

Pope John Paul II not only visited Nigeria twice but stood by the country in its fight against dictatorship and injustice.

Olusegun Obasanjo

Unfortunately, the true force which propels our endless political disputes, our constant struggles for political advantage, is often not our burning concern for democracy, it is often of our dedication to the principle of the rule of law.

Olusegun Obasanjo

Let me make a solemn pledge before all of you, before the whole world and before God, that I will devote all my energy and all I possess in my power to serve the people of Nigeria and humanity.

Olusegun Obasanjo

I will not say the fact that there are no European Union observers at an election means that it will not be fair and free.

Olusegun Obasanjo

We will work to bring an element of stability to the price of oil.

Olusegun Obasanjo

We regard America and Europe as old friends. We keep old friends, but we make new friends in Japan, India, and China.

Olusegun Obasanjo

There is no part of the world where corruption is absolutely eliminated.

Olusegun Obasanjo

The givers of most of the corruption in Africa are from outside Africa.

Olusegun Obasanjo

Fighting corruption is not a one-night affair.

Olusegun Obasanjo

I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge that our foreign friends are welcome to join in our endeavor to develop the resources of our country.

Olusegun Obasanjo

If I am not above the law, nobody in this country can then claim to be above the law.

Olusegun Obasanjo

I believe God knew what he was doing when he put oil under our ground. It should be a means to an end.

Olusegun Obasanjo

Yet there comes a time in the life of a patriot when abdication would amount to a betrayal if not outright treachery.

Olusegun Obasanjo

At the same time, African aims to intensify cooperation with China in the fields of trade, investment and agriculture.

Olusegun Obasanjo

The lice of poor performance in government – poverty, insecurity, poor economic management, nepotism, gross dereliction of duty, condonation of misdeed – if not outright encouragement of it, lack of progress and hope for the future, lack of national cohesion and poor management of internal political dynamics and widening inequality – are very much with us today. With such lice of general and specific poor performance and crying poverty with us, our fingers will not be dry of ‘blood'.[.

Olusegun Obasanjo