OBJ To Charly Boy: I’m The Father Of Frustrated Nigerian Youths

The Evangelist edition, August 21, 2022

Olusegun Obasanjo, former president of Nigeria, on Friday admitted being the father of “frustrated youths” in the country.

The ex-president spoke when he hosted Charly Boy, the activist musician, at his residence.

During the interaction, the artiste had described himself as the “president of frustrated youths” in Nigeria.

Said Charly Boy in Pidgin: “If as the president of frustrated youths of this country, na me be their president, okay?. Me myself I dey frustrated”.

Interrupted Obasanjo briefly as the singer made his introduction: “(You said) you’re president of frustrated Nigerian youths?” to which Charly Boy replied ‘yes’.

“I am their father,” Obasanjo joked amid applause from those in attendance.

Charly Boy thereafter lamented the challenges confronting youths in the country and asked Obasanjo to advise them.

Inquired Charly Boy: “If you’re asked to advise young Nigerians in a toxic environment and going through a lot to give them hope –because we have a serious battle in our hands — what would you say?”

Responding, Obasanjo blamed Nigeria’s current situation on leadership, adding that the trend would only change with a new crop of leaders.

Said he: “That we are poor and frustrated is not the fault of God, it is the choice of our leaders. And if you are going to change that, change our situation, you have to change leadership. And there’s nobody that will do that other than the youth.

“I always say, Nigeria is my own baby, the one I want to put a beautiful bead on its waist, not an individual.

“In the north, they say, ‘Na mu na mu ne’. ‘Tiwa n tiwa’, in South-East, it’s ‘Nke anyi bu nke anyi.’ Now, that is not the issue, the issue is Nigeria”