Each one of us, and, indeed, all those who aspire to national leadership must bring their own visions, views and styles to the business of reforming Nigeria, and the search for solutions.

Debate and divergence of views can only enrich our history and culture.

I believe that historians and analysts of historical events need the authority of facts supplied by living witnesses to the events, which they make their subject.

The work of Nigeria is not complete for as long as there is any one Nigerian who goes to bed on empty stomach.

A society that does not correctly interpret and appreciate its past cannot understand its present fortunes and adversities and can be caught unawares in a fast changing world.

But no nation can base its survival and development on luck and prayers alone while its leadership fritters away every available opportunity for success and concrete achievement.

Democracy opens new vistas and opportunities. We should use the opportunities it offers to correct past mistakes not to blunder anew.

Most importantly, nothing has happened to change my conviction that freedom and the love of liberty remain the essential defining attributes of our national character as a people.

Even now, we make no apologies for the choice we made. The sacrifices we made were selfless. The options we offered were patriotic while the paths we chose were well thought out.

If you ask me to summarise our mission, I would put it this way: We were a military regime that sought to lay the foundations for freedom and liberty in a complex society.

It is of course the nature of historical contraction that the shortest distance to a historical destination is never a straight line.

Faith is a powerful force, but you must believe in order to reap its benefits.

Reflections they give meThat my mirror does notThey know the new meNot the old meThat I am not

While you can't hold on to everything forever, you're a fool if you sell back your college books at semester's end: have you learned nothing of this life?

People often believed they were safer in the light, thinking monsters only came out at night. But safety – like light – is a façade.

It is almost more important how a person takes his fate than what it is.

It's always a fine line. If you overdo (aggression) it's 'ugly Australians', but if you have a smile on your face it's Australia being too nice.

There was a positive side to not trying at something: you could always pretend that your life would have been different if you had.

Scepticism and refusal of authority is at the heart of scientific endeavour. Scientific knowledge dictates economic possibilities

As horrific as this impact has been on my constituents, it is only a small part of the overwhelming destruction covering 90,000 square miles of the Gulf Coast.

It's the centrality of the Word and not the person who preaches it that's important.