Obasanjo on state of the nation

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said any government that fails to protect lives and property has no justification to exist. Speaking on News Central’s Soni Irabor Live last weekend, Obasanjo addressed Nigeria’s response to the Niger Republic coup and rising kidnapping. Obasanjo traced the country’s security crisis to post-civil war arms proliferation, worsened by poor […]

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said any government that fails to protect lives and property has no justification to exist.

Speaking on News Central’s Soni Irabor Live last weekend, Obasanjo addressed Nigeria’s response to the Niger Republic coup and rising kidnapping.

Obasanjo traced the country’s security crisis to post-civil war arms proliferation, worsened by poor governance.

He also cited internal and external factors, including the influx of armed mercenaries after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi and the politicisation of armed groups, as key drivers of insecurity.

The former president said, “The other day, somebody came to me and said, well, from NIPSS (National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies), they were looking into the causes of insecurity. And I said, what is this about? He said the government has asked them to do this.

“I said, well, this government, will they have the courage to implement whatever you will get. He said he didn’t know. And I said, look, I came back to this country in 1959 after my military training, initial military training in the UK. You could go anywhere in the North. Anywhere. And what you will get is people being gracious there.

“And somebody was telling me the other day that, look, we have taken it (kidnapping) for granted. It’s no longer news. So, when you hear that somebody in your family has been kidnapped, you all come together. Even for N2,000, maybe they can release him. Should we accept that as a way of life? No way.

“And the first responsibility of any government, no matter how that government comes into being, is the security of life and property. A government that cannot give security of life and property to its citizens has forfeited the right of existence.”

The former president also criticised the Tinubu administration’s handling of relations with the Niger Republic following the recent coup, describing the response as ill-conceived and damaging to decades of regional cooperation.

He said measures such as border closures, electricity cuts and financial restrictions undermined long-standing historical, economic and cultural ties between both countries.

He said Nigeria and Niger share deep-rooted connections, including cross-border family links, and cooperation between them had been vital to Nigeria’s strategic and military interests.

As chairman of ECOWAS, Tinubu was seen to have taken a hard-line stance, pushing sanctions and even threatening military intervention.

However, Obasanjo said the approach weakened regional cohesion rather than strengthening the bloc, with the exit of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso from ECOWAS.

He lamented Nigeria’s declining influence in international affairs, saying the country had failed to maintain its position at the global decision-making table despite its past leadership role in the region.

Obasanjo dismissed the National Council of State as ineffective, describing its meetings as a waste of time since its recommendations are rarely implemented.

On economy, he reiterated his long-standing position that government-owned refineries under NNPC Limited cannot function efficiently due to structural inefficiencies, poor maintenance and corruption.

He noted that attempts during his administration to involve private investors, including Shell, were unsuccessful due to profitability concerns. He also recalled that a plan by Aliko Dangote to acquire stakes in the refineries was later reversed.

Obasanjo said billions of dollars, estimated at $16 billion, have been spent on the refineries with little result, contrasting this with the success of privately driven projects like Nigeria LNG Limited.

He also warned against the emergence of a one-party state, saying it would harm Nigeria’s democracy and development, despite assurances from Tinubu that he does not support such a system.