Elder statesman, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, on Tuesday, slammed the
President Muhammadu Buhari-led government for performing below the
expectations of Nigerians.
Obasanjo, who ruled Nigeria at different times as a military and democratic president, had in a strongly worded letter titled:
‘THE WAY OUT: A CLARION CALL FOR COALITION FOR NIGERIA MOVEMENT’, highlighted the failings of the ruling All Progressives Congress-led government.
The PUNCH brings you six quotes from the former Peoples Democratic Party stalwart.
Poverty“Already,
Nigerians are committing suicide for the unbearable socio-economic
situation they find themselves in. And yet Nigerians love life. We must
not continue to reinforce failure and hope that all will be well. It is
self-deceit and self-defeat and another aspect of folly.”
Insecurity/Herdsmen menaceThe
herdsmen/crop farmers issue is being wittingly or unwittingly allowed
to turn sour and messy. It is no credit to the Federal Government that
the herdsmen rampage continues with careless abandon and without finding
an effective solution to it. And it is a sad symptom of insensitivity
and callousness that some Governors, a day after 73 victims were being
buried in a mass grave in Benue State without condolence, were
jubilantly endorsing President Buhari for a second term!
The
second is his poor understanding of the dynamics of internal politics.
This has led to wittingly or unwittingly making the nation more divided
and inequality has widened and become more pronounced. It also has
effect on general national security.
Poor economic management“The
third is passing the buck. For instance, blaming the Governor of the
Central Bank for devaluation of the naira by 70% or so and blaming past
governments for it, is to say the least, not accepting one’s own
responsibility. Let nobody deceive us, economy feeds on politics and
because our politics is depressing, our economy is even more depressing
today. If things were good, President Buhari would not need to come in.
He was voted to fix things that were bad and not engage in the blame
game. Our Constitution is very clear, one of the cardinal
responsibilities of the President is the management of the economy of
which the value of the naira forms an integral part. Kinship and
friendship that place responsibility for governance in the hands of the
unelected can only be deleterious to good government and to the nation.”
Nepotism“One
is nepotic deployment bordering on clannishness and inability to bring
discipline to bear on errant members of his nepotic court. This has
grave consequences on performance of his government to the detriment of
the nation. It would appear that national interest was being sacrificed
on the altar of nepotic interest. What does one make of a case like that
of Maina: collusion, condonation, ineptitude, incompetence, dereliction
of responsibility or kinship and friendship on the part of those who
should have taken visible and deterrent disciplinary action? “
Condoning misdeed“There
were serious allegations of round-tripping against some inner caucus of
the Presidency which would seem to have been condoned. I wonder if such
actions do not amount to corruption and financial crime, then what is
it? Culture of condonation and turning blind eye will cover up rather
than clean up. And going to justice must be with clean hands.”
Source: Punch
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