Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has again attacked the Federal Government, stating that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration is incompetent and incapable of addressing the killings and poverty in the country.
He argued that the administration was confused and had reached the end of its tether while the nation was being left perilously to drift.
Instead of proffering solutions, the former leader said the government had been wringing its hands and “giving one unrighteous and unacceptable justification after the other.”
Obasanjo said this in a letter read on his behalf at a one-day national summit on insecurity and killings in Nigeria convened by the Northern Elders Forum, Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, Ohanaeze Ndigbo and Pan Niger Delta Forum on Wednesday in Abuja.
The ex-President, who was represented by a former governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, noted that Buhari was, by his action and inaction, doing a lot of harm to the nation’s commonwealth and heritage.
In the letter which was addressed to the NEF Chairman, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, the retired general recalled the discussion he had with the elder statesman about the danger to the nation’s democracy when he hosted him (Ango) in Abeokuta some weeks ago.
Obasanjo said, “When you kindly paid me a visit a couple of weeks ago, we deliberated on the danger to our democracy, our common identity, our commonality of purpose, our dream and our unity in diversity.
“We lamented the harm that the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, by his action and inaction, has done and is doing to our commonwealth and our common heritage.”
The Owu chief added that the nation had never been so divided along religious and regional lines as being witnessed today.
“The obvious indication is that the government is seemingly confused and has got to the end of its tether and the nation is being left divisively and perilously to drift.
“Earlier last week, I noted in a speech some undesirable elements being allowed and being introduced to our democracy by this administration. If these are not stopped, they could be the death knell of our democracy,” he stressed.
The elder statesman, however, expressed hope that in spite of the unfortunate situation created by the government, his consultations with people had given him hope.
“People are not ready to give up in despair and leave their fate and their present and future in the hands of inept leadership for their lives to be ruined. I see common concern across the nation irrespective of tribe, religion, language and social standing that the situation should be retrieved and the nation should be saved,” he stated.
The former President admonished the elders to continue with the dialogue which he said was necessary to clear misgivings, misunderstanding, misperception, misrepresentation, erroneous beliefs and outdated ideas and concepts.
FG doing nothing to secure lives, says Secondus
But the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Prince Uche Secondus, on Wednesday decried the incessant loss of lives and property in the country.
He said Nigerians had been living in fear due to persistent killings across the country while the Federal Government was doing nothing to salvage the situation.
Secondus spoke in Sokoto when he led some party leaders to condole with Governor Aminu Tambuwal over the recent killing of 39 people in the state.
According to him, President Muhammadu Buhari should focus on addressing the security challenges bedevilling the country rather than embarking on foreign trips.
“For how long will the government put in place the necessary security architecture to tackle these problems? The Federal Government is doing nothing and the governors have no control over security in their states,” he said.
He stated that Nigerians were going through pains and tired of wanton killings across the country.
“Nigerians are now living in pains and fear of the unknown because the killings are too many, from Zamfara to Sokoto, Borno, Benue, Plateau, Taraba and Adamawa states. What we see every day is bloodshed across the nation,” Secondus said.
He condoled with the government and people of Sokoto over the killing of 40 people by bandits in the state last week.
“We are in Sokoto in solidarity with the people that lost their loved ones and I urge you to take heart in this period of sorrow,” Secondus added.
Responding, Tambuwal thanked the PDP’s leadership for the visit and prayed God to reward them.
