Abuja – A former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has told Nigerians to stop expecting more from the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari.
Obasanjo who spoke in Abuja on December 13 said Buhari has done the best he could since coming on board on May 29, 2015 and has nothing more to offer.
” Expecting him to do anything more is akin to beating a dead horse,” Obasanjo said at a retreat on inclusive security organised by the Global Peace Foundation and Vision Africa.
He, however, warned Nigerians not to fold their arms and allow the country to collapse, saying that they should be preparing for post- Buhari era.
The former president also reiterated his earlier position that military action alone will not solve the problem of insecurity in the country.
“The problem of insurgency will not go away, if all we are using is the stick (military action). We may suppress it, and keep it down a bit, but we have to use carrot and stick together to effectively tackle the problems,” he said.
Obasanjo also called for a law to back up community policing to enhance internal security, adding that this should be done before the 2023 elections.
“Security in Nigeria is local, it must be addressed locally. Legislation should be able to tackle that before the next election,” he stated.
The Sultan of Sokoto and President of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar in his speech called on Nigerians to see the current insecurity as a national challenge.
The President, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Dr Samson Ayokunle, called for concerted efforts to tackle insecurity and restore peace to the country.
The CAN president who was represented by Archbishop John Praise, explained the need to ensure justice and fairness for peace to reign in the country.
The Chairman of Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF), Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, stressed the need for Nigerians to always elect their leaders on the basis competence instead of religion and tribalism.
An elder statesman, Alhaji Tanko Yakasai, called on government at all levels and Nigerians to always follow up their decisions with actions.
“We can sit here all day and talk to each other, but if we leave without following up our decisions with actions, we’ve wasted our time. Unfortunately, that’s what is happening in the country today,” he said.(vitalnews)
