The late anti-apartheid hero, Nelson Mandela, was angry with Nigerian leaders over their treatment of Nigerian people. Though he acknowledged their effort in the struggle to end the apartheid, but was miffed by the level of corruption and poverty in Nigeria.
Hear him: “You know I am not very happy with Nigeria. I have made that very clear on many occasions. Yes, Nigeria stood by us more than any nation, but you let yourselves down, and Africa and the black race very badly. Your leaders have no respect for their people. They believe that their personal interests are the interests of the people. They take people’s resources and turn it into personal wealth. There is a level of poverty in Nigeria that should be unacceptable. I cannot understand why Nigerians are not more angry than they are."
This was an excerpt of an interview conducted in his home in South Africa in 2007 by Dr Hakeem Baba Ahmed.
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