Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has expressed concerns over the state of Nigeria under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, whom he referred to as “Emilokan” and “Baba-go-slow.”
He highlighted the growing challenges of insecurity, division, youth unrest, and underdevelopment, describing them as persistent issues during the current administration.
READ ALSO: Obasanjo reveals hearing loss condition
Speaking at the Chinua Achebe Leadership Forum held at Yale University in Connecticut, USA, Obasanjo delivered his keynote address on “Leadership Failure and State Capture in Nigeria.” He remarked, “As we can see and understand, Nigeria’s situation is bad.
The more the immorality and corruption of a nation, the more the nation sinks into chaos, insecurity, conflict, discord, division, disunity, depression, youth restiveness, confusion, violence, and underdevelopment.”
He criticized the ongoing state of affairs, attributing the country’s decline to pervasive corruption and mismanagement. “The failing state status of Nigeria is confirmed and glaringly indicated for every honest person to see through the consequences of pervasive corruption, mediocrity, immorality, misconduct, mismanagement, perversion, injustice, incompetence, and all other forms of iniquity,” he added.
Obasanjo also spoke about the concept of state capture, which he described as one of the most insidious forms of corruption. He defined it as a situation where influential individuals and groups manipulate national policies, the legal framework, and the economy to serve their personal interests. “State capture is not always overt and obvious. It can also arise from the more subtle close alignment of interests between specific business and political elites through family ties, friendships, and the intertwined ownership of economic assets,” he explained.
He further noted the alarming trend of political elites acquiring national assets at discounted prices and allocating valuable resources to local, regional, and international actors. “The purchase of national assets by political elites – and their family members at bargain prices, the allocation of national resources – minerals, land, and even human resources – must be prohibited and prevented through local and international laws,” Obasanjo emphasized.
Reflecting on Chinua Achebe’s work, The Trouble with Nigeria, he quoted, “The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership. There is nothing wrong with the Nigerian character. There is nothing wrong with Nigerian land, climate, water, air, or anything else. The Nigerian problem is the unwillingness or inability of its leaders to rise to the responsibility, to the challenge of personal example which are the hallmarks of true leadership.”
He also referenced the observations of US scholars Robert Rotberg and John Campbell, who have described Nigeria as a failing state with significant geopolitical implications.
“Nigeria has long teetered on the precipice of failure,” he quoted them as saying. “Unable to keep its citizens safe and secure, Nigeria has become a failed state of critical geopolitical concern. Its failure matters because the peace and prosperity of Africa and preventing the spread of disorder and militancy around the globe depend on a stronger Nigeria.”
