Let us put our house in order, Obasanjo tells Black race conference
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- Category: International
- Published on Tuesday, 24 August 2010 07:49
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Former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, has described capitalism as exploitative. He said it is founded on ‘the best for me and the worst for you’ maxim, and thereby urged that Nigeria should get the best for itself and stop been overruled by the powerful economies of the world.
Speaking as the chairman of the Global Conference of Black Nationalities, which kicked off in Osogbo, Osun State, yesterday, Mr. Obasanjo said, “If we do not refuse and reject what is not our own, why should we accept what will never be our own?”
The former president said that when he was in office, “my friend, a European, said ‘capitalism is designed by us for ourselves, and not designed by us for you’ and I asked him ‘what do you mean?’ He said to me that capitalism is exploitative and he said to me, ‘give me a reason why I should buy your tonne of cocoa at $100, when I can buy it for $50 and also send it back to you for $2000?’
“I said the reason is in the interest of common humanity, and he told me that there is nowhere common humanity is written in economic books. So, what he is saying is that see, ‘Segun, capitalism means best for me and the worse for you.’ So, if that is what it means, let us get the best for ourselves. We are not even saying worst for others, but let us get the best for ourselves,” he said.
The former president, however, charged the participants at the event to all go back to their individual countries and let us “put our house in order. If we put our house in order, the world will respect us. What the world understands is success. Where you succeed, you will be acclaimed; and where you fail, you will be ignored. We must not accept where we are now. We must not use other people’s standard to condemn ourselves.”
The conference
The seven days is expected to promote general discourse and inter-cultural dialogue among the various peoples of the world; and also to invite the attention of the world to the rich cultural heritage of the black race; and opportunities for greater attainments, amongst other things.
In his welcome address, the host governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, said that it is the dawn of a new front, with the black nationalities coming together to upsurge its potentials.
He, however, said that the maiden edition holding in Osogbo would determine the plans on how the event would be coming up annually.
Olabiyi Yayi represented the president of Benin Republic, Boni Yayi, who is presently facing a massive political crisis back at home, wherein about 50 signatures from the 83-seat parliament have been gathered to impeach him in what it claims, was needed to summon the president for trial for treason and perjury.
Olabiyi Yayi said he is awaiting the end report of the event to apply the same to cultural integration in his country.
President Goodluck Jonathan was also represented by the minister of state FCT, Omoni Caleb Olubolade, who on behalf of Mr. Jonathan, urged the race to ensure that they foster ahead in unity.
The minister of culture and orientation, Sadiq Abubakar, and many other federal officials, including the representatives of Dora Akunyili, were all at the event.
Mr. Obasanjo said that any black person who wants to come back to Africa is welcome, but maintained that coming back is really not the issue, but to ensure that s/he should excel wherever s/he finds her/himself.
“I will not accept that I am inferior to some because I am black; and that was my own grudge against apartheid and we fought it to a standstill,” Obasanjo said.
