Anti-Corruption War Should Begin With Accountability From The Top—Obasanjo.
Olusegun Obasanjo, the former president of Nigeria, has emphasised that holding senior government officials accountable is necessary for the fight against corruption to be effective and successful.
The former president stated that combating corruption at the highest echelons of government will establish a precedent for others and demonstrate the government’s commitment to openness and honesty.
On Sunday night, a private radio station in Abeokuta, Ogun State’s capital, conducted an interactive Zoom session titled “Boiling Point Arena,” in which he talked.
Some private radio stations in Abeokuta, Ogun State’s capital, carried the interview, which centred on Obasanjo’s political legacy and his judgement of today’s Nigeria.
Chief Olusegun Obasanjo described corruption as a complicated issue that has thoroughly established itself in Nigerian culture, emphasising the necessity for good leadership to begin the battle against corruption.
According to him, the best way to combat corruption is to start at the top.
The former president also noted that combating corruption requires a daily and constant commitment.
“Corruption is a multifaceted issue that penetrates deeply.” I believe it was the Sultan of Sokoto, the father of the current Sultan, who stated that corruption is like a ‘babariga’: if you fold it on one side, it falls apart on the other. When carried on both sides, you can’t hold your hands up, and it crumbles when set down. And that is corruption.
“This is not a one-day event. It is not a one-regime matter. It’s not even a two-regime situation. It needs to be constant. It has to be continuous. It has to be an everyday occurrence. “Once one regime emerges, it rapidly expands.
He advocated for a shift in the selection and appointment of leaders to public positions, prioritising talent over ethnic or political considerations.
Speaking about leadership, he stated that self-made leaders or those enthroned by Satan are destined to fail.
He argued that only God can create a leader, and anyone he chooses will succeed.
“So I’ll argue that God prepares and places most leaders, and when that happens, the odds of success are better than when you create a leader yourself, which may not be an act of God.
I reject the idea that God makes all leaders. Satan possesses the ability to make a leader. In the case of Job, Satan was continuously rising and falling before God. While God was commending Job, Satan said that Job was righteous because he had received God’s benefits.
“We must acknowledge the existence of Satan and his power; while he lacks salvation, we must not underestimate his power.”