A former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo has faulted the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, saying the country is becoming a “failing state”.
Obasanjo spoke in his keynote address at the Chinua Achebe Leadership Forum held at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
“The more the immorality and corruption of a nation, the more the nation sinks into chaos, insecurity, conflict, and disunity,” Obasanjo said during the event on Friday.
“The failing state status of Nigeria is confirmed and glaringly indicated for all to see.”
“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,” Obasanjo added.
“That’s the situation mostly in Nigeria in the reign of Baba-go-slow and Emilokan. The failing state status of Nigeria is confirmed and glaringly indicated and manifested for every honest person to see through the consequences of the level of our pervasive corruption, mediocrity, immorality, misconduct, mismanagement, perversion, injustice, incompetence, and all other forms of iniquity.”
Obasanjo asked the leadership of the country to work for the betterment of the people and not pander to foreign influences to the detriment of Nigerians.
The former president warned against what he described as “state capture” by some persons which he said is one of the most pervasive forms of corruption.
He said, “State capture is one of the most pervasive forms of corruption.
“What is happening in Nigeria—right before our eyes—is state capture, where public institutions are subject to undue influence from vested interests.”
He also decried the rising levels of insecurity, food scarcity, and other issues affecting Nigeria.
According to him, if food insecurity is not tackled, the country faces threats of instability.
Ex-president Obasanjo accused politicians of taking advantage of the situation instead of addressing it.
“The food items are usually packaged strategically with the image of political candidates and the parties they represent,” he said.
“The political calculation here is that destitute people are more likely to vote for a politician who brings along gifts – ironically, bought by looted treasury funds belonging to the very same people that are condescended upon – than one who only provides concrete solutions to their everyday problems that might take time.”
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
