Nigeria’s former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, on Saturday, declared that many aspirants jostling for different elective posts ahead of the 2023 general elections, ought to be serving one jail term or another for their acts of corruption.
He said this in his remarks at an international symposium with the theme ‘Africa Narrative with Nigeria Situation’, held at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), Abeokuta, to mark his 85th birthday.
The former president noted that if the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offence (ICPC), had diligently done their jobs, with the support of the judiciary, most of them out to be behind the bars.
He submitted that the process of building Nigeria must not be based on sentiments, ethnicity; bigotry; sectionalism; religion; regionalism or class.
While stressing that persons with no integrity should not be given any chance to oversee the country he said, “I read and hear about endorsements and statements in support of candidates that I frankly have not made, forming next political parties that I can never get involved in.
“I was told that social media credited to me names of three people from the south that I am sponsoring for Presidency in 2023.
“My friend, Professor Ango Abdullahi, who brought this to my knowledge remarked that he did not believe that I made such a statement because it was out of my character.
“I have neither named names nor stated my position. In situations like the one we are in, I will not rush into naming names without necessary consultations and well-defined principles and criteria.
“I cast a cursory look at some of the people running around and those for whom people are running around. If EFCC and ICPC would have done their jobs properly and supported adequately by the judiciary, most of them would be in jail.
“Any person who has no integrity in small things cannot have integrity in big things. Fixing Nigeria must begin on the principles of nation building, not necessarily on emotion, sentiments, euphoria, ignorance, incompetence, ethnicity, nepotism, bigotry, sectionalism, regionalism, religion or class.
“Each contender must be properly x-rayed and profiled from birth and Nigerians must be educated to be able to make a choice that will be in the national interest and propel Nigeria forward.
“Such a person will have to lead what remains of the nation to courageously continue on the path of nation-building as a national team leader, no matter on what platform he or she assumes leadership. No one can do it alone.
“We must, however, stop sacrificing character, track records and performance on the altar of ethnic, regional or religious jingoism. As the watchman counts on daybreak, so too do I count on Nigerians and Nigeria to bring forth that person.”
The former president said he believed in principles before personalities as far as the election is concerned, saying Nigeria must progress from country to a nation status.
Obasanjo hinted that the country and her people must learn from events of the past for it to move forward.
“We need to be clear about what Nigeria needs today and why Nigeria needs it. Only then can we answer the question of how that will inform us of the criteria and characteristics for determining who.
“I believe in principles before personalities and taking personalities before principles is putting the cart before the horse. And for me, the major issue is how to progress Nigeria from a country to a nation.
“We have a lot to learn from the events of the last almost twenty-four years and God is not to blame if we fail.
“It would appear that we are not getting our priorities right and that can spell doom on our country if we fail to do what we should do for nation-building in terms of fundamentals of equity, justice, common ideals, popular education, shared values, mutual respect and equality of opportunity anchored and propelled by leaders across the board that are persons of integrity, honour, morality, competence, great virtue, courage to do what is right, humility and ability to put a team together and work with them in selfless devotion and service with the fear of God.”
In attendance at the symposium both physically and virtually were the President of African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina; President Paul Kagame (Rwanda), former President of Benin Republic Nicéphore Soglo, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Professor Goski Alabi (Ghana); Ambassador Barry Desker (Singapore); Professor Juma Shabani (Burundi); Dr. Mary Khimulu (Kenya); Dr. Moussa Kondo (Mali); Professor Sarah Agbor (Cameroon); Professor Chukwuma Soludo and Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, among others.