Obasanjo, Yar’Adua, Jonathan Were Patriotic, Fair-Minded Leaders; But Today… — Mailafia

Obasanjo, Yar’Adua, Jonathan Were Patriotic, Fair-Minded Leaders; But Today… — Mailafia

September 5, 2021

Dr. Obadiah Mailafia

By Dayo Johnson, AKURE

Former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Dr. Obadiah Mailafia, has said the nation was becoming a failed state because the previous leaders were fair-minded and patriotic unlike what currently subsists.

Mailafia also noted that Nigeria may soon become ungovernable to the ruling class if the drift towards a failed state was unchecked.

He spoke during a symposium organised by Forum for Good Governance of Towards Revival for All Nations, TRANS 21, in Akure, the Ondo State capital.

Speaking on “The Role of the Church in Nation Building”, Mailafia said Nigeria can no longer be described as a nation due to the fact that concentration of power is not with the government alone, but now also in the hands of some other power blocs.

“Nigeria has been designated as a failed state. We may not say it is a failed state, but it is certainly exhibiting the features of a failing state in terms of the kind of violence we are seeing;

“Wide spread insecurity, terrorism, the abuse of humanity, criminality, rape, killing, maiming and destruction.

“We are a failing state, and the solution is nothing than the need to give birth to a new Nigeria.

“Rival groups control territories. Boko Haram is in control of over half of Niger State and if they successfully take over Niger, Abuja will be a walkover.

“Government cannot provide security for the people. Nowhere is safe in the country. The forests have been taken over by foreign invaders.

“The economy is collapsing, there is collapse of the institution; Police, university’s standards are low. Corruption has taken over the country. What else do we need to say Nigeria is a failed state?

“In the past, people could ignore that because Olusegun Obasanjo was a fair-minded man and he was a patriot.

“Umaru Yar’Adua of blessed memory was a fair-minded man and a patriot. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was a fair-minded man and he was a patriot.

“So, people could afford to live with a fraudulent constitution. But now today, we are seeing that a fraudulent constitution in the hands of people who have hidden agendas, who hate our country, who are beholders to Niger Republic, Chad and other foreign countries.”