Despite Nigeria’s challenges, hope remains as Obasanjo slams Buhari, Tinubu – Crime Channels
Despite Nigeria’s challenges, hope remains as Obasanjo slams Buhari, Tinubu
In a keynote address delivered at the Chinua Achebe Leadership Forum at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, over the weekend, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo candidly discussed the dire state of his country.
He remarked, “As the world can clearly see, Nigeria’s situation is dire.”
Obasanjo went on to assert that the nation’s profound challenges were the result of pervasive corruption and leadership failure, outlining how these issues exacerbate insecurity, division, youth unrest, and underdevelopment.
“The more corruption and immorality a nation experiences, the deeper it sinks into chaos, conflict, and dysfunction,” he said, noting that Nigeria was experiencing these very consequences.
Referring to the current state of the country, Obasanjo described it as one marked by widespread corruption, mismanagement, and incompetence, all of which have led to a failing state.
He pointed to the disastrous leadership under former President Muhammadu Buhari, and current President Bola Tinubu calling attention to the systemic problems that have been allowed to persist.
“The consequences of corruption, mediocrity, and injustice are visible to anyone with an honest perspective. However, despite these challenges, hope remains,” he added.
In his address, Obasanjo referenced the seminal 1983 work The Trouble with Nigeria by Chinua Achebe, in which the Nigerian author argued that the nation’s problems were rooted not in the character of its people or the country’s resources, but in the failure of leadership.
“The trouble with Nigeria is simply a failure of leadership,” Obasanjo quoted, echoing Achebe’s assertion that the country’s leadership has consistently failed to meet the responsibility of setting a personal example, which he identified as the true mark of effective leadership.
