Ex president Olusegun Obasanjo has lashed out at President Muhamamdu Buhari's administration and seemingly failing policies.
Muhammadu Buhari and Olusegun Obasanjo
For the over one and a half year that President Muhammadu Buhari
has been in power, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has remained one of his
staunchest backers, visiting him repeatedly and publicly defending most
of his actions.
However, speaking in Lagos Wednesday, Mr. Obasanjo served signal
that the era of being soft on the administration Mr. Buhari leads is
over.
Delivering the keynote at the First Akintola Williams Annual
Lecture, Mr. Obasanjo lashed at the Buhari administration for repeatedly
lumping the country’s three previous administrations (including the one
he, Obasanjo led) together and then accusing them of misgovernance.
He also advised Mr. Buhari to stop dwelling on the past, saying
since he was elected to change the country, he should concentrate on
clearing the mess he inherited.
“Now that we have had change because the actors and the
situation needed to be changed, let us move forward to have progress
through a comprehensive economic policy and programme that is
intellectually, strategically and philosophically based,” Mr. Obasanjo said.
“It is easier to win an election than to right the wrongs of a
badly fouled situation. When you are outside, what you see and know are
nothing compared with the reality.
“And yet once you are on seat, you have to clear the mess and
put the nation on the path of rectitude, development and progress
leaving no group or section out of your plan, programme and policy and
efforts. The longer it takes, the more intractable the problem may
become.”
The former president also criticised plans by Mr. Buhari to take about $30billion loan.
“I am sure that such a comprehensive policy and programme (that
will move Nigeria forward) will not support borrowing US$30 billion in
less than three years. It will give us the short-, medium- and long-term
picture.
“Adhocry is not the answer but cold, hard headed planning that
evinces confidence and trust is the answer. Economy neither obeys orders
nor does it work according to wishes. It must be worked upon with all
factors considered and most stakeholders involved.
“The investors, domestic and foreign, are no fools and they
know what is going on with the management of the economy including the
foreign exchange and they are not amused. The Central Bank must be
restored to its independence and integrity. We must be careful and
watchful of the danger of shortermism.
“Short-term may be the enemy of medium- and long-term. We must
also make allowance for the lessons that most of us in democratic
dispensation have learned and which the present administration seems to
be just learning.”
The former president did not spare the National Assembly which he
says stinks to high heavens and the Nigerian military, which he said
needed to be purged.
Read the full speech on Premium Times
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