Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has challenged the President, Muhammad Buhari to begin his anti-corruption crusade with himself, the Vice president, the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives before branching out to other Nigerians.
The former president who described corruption as a ‘hydra-headed monster’ that must not be allowed to live raised the challenge on Friday while speaking as a special guest at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun state during the institution’s Staff Club’s interactive programme tagged “Seventh Roundtable with Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Reflections of an Elder Statesman.”.
Obasanjo continue that the fight against corruption must begin from the Apex of the power pyramid in the country. In response to a question raised by a student concerning his view of the present administration, the former president said the President had left no one in doubt that he was willing to combat graft.
Stating that “The president promised he will fight corruption. And there is no doubt that he has shown that he is willing to fight corruption. Corruption is a hydra-headed monster.
“I believe very much that fighting corruption just has to start from the top. That is, from the president, the vice president, the senate president, the speaker of the House, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).”
At the mention of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, one of participants along with others who joined in asked the former president to include himself and other former presidents in the prosecution list for corruption.
He responded to the suggestion; “Did I hear somebody say and you? Oh, you mean and former presidents? Former presidents have either done their bit when they were in office or they did not.
“The instruments we are using today (to fight corruption) were all fashioned out by me when I was in office. We did not have anything like the instruments (ICPC, EFCC) before. Not only did I bring up these instruments, I also looked for the right people who could make the instruments work.
Adding that “Nuhu Ribadu was in charge of the EFCC and then, the fear of Ribadu was the beginning of wisdom. For ICPC, I specially head-hunted somebody like Justice Mustapha Akanbi to run it,”
The former president on the issue of abducted Chibok girls said the hopes had been dashed, declaring that Nigerian leaders should stop deceiving parents of the girls and the nation that they would find them.
He added that the immediate past administration procrastinated on the issue, noting that failure to swing into action 72 hours after the girls were abducted about two years ago in Chibok, Borno State, was an impediment to their freedom.
Obasanjo further added “searching for the Cbibok girls would be in vain because nobody can bring back the girls, for they are nowhere to be found. Nigerian leaders should stop deceiving the populace as Chibok girls cannot return again.
“The disappearance of the Chibok girls is as a result of nonchalant attitude of the previous leaders who did not switch to action immediately, which constituted impediment to their return.
“Seventy-two hours after the Chibok girls were abducted was too late for their rescue, talk less getting to two years by April. So if any leader is promising bringing back Chibok girls to Nigeria, he is lying. Majority of these girls would have died, while those alive would have been married off, sexual violence and human traffic king would have affected others,”.
On Wole Soyinka, the Nobel Laureate, Obasanjo said “Soyinka is slippery and he is no man to be trusted. I will trust Wole Soyinka as an “aparo hunter” (partridge hunter) than trusting him as a political analyst. I have no issues with him.”
Question was also raised as regards Obasanjo’s failure to release some money for the National Assembly during his tenure, he replied saying “you don’t know so many things that transpired during my administration. So many things were not resolved, so don’t attack my intelligence and personality.” adding that he was threatened with Impeachment by th members of the National Assembly for not releasing the said money which he considered Odious more so, there were no revenue to back up such huge funds at the time.