Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has called on African leaders to make it easier for their citizens to live in their countries.
Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo said on Saturday at the inaugural African Heritage Concert and Awards in Kigali, Rwanda, that such leaders should be concerned about the legacies they will leave behind.
According to Jonathan’s media aide Wealth Ominabo, the ex-President made the call after receiving the ‘African Democracy and Peace Icon Award,’ where he urged African leaders to avoid becoming “bosses of the people.”
He emphasized that leaders’ duty is to run their countries properly and efficiently, rather than “dehumanize people and make their lives difficult.”
“When you are called the executive president, our duty is to run our country properly, not to dehumanize human beings and make their lives difficult. What you should think is when you leave office, what will the world remember for?” he asked.
“Will the world remember you for killing people? Will the world remember you for jailing people, or will the world remember you for destroying their systems?
“What people will remember you for is what should guide our decisions, and I believe every leader should begin to think that when you leave office, one day you will be remembered one way or the other, positively or negatively.”
The event was strategically packaged, according to the organizers, to celebrate and honor African greats who have distinguished themselves in their various fields of endeavor and have made a sustainable global impact in promoting the continent.
