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‘I Could Have Fallen into Drug Addiction’ – Obasanjo Reflects on His Past, Warns Youths

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‘I Could Have Fallen into Drug Addiction’ – Obasanjo Reflects on His Past, Warns Youths

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has issued a strong warning to Nigerian youths about the dangers of drug use and abuse, stressing that such habits contribute nothing positive to life but instead lead to severe destruction.

He made this statement during the second edition of the “Fly Above The High” anti-drug campaign conference, held in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

Obasanjo called on young people to exercise self-control and resist the temptation of drugs, emphasizing the alarming rise of drug abuse not only in Nigeria but across West Africa. He pointed out that the region, once a mere transit point for illicit drugs, has now become a significant center of drug consumption. Reflecting on his experience as the Chairman of the West African Drug Commission under the Kofi Annan Foundation, he expressed deep concern over the growing crisis.

“Over a decade ago, when we conducted our research, we were shocked to discover that West Africa had become a major hub for drug consumption, not just trafficking. This situation has only worsened since then. The same patterns we see in West Africa are now spreading across the rest of Africa,” Obasanjo remarked, highlighting the urgency of addressing the issue.

The former president also shared a personal story from his youth, revealing how an early experiment with smoking could have led to addiction. He recalled how a brief attempt at smoking, which caused him to cough uncontrollably, discouraged him from continuing. “If I had persisted, I could have easily become addicted. Once you start, it’s incredibly difficult to stop,” he said, underscoring the importance of making wise choices from the beginning.

In his speech, Obasanjo reiterated that drugs offer no benefits and only bring harm to individuals and communities. “There is nothing that drugs can provide except destruction,” he warned. He also encouraged those already struggling with addiction to seek help and avoid hiding in shame, calling on society to support recovery without stigmatizing those affected.

Obasanjo’s message was directed not only to the youths present at the conference but also to students, mental health professionals, and policymakers, urging a collective effort to tackle the growing drug crisis and protect future generations from its devastating impact.

 

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Peter Obi Is the Stingiest Human Being, We Worked for Him, He Didn’t Give Us Shishi – Michael Piper ‎

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April 12, 2025

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‎In a video posted by Symfoni, Michael Piper who was a member of Obedience for a Better Nigeria accused Peter Obi of being extremely stingy, claiming that despite the wide support he received from civil society groups and media personalities during his campaign, Obi offered no financial support.
‎In his statement, he said;
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‎”Peter Obi no dey give Shishi. He’s a multi-billionaire and one of the stingiest human beings you will ever meet, Even when we were campaigning for Peter Obi, even those who were bloggers, popular bloggers, he didn’t even give them money for data.”
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‎Piper made it clear that he personally received nothing from Obi throughout the campaign period.
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‎“I campaigned for Peter Obi for 8 months. I never received a penny from him. If Peter Obi gave me one naira, please, they should publish it anywhere.”
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‎According to Piper, the Labour Party’s success in 2023 was due to the collective effort of civil society actors, not Obi’s personal ideology. He warned that Obi’s presence is now turning the party into a war zone.
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If I had remained as governor of Anambra State, I would have done one single term of four years and leave—Chris Ngige ‎

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April 12, 2025

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Chris Ngige
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‎According to a video posted on YouTube by Symfoni, Chris Ngige, a prominent Nigerian politician and former governor of Anambra state recently reflected on his tenure as governor of Anambra State and revealed his thoughts on serving a single term in office.
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‎Ngige, who held the office of governor from 2003 to 2006, expressed that had he remained in power, he would have opted for a single, four-year term.
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‎He stated, “If I had remained as governor of Anambra State, I would have done one single term of four years and leave.” Ngige pointed out the limitations of political office, emphasizing that it often leaves little room for personal life and privacy, which he found stifling.
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2027: PDP Governors, Senators Reject Atiku’s Coalition

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April 12, 2025

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Rising from a meeting in the early hours of yesterday, governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and leaders of thought within the party resolved not to abandon the party for any coalition ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Former vice president Atiku Abubakar and the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, had recently hinted that the party was going into a coalition with other opposition leaders to chase the All Progressives Congress (APC) out of power in 2027.

But the party leaders and the governors who met on Wednesday night through Thursday morning in Abuja, believe that rather than build any coalition, the energy and resources should be channeled to building the PDP.

Among those present at the meeting were two former Senate presidents, David Mark and Bukola Saraki, former governors of Kaduna, Jigawa and Sokoto states, Ahmed Makarfi, Sule Lamido and Senator Aminu Tambuwal.

Others were former Minister of Police Affairs, Adamu Maina Waziri and former Defence minister, Lawal Batagarawa, with the governors represented by two of their colleagues – Governors Bala Mohammed of Bauchi and Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa State.

Sources told Daily Sun that at the meeting held under frank atmosphere, the leaders decided to rebuild the PDP.

“And they also briefed the governors on their plan to achieve their aim of building the party and they want the governors to work towards the same aim.

“They resolved that there is no need to abandon the party and be working on any coalition. They instead insisted that rather than work to build any coalition, the efforts to start a coalition should be deployed to build the PDP, using the same resources, energy, time and strategy they want to use for the coalition, for the PDP.

“They noted that all the parties with no exception, including the APC, have their challenges and internal crisis. As such, PDP leaders should work to reconcile the differences and rebuild their structure instead of seeking any new platform,” one of the sources told Daily Sun.

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