Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Thursday lauded Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State for the transformation taking place in the state, even as he advised the governor to learn from him and opt for a private-sector driven economy.
Obasanjo, who gave the commendation at the Edo State Government House during a courtesy call on Oshiomhole on his way to deliver the First Dr. Abel Guobadia Memorial Lecture, explained that when God gave him a second chance to become the president of the country, he learnt from his past experience.
According to him: “I can see the signs that this state, which was run down, is now being run up.”
Obasanjo said he learnt from his experiences as head of state to run a better economy when he was elected president in 1999.
According to him: “I was Head of State and I see that there was no way to manage Nigeria’s economy except by indigenization and we went for indigenization.
“But the truth is that indigenization did not succeed the way we wanted and I became an apostle of genuine private sector-driven market economy.
“I hope Governor Oshiomhole is learning the lesson I have learnt so that this state, I can see the signs, which was run down, is now being run up.”
Oshiomhole said he learnt from the style and courage of the former president when it comes to taking major decisions, which every leader requires to drive change.
He told the visiting former president that his administration was re-focusing and re-inventing governance to give the people confidence so that democracy can work, adding: “And, indeed, it is working and we are able to deliver on some critical areas of infrastructure.”
He commended Obasanjo on the launch of the Obasanjo Foundation, saying the former president has demonstrated that as an elder statesman, “he can continue to contribute to national and international efforts in dealing with the basic needs of the under-privileged and to create a platform for sustaining constructive engagement on development options and strategies to lift the level of development in Africa.”
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