Laolu Akande, former spokesman for ex-Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, has stated that Nigeria requires brave leaders to confront and punish corrupt groups within the country.
Akande made the statement during a ‘My Take’ segment on Channels Television on Friday.
He said, “The problems as of today, the widespread hardship in the land, and the menacing insecurities require courageous leadership at the very top. Our leaders must be bold enough to fire appointed public officials who don’t deliver on their key performance indicators.
“We have seen in this country how lack of consequences and impunity have created new problems and made old ones worse. There have been claims of collusion in corruption in certain agencies; our leaders should not be shy about thoroughly investigating, discovering what is happening, and punishing those responsible for the corruption and collusion if that is established.
“How is it possible that more than half of the oil lifted in Nigeria, for instance, is being stolen and no one has been caught or punished in several years?
“A president, a governor, an elected senator, or an assembly member is no use, in the long run, if he or she fails to use the big stick against those holding our commonwealth down.
“Our leaders must be bold enough, honest, and forthright to draw a line in the sand on the issue of corruption. It requires boldness. Corruption is corrosive. A former president said, If we don’t kill it, it will kill us.”
Akande also noted that Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu bears a heavier weight than previous President Muhammadu Buhari.
