No retirement for me – Obasanjo

By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor

LAGOS—Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has pledged to continue doing good so long as he had the breadth of God in him and capacity to do so.

Obasanjo in an interview monitored on the newly debuted international television station, Arise TV, called on the international community to mobilise funds to help the international coalition forces in Mali, affirming that the intervention was launched for the benefit of the global community.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo

The interview was recorded in London where the former President recently arrived for the launch of his Olusegun Obasanjo Foundation scheduled for tomorrow.

Asked if he was not tired and when he would retire from the international stage, the former president said:

”There is no retirement in doing good in life and so long as you have breadth, you should continue to do good,” Obasanjo said in the interview monitored in Lagos.

Commending the efforts of the international coalition forces in Mali, Obasanjo said the Malian troops must be bolstered through increased training to be able to handle the critical situation, he said  if not checked, could affect the whole world.

“The point is that if we have a situation anywhere in the world that affects the whole world, the world must be able to raise the needed money in order to deal with the situation,” adding “if the will is there, it would be done.”

The former President said his efforts in good works which, he said, were also being channeled through his Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, were in the line of American presidents who set up presidential libraries after leaving office.