Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has issued a stern warning that Nigeria will not achieve its goals unless both citizens and leaders embrace “moral rearmament.” He cautioned that the country is “sitting on a keg of gunpowder” that could explode if its leaders fail to take bold and decisive actions to address its numerous challenges.
Obasanjo made these remarks on Friday when he received six members of the House of Representatives at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta. He emphasized that the demands of the #EndBadGovernance protesters are legitimate and urged the government to address them instead of pretending that all is well.
“It is wrong for those in government to continue enjoying themselves while telling the suffering masses to be patient,” Obasanjo said, criticizing the lack of progress by successive governments in building on the foundation he laid during his time in office.
He highlighted the need for a fundamental change in the way things are done in Nigeria, stressing that the country needs to “decarbonize our brains” and adopt a new mentality and character. Obasanjo lamented that instead of advancing, Nigeria has often taken “one step forward, two steps aside, and four steps backward,” which he said has led to the country’s current predicament.
Obasanjo also touched on the issue of governance, questioning whether changing the system of government or adopting a single term of six years would make a difference. He argued that the real issue lies with the character of those in power, stating, “If you give someone a single term of six years, they can still do the evil they would have done in a case of two terms of four years.”
He concluded by calling for a rethink of democracy in Nigeria, urging that the character of people in government must change for the country to move forward. “With all due respect, most of those in government should right now be behind bars or in the gallows,” he remarked, underscoring the urgent need for accountability and moral integrity among Nigeria’s leaders.
