Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Nigeria’s former president, has highlighted the critical role of leadership in combating corruption, asserting that genuine change can only begin with accountability among the nation’s top officials.
Speaking during an interactive Zoom session titled “Boiling Point Arena,” hosted by a private radio station in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Obasanjo underscored that fighting corruption from the top down would set a vital example for the rest of the country.
“The best way of fighting corruption is starting from the head, that is where corruption has to be fought from,” Obasanjo said on Sunday night.
Obasanjo: Nigeria’s corruption like hydra-headed problem
The ex-president described corruption as a pervasive issue that has deeply infiltrated Nigerian society, Channels Television reported.
Using an analogy from the late Sultan of Sokoto, he compared corruption to a “babariga” that falls apart when folded on one side, symbolising its persistent and multifaceted nature, Vanguard reported.
“Corruption is very hydra-headed and eats deep. If you are folding it on one side, it’s falling apart on the other side.
“When you carry it on both sides, you cannot hold your hands up, and as soon as you put your hands down, it’s falling apart,” he explained.
Obasanjo emphasised that tackling corruption cannot be a one-time initiative but must be an ongoing effort that spans different administrations.
“It’s not a one-day affair. It’s not a one-regime affair. It has to be consistent. It has to be continual. It has to be a daily affair. Once one regime is let off, it spreads,” Obasanjo warned.
Presidency tackles Obasanjo
Legit earlier reported that the presidency had fired back Obasanjo, telling him to use his remaining years to reflect on his failures rather than criticise the current administration.
This followed the ex-president’s criticism of the Bola Tinubu-led government.
Obasanjo, who served as Nigeria’s head of state from 1976 to 1979 and later as its president from 1999 to 2007, is renowned for speaking against national issues.
He recently mocked Tinubu’s administration, describing the president as “Baba Go-Slow.”