FORMER President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo said it is no credit to the Federal Government that herdsmen rampage continues with careless abandon and without an effective solution in Nigeria even as he condemned the rampage at the National Assembly on Tuesday, describing it as an indication of how low our politics and our democracy have been taken.
Chief Obasanjo, in a lecture entitled “The challenges in Ethics in National Development” at the 17th annual distinguished guest lecture of The Forum at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, said suspicion as to who is behind the herdsmen rampage is rife.
The former head of state, noting that lack of ethics or public morality is a recipe for underdevelopment and any departure from it leads to chaos, anarchy, immorality and insecurity, said it was one of the socio-economic issues that the Federal government was handling with levity and with discriminating political considerations.
According to Chief Obasanjo, “ethics and morals are an integral part of creating this social fabric so the nation can persist over time. Where mutual benefits and security is lacking, what you have is an unethical society and unethical nation and that does not augur well for development.”
While describing corruption an ethical issue, he stated that what came out of efforts of different organisations such as EFCC and ICPC was “the decipherable mindset, consequent planning, conduct, actions and statements of politicians that tend more towards the use of religion and ethnicity for selfish, self-seeking and separatists’ agenda.”
He added; “emphasis on socioeconomic development was limited only to self, families, clans, region before the nation in that order, so much so that the all-important matters of state were subverted. Nigeria has been established, but we are yet to establish and build Nigerians.
“The real socioeconomic issues that could impact on the people directly for their welfare and well being are handled with levity and with discriminating political considerations.
ALSO READ: Osun 2018: Former PDP guber aspirant, Durotoye dumps party
“Let nobody deceive us, economy feeds on politics and because our politics is depressing, our economy is even more depressing today. What happened at the National Assembly on Tuesday, August 7th 2018, and which has been roundly condemned is an indication of how low our politics and our democracy have been taken.
“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 a deterrent to good government and to the nation.
“What is more, the government that came to power on the mantra and sentiments of change and anti-corruption has been badly compromised. To win the war or to be taken seriously, the battle, as a “national emergency” will yield positive results only if we adopt a realistic and holistic strategy that can restore public confidence in the war against corruption and if our anti-graft war efforts are coordinated with the right personnel to drive it.
“Charity must begin at home for leaders and agencies involved. There should be no sacred cow or condonation. When a crime is condoned for political gains, it is bad for politics and it cannot help development.”
and then