Former Nigerian President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has stressed the need for a leadership-driven fight against corruption, describing it as a pervasive issue deeply entrenched in the country’s fabric.
Speaking during a Zoom interactive session titled “Boiling Point Arena” on Sunday night, hosted by a private radio station in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Obasanjo emphasized that tackling corruption at the highest levels of leadership would set a powerful example and reaffirm the government’s commitment to transparency and integrity.
Obasanjo likened corruption to a “hydra-headed monster” that demands relentless and systematic efforts to combat. “The best way of fighting corruption is starting from the head; that is where corruption has to be fought from,” he stated.
The former president also highlighted the complexity of addressing corruption, quoting a metaphor attributed to a former Sultan of Sokoto.
“Corruption is like a ‘babariga’—if you fold it on one side, it falls apart on the other. When you carry it on both sides, you cannot hold your hands up, and as soon as you put your hands down, it falls apart,” he explained.
According to Obasanjo, the fight against corruption must be consistent and sustained across regimes. “It’s not a one-day affair. It’s not a one-regime affair. It has to be continual, a daily affair. Once one regime lets up, corruption spreads again,” he cautioned.
Leadership and Merit-Based Appointments
Obasanjo also called for a shift in the recruitment and appointment of leaders into public offices, urging that selections be based on merit rather than political or tribal considerations. He asserted that leadership not ordained by God is doomed to fail.
“Most leaders are prepared by God and put in place by Him. When that happens, the chances of success are higher than when you make yourself a leader, which may not be the act of God,” he explained.
However, Obasanjo rejected the notion that all leaders are divinely ordained, suggesting that some are the result of malevolent influences.
“Satan is real and has power, even though he has no salvation. We must not underestimate the power of Satan,” Obasanjo said, referencing the biblical story of Job to illustrate his point.
The conversation, which was aired by several private radio stations in Ogun State, focused on Obasanjo’s legacy in government and his perspective on contemporary Nigeria.
His remarks have sparked discussions about the role of leadership in tackling systemic corruption and fostering good governance in the country.
