Former President Olusegun Obasanjo says government
appointments are based on “favouritism” and not on merit or competence.
The former president said this on Saturday in a statement
while felicitating the Federal Government College, Kaduna, on its 50th
anniversary.
While speaking on the subject of unity in Nigeria, Obasanjo
expressed concern about the current state of affairs in the country.
He said the economic situation in the country has increased
hardship, insecurity, and affected the quality of leadership.
According to Obasanjo, leaders are more concerned about
their selfish interests than the country’s survival, adding that the religious
tensions in the country have been intentionally instigated by politicians.
“Once again, our nation is dancing on the precipice and some
of us are truly worried about the state of affairs today. I expressed that
worry in my open letter to Nigerians and Nigerian youths on New Year’s Day,” he
said.
“As I stated in the letter; ‘If we fall prey again, we will
have ourselves to blame and no one can say how many more knocks Nigeria can
take before it tips over. To be forewarned is to be fore-armed.’ Of course, I
pray that Nigeria will never tip over. We must constantly work at it and pray.
“My worry is premised
on a number of issues. First, I am concerned that the current state of our
nation’s economy has widened the gulf of inequality and left many people in
despair. Inflation is on the rise; poverty and hardship have returned to many
households. The last decade has reversed many of the economic gains that were
made in the first decade of the century. There is a general sense of
hopelessness across the nation with seemingly uncontrollable insecurity.
“In addition to the economic hardship is political mischief.
Never have we been so politically divided along religious, ethnic and other
fault lines and deliberately so. Appointments in government are skewed and
lopsided on basis of nepotism and mediocrity and disregard of merit and
competence.
“Elections are here and may compound the problem. Political
parties and politicians have now been emboldened to discard some of the things
that were put in place to give all groups a sense of belonging. Exclusion is
being taken as normal. Disunity stares us in the face and many of our leaders
are more concerned about their selfish interests than the survival and health
of our nation.”
‘PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTION OPTIONS NOT TO BE TRIFLED WITH’
Speaking further, Obasanjo urged Nigerians to change the
political course of the country by participating actively in the forthcoming
elections.
The former president said the concerns raised about the
presidential candidates are real, adding that Nigerians would have themselves
to blame if they do nothing about the situation.
“Let me reiterate that the concerns being raised about the
nature of the options before us in the presidential elections for instance are
real and should not be trifled with,” the statement reads.
“Nigeria belongs to us all and no part of the country should
be left in doubt about their place in this union on any basis whatsoever;
ethnic, religious, language, region, culture or social standing.
“The beauty of
democracy is that the options before us cannot be imposed on us if we all do
what we need to do to send a message to those who have had the audacity to present
those options to us with little or no interest for the 225 million Nigerians.
“If we choose to do nothing, we will only have ourselves to
blame. If we choose to do the right thing, we will by so doing return this
country on the right track; one which gives all our people a sense of belonging
and a sense of unity of purpose and a stake in the project Nigeria; a project
that will give all of us peace, security, stability, shared prosperity, hope
and progress and a place within the comity of nations.”
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