Trouble For Tinubu As Obasanjo Drops Bombshell Amid Excruciating Hardship; SEE What He Said
Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has issued a stark warning about the growing frustration among Nigerian youths, cautioning that continued misgovernance could lead to a nationwide uprising. In his newly released book, *Nigeria: Past and Future*, the elder statesman expressed concerns over corruption, leadership failures, and economic mismanagement, urging current leaders to take urgent corrective measures.
Growing Discontent Among Nigerian Youth
Obasanjo’ s latest critique of the Nigerian government highlights the increasing anger among the country’ s young population. He emphasized that despite Nigeria’ s abundance of talented and hardworking youths, many feel betrayed by the state due to widespread corruption, poor governance, and economic hardship.
He warned that unless urgent reforms are implemented, the country could face a revolution fueled by hungry and frustrated young people. The former president insisted that leaders who continue to rule with deception and indifference to public suffering should not expect to escape the consequences of their actions.
” The younger generation is becoming more assertive, less tolerant of abuses of power, and increasingly desperate for the benefits of good governance, ” he stated. ” Whether or not our leaders accept it, a reckoning is inevitable. ”
According to him, the country’ s leadership structure and governance system are deeply flawed, promoting corruption, exclusion, and impunity. He called for an urgent review of Nigeria’ s political and economic framework to reflect the country’ s unique cultural and societal needs.
Corruption And Economic Mismanagement
Obasanjo described Nigeria as sitting on a ” ticking time bomb, ” citing the continued failure of leaders to address the needs of the people. He pointed out that while millions of young Nigerians remain unemployed and underprivileged, political leaders continue to enjoy lavish lifestyles, squandering public funds instead of investing in job creation and economic development.
” The youth watch helplessly as those in power tell them blatant lies while living extravagantly on the nation’ s commonwealth, ” he lamented. ” Rather than investing in small and medium- scale enterprises (SMEs) to create jobs, they prioritize personal luxury. If we continue on this dangerous path, we risk pushing the youth beyond the point of no return. ”
Quoting former U. S. President John F. Kennedy, Obasanjo reiterated that ” those who make peaceful change impossible will make violent change inevitable. ” While clarifying that he was not advocating for violence, he stressed that if leaders failed to act responsibly, civil unrest could become unavoidable.
Traditional Rulers And The Decline Of Moral Authority
Beyond the political landscape, Obasanjo also took aim at Nigeria’ s traditional institutions, lamenting the decline in the credibility and influence of traditional rulers. In his book, he criticized the widespread proliferation of unqualified and morally compromised individuals being crowned as kings.
” Today, criminals, drug addicts, bandits, and kidnappers have found their way into positions of traditional leadership, ” he noted. ” It is disgraceful and has significantly contributed to Nigeria’ s governance challenges. ”
He recalled a time when traditional rulers commanded respect and played key roles in national development. However, he argued that the institution has now been polluted by corruption and political manipulation. ” When a traditional ruler is caught snatching a ballot box during elections, it becomes clear that the system is broken, ” he remarked.
Obasanjo called for the restoration of dignity and honor to Nigeria’ s traditional institutions, urging leaders to ensure that only individuals of high moral standing assume such positions. ” Traditional rulers should be assets to national development, not liabilities, ” he said.
Military Failures And Government Negligence
Another major issue highlighted in Obasanjo’ s book is the failure of Nigeria’ s military to effectively tackle security challenges, particularly the Boko Haram insurgency. He noted that while the Nigerian Civil War (1967- 1970) was concluded in 30 months, the battle against Boko Haram has dragged on for nearly two decades, exacerbated by banditry, kidnappings, and terrorist threats from groups like ISIS and Al- Qaeda.
A significant factor contributing to this failure, according to Obasanjo, is corruption within the defense sector. He accused government officials of awarding military procurement contracts to their relatives and associates, resulting in the purchase of substandard equipment.
” With poor- quality weapons, our soldiers are often outgunned and outmaneuvered by insurgents, ” he explained. ” The defense sector has been turned into a money- making venture, where those in power prioritize personal gain over national security. ”
Obasanjo also alleged that former President Muhammadu Buhari’ s administration selectively decided which criminal groups the military should confront, worsening Nigeria’ s security crisis. He cited claims by General T. Y. Danjuma, a respected military figure, who accused the government of treating some criminal groups with leniency while brutally cracking down on others.
He warned that such favoritism and political interference in security matters could have devastating long- term consequences. ” When leaders undermine peace and security from the highest level, all other efforts become futile, ” he said.
A Call For Urgent Reform
Obasanjo concluded by urging Nigerian leaders to take immediate steps to address the country’ s pressing challenges. He called for greater investment in education, job creation, and security, warning that failure to act could plunge the nation into chaos.
He emphasized that the military must be adequately equipped and trained to combat modern security threats, including insurgents living among civilians. Additionally, he advised the armed forces to resist political manipulation and uphold their constitutional duty of defending Nigeria’ s territorial integrity.
” There is no better time for change than now, ” Obasanjo asserted. ” We must abandon deceit and scapegoating, face reality, and make genuine efforts to rebuild our nation. If we fail to act, change will be forced upon us, and history has shown that such change is often violent and unpredictable. ”
Despite Obasanjo’ s strong remarks, responses from the current government have been muted. Attempts to obtain reactions from President Bola Tinubu’ s administration were unsuccessful, as officials declined to comment on the former president’ s statements. Similarly, efforts to reach former President Buhari’ s spokesperson, Garba Shehu, were unfruitful.
As Nigeria grapples with deep- seated governance and security issues, Obasanjo’ s warnings serve as a critical reminder of the urgent need for reform. Whether the current leadership will heed his advice remains to be seen.
