Obasanjo urges African leaders to address continent’s challenges

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo encouraged African leaders to devise solutions originating from the continent itself to address its multitude of challenges.

Obasanjo stated this while addressing a delegation of students and youths from various African countries at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

The former president emphasized this message while engaging with the delegation, which included student leaders from Ethiopia and the Tigray Region. The delegation was led by Osisiogu Osikenyi, the President of the All-Africa Students Union (AASU).

The purpose of the delegation’s visit was to express gratitude to Obasanjo for his instrumental role in facilitating the Permanent Cessation of Hostilities Agreement between the government of the Federal Republic of Ethiopia and the Tigray Peoples’ Liberation Front (TPLF) in Pretoria last year.

The former President underscored the importance of tailoring solutions for Africa that take into account the unique characteristics of its people. He urged the continent to focus on designing and implementing viable, locally originated approaches to address the prevailing challenges.

“The peace we were able to achieve in Tigray between the TPLF and the federal government of Ethiopia is what you and I will regard as finding African solution to African problem. And this is what our leaders have been clamouring for even from independence in the early 1960s.

“And how did it happen? AU decided that as our continental organisation they should not continue to folds hands while there is war raging or where there is fire burning in any of our countries.

“Then they decided to appoint what they call high representatives for the horn of Africa. Not only that, all the leaders of the horn of Africa supported in seeking peace, in promoting peace, security, stability and enduring  and sustainable development in the whole of horn of Africa,” Obasanjo said.

During his statement, Oli Bedane Wako, the President of Ethiopian Higher Education Institutions Students Union (EHEISU), expressed gratitude on behalf of African student leaders during their visit to Obasanjo. He highlighted Obasanjo’s pivotal role in the historic signing of the Pretoria peace agreement between the Federal Republic of Ethiopia and Tigray Liberation Fronts.

Wako emphasized that the devastating conflict in Ethiopia’s Tigray region has resulted in profound tragedy, claiming the lives of numerous young individuals and leaving a trail of extensive destruction and trauma.