Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has described the current situation in Nigeria as sitting on a keg of gunpowder. He called for moral rearmament and positive reorientation among Nigerians.
He made the call in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, while receiving six House of Representatives members, and co-sponsors of the bill on a single six-year term and rotation between the North.
They were led by a former chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Downstream Petroleum, Ugo Chinyere, during their visit to the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library.
“Nigeria is a nation where we take two steps forward, one step aside and four steps backwards. So, we are sitting on a keg of gunpowder that could explode anytime if we fail to take courageous and decisive steps to address the multi various challenges facing the country,” he said.
The former President regretted that the succeeding government had also not built on the foundation he laid while he was in power.
“More than anything else such as changing our system of government, moving to a single term of six or four years, we must change our ways of doing things in this country. We must decarbonise our brains; we must change our mentality and characters.
“How I wish that the succeeding governments were building on the foundation we laid, even if not as fast as one would have wanted it. But sadly, the blocks we put there are even being removed.
“What I know about Nigeria is that yes, if we get it right—the leadership and the team because one tree does not make a forest—you need a good leader, but you also need a good team for a well-done job.
“The point is that if we get this right in about two and a half years, we shall get some of the challenges behind us, and in about 10 years we will have gotten a solid foundation, and in about 25 years we will be there.
“But what we have always done is to take one step forward, two steps aside and four steps backwards and it is why we are where we are in the country.
“For me, it is not so much about the system, but we may need to rethink the liberal democracy where we talk of loyal opposition. What we do in Africa is that we sit down and get a consensus and after we have done that, there is no opposition. Everyone is on the same page and we move together.
“The word for opposition in all African languages that I have looked into is enemies. What do you do with loyal enemies? Nothing like that. Once you take it, it belongs to you, the winners take all and the opposition goes into the wilderness. That is what we do but this is not good. We need everyone to join hands together and move the society forward.
“The issue for me if we get it right whether we have a single term of six years or two terms of four years is that we must decarbonise our brains and mentality.
“Look if you give him a single term of six years, he can go ahead and still do the evil he would have done in a case of two terms of four years. The only difference is that he would have done that within six years and not four years and that is if he is not reelected for another four years.
“To me, this is not our problem. Our main problem is ourselves and until we take care of ourselves, if we like let us adopt a single term of six years, one term of four years among others with the same mentality and same way of doing things, nothing will change.
“So, the very beginning is ourselves. Yes, system, yes we have to rethink our democracy but the character of people in government must change. With all due respect, most of those in government should right now be behind bars or in gallows.”
He asked that the three arms of the government, that is, the legislature, the executive, the judiciary; the civil service, and the private sector must change their ways.
“Otherwise, we all sink in the same boat called Nigeria,” Obasanjo said.
“Like I have warned earlier, we should know that we are all sitting on a keg of gunpowder if we fail to begin to do the right thing. For instance, what the youth are demanding is very legitimate and should be listened to or why should they be denied what rightfully belongs to them?
“They are frustrated, they are hungry, they are angry, they are unemployed, and they deserved to be given listening ears”.
The President also warned that the huge corruption in the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) will never make our refinery work.
He said that the Shell Company he contacted to take over running the refineries when in government turned the offer down, citing unimaginable corruption.
Speaking on behalf of the lawmakers, Ugochinyere, representing Ideato North/Imo South Federal Constituency, Imo State, said that the legislators came to see the former President to draw from his wealth of knowledge and experience is one of the highly respected voices in Africa.
Ugochinyere Ikenga said that for fairness, equality, and justice, the lawmakers in a bill are canvassing for a single term of six years and a rotational presidency between the south and the north, as well as rotation of governorship slot among the three senatorial districts of each of the 36 states of the federation.
