Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has called for measures to make the anti – corruption war of the federal government more effective and ensure the safety of Nigerians in midst of security threat.
Obasanjo spoke on Saturday in Abeokuta, Ogun state, at a gathering to mark his 79th birthday during which many eminent Nigerians eulogised him.
The ex – President who took a brief look at what used to be the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) under the Pioneer, Mr Nuhu Ribadu, and what it is today, concluded regrettably that the Anti – graft agency has become a “toothless bull – dog.”
He explained that there was the need to do an appraisal to know why the EFCC which was dreaded because of its effectiveness during his administration, began to lose courage.
According to him, the appraisal is crucial so that the nation does not take one step forwards and take three steps backward.
Obasanjo also recommended the deployment of technology to fight insurgents both at local and global levels.
He said: “the good thing is that we all enjoyed the work and we all felt that we were contributing our own meaningful quota to the development of the country.
“As all know, when Nuhu Ribadu was handling the EFCC, he handled it in such a way that people coined the saying that the beginning of wisdom is the fear of Ribadu.
” And the thing you will ask is how did we go down, how did we lose that, how did we? Nuhu Ribadu is still here, he is still alive, the institution that we started together is still there, what made the institution to become a toothless bull dog.
“We need to work things out so that we don’t take two steps forward, one step and three steps backward.”
On issues of terrorism, violent ectremism among others, Obasanjo the solutions lie at home, the church, mosque, society, state and the International community who.
THE NATION NEWS
