What Nigerians think of Obasanjo’s ‘failed state’ comment and Presidency’s reaction

The Presidency in a recent statement by a presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, described former president Olusegun Obasanjo as a ‘Divider-in-Chief’ following the comment of the elder statesman that the country was fast drifting to a failed and badly divided state. Shehu said Obasanjo was attempting to divide the nation while President Muhammadu Buhari continues to […]

The Presidency in a recent statement by a presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, described former president Olusegun Obasanjo as a ‘Divider-in-Chief’ following the comment of the elder statesman that the country was fast drifting to a failed and badly divided state.

Shehu said Obasanjo was attempting to divide the nation while President Muhammadu Buhari continues to promote nation-building and the unity of Nigeria.

Obasanjo and failed state narratives

Soyinka backs Obasanjo, says Nigeria has never been so divided

Some Nigerians share their views on the issue with Daily Trust Saturday.

 

Mariya Ohunene Usman, 24, Lafia, unemployed

Nigeria is not a failed state because we have woken up and are now feeding ourselves because of increased security.

Most Nigerians are now making efforts to be law-abiding, creative, and possibly be employers of labour and even export as other contemporaries have done.

Elders should avoid statements that will heat up the polity.

 

Ali Babagana Mustapha, 30 Self Employed, Lafia, Nasarawa

Nigeria is not a failed state.

The recent dislodging of the armed religious group in Nasarawa shows that Nigeria is on the path to greatness just like Germany and Japan after the Second World War.

 

John Eche Okpe, Legal Practitioner, Jos

Since the independence of Nigeria, there has never been a genuine national cohesion.

The contraption called “Nigeria” is akin to two birds tied together, which though had four wings but cannot fly.

What are the indices that characterised a failed state?

Dismal inequality, poverty, existence in subhuman conditions, a dearth of basic amenities, absence of government, hunger, ineffectiveness of government, insecurity, etc; which do you not find in Nigeria and even more?

Those who deny that Nigeria is a failed state are those who choose to deceive themselves.

Nigeria belongs to all of us, if it works, it works for us; if it fails it fails for us. Obasanjo is right and I concur.

Even those who deny his assertion only do so for the sake of their interests but in their hearts, they know it is true.

 

Shabul Mazadu, publisher, 50, Jos

The issue of Nigeria approaching a failed state cannot be said to be untrue because there are obvious forces militating against its unity, peace, and progress.

The forces are dragging it to the cliff of disintegration.

And I will not attribute it to the leadership of President Muhamadu Buhari, because it was built up over time which the greatest number of Nigerians cued into it including Obasanjo before the coming of this administration.

Obasanjo’s tongue lashed virtually all presidents and heads of state in Nigeria by launching criticisms which he was grossly guilty of and even worst while in power.

And despite his shortcomings, nobody created massive fear in the minds of Nigerians that Nigeria was at the brim of becoming a failed state as he is perpetually doing.

If Obasanjo truly loves Nigeria as he claims to, it would have shown under his presidency.

His administration has contributed a lot to the numerous problems we have on the ground.

 

Lilian Madaki-Dyel, women and youth activist, Jos

You see, so many things have gone wrong and are still going from bad to worse in this country, and nobody wants to say it as raw as it is for fear of one thing or the other.

But as for me, I will not only agree with Obasanjo’s statement that “Nigeria is a failed State” but confirm the same to be true based on the unstable state of critical issues affecting Nigerians generally.

This government has not only failed to provide its citizens with what is expected of them, but it is also unable to perform its fundamental functions of the sovereign nation-state in the modern world system such as projection of authority over its territory and peoples including protecting its national boundaries.

Look at Nigeria’s boarders with neighbouring States where authorities have severally claimed bandits from other states come in illegally to perpetrate all manners of crimes.

Yet, nothing has been done about it. Imagine the rate of unemployment, insecurity and crumbled economy where nothing is working; everywhere is just stagnant, strike actions, and warnings everywhere.

 

Adetunji Ajala David, 32, Osogbo, Development officer

Instead of the government calling the former president Obasanjo “Divider-in-Chief”, Nigerians expect the federal government to do the needful and stop accusing anyone who demanded a better Nigeria.

Nigeria is a blessed country with bad and visionless leadership.

Obasanjo is not far from the truth, saying Nigeria is a failed state even though he (Obasanjo) contributed to the failing state.

However, the government of Muhammadu Buhari should look at the issues affecting common Nigerians like the hike in electricity bill, increase in PMs price at this time, loss of many jobs, increase in the price of goods and services etc.

 

Sani Bala Tanko, Retired banker, Jos

Chief Olusegun Obasanjo can be nice and at the same time dramatic or bully, intimidating and ruthless, depending on the situation.

He is only attacking the administration or the personalities of present or past governments.

 

Aminu Zakari Yakubu, Banker, Kaduna

It is sad that Obasanjo who fought to keep this country as one will turn around and describe a country that has been generous to him as a failed state.

If indeed Nigeria is a failed state then he contributed immensely to the failure of the country.

We have our challenges as a nation; I think as an elder statesman, he should consult widely; reach out to all stakeholders to find lasting solutions to the socio-economic quagmire we find ourselves in.

Nigeria is the only country we have; we must do everything possible to make her a paradise for citizens.

Citizens should appreciate the country; all and sundry should play individual roles in making Nigeria the great nation that she is.

We appreciate the sacrifices he had made in the past.

However, his remarks are off the mark.

 

Kemi Olugbodi, Lecturer, Kaduna

I don’t think that Nigeria is a failed state, because what is the definition of a failed state?

Where there is insecurity; when there is no power and there is lawlessness.

Are we suffering from all of these things; we have been battling with insecurity which in my own view is related to poverty majorly because we are dependent on one revenue source which is oil.

If we can diversify our revenue and explore other sources of income, it will help us, but we are on track in terms of agricultural policies, border closure and the rest; we only need to be patient and things will be better.

 

Garba Muhammad, Expert in Strategic Communication, Kaduna

Obasanjo’s recent utterance is not entirely out of place going by the insecurity situation that cut across even the presidency and the security agencies.

It will be better if we put sentiments and political insinuations aside because the followers of the present administration are not helping the country;they should look into what Obasanjo said without sentiment, and I believe there should be something that will help us out of our present predicament.

 

Okandeji Monsuru Ade, 40, Osogbo, Lecturer

The presidency is insincere even to itself.

There are pointers that Nigeria tends towards a failed state.

Our security is nothing to write home about.

Nigeria is hugely divided along ethnic and religious lines more than ever.

The actions and inaction of the presidency does not help the matter.

This is not to say that former President Olusegun Obasanjo is not without blame.

Obasanjo’s period as president brought more stability to the nation than the current period as he inherited worse economic and institutional collapse than what current President Muhammad Buhari inherited.

 

Rasheed Ademola Adebiyi, 41, Lecturer, Osogbo

I believe the presidency’s response is not bad when we consider the context from which it was made.

There is no government anywhere in the world that is not managing one crisis or the other.

When one throws in the COVID-19 pandemic that suddenly happened on the world, one would be able to appreciate what the government is doing.

Similarly, when one considers where we were in 2015 before this administration came on board, one should be able to have some clear understanding of what is happening right now.

For me, I do not feel it was appropriate for Chief Olusegun Obasanjo to have made that statement.