Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday charged President Muhammadu Buhari to expose treasury looters and prosecute the culprits. He also counselled the citizens to mount pressure on the leaders to provide good governance.
The octogenarian, who spoke yesterday at the third Biennial International Conference of the Faculty of Arts, University of Ibadan on “Polity debacle and the burden of being in Africa,” enjoined other African leaders to do the same for the continent to overcome the socio-economic and political challenges retarding its progress.
Obasanjo, who spoke through the Deputy Coordinator, Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Mr. Ayodele Aderinwale said: “There should be no respite, there should be no hiding place for treasury looters. And good people with ideas must come forward to be counted, get elected or supported by good people to grow the economy and provide solid infrastructure.”
Obasanjo noted with dismay that most African leaders focus more on acquiring material resources, rather than human capital development.
He added that African political leaders must make changes that would “reduce corruption and generate the laws, policies and practices needed to redraw the efforts at catching up with the rest of the world.”
he keynote speaker, Akanmu Adebayo, a Professor of History and Conflict Management, Kennesaw State University, United States of America, noted that the cost of governance in Nigeria and other African countries was too high and unsustainable.
He said Nigeria and other African countries must fight corruption and review the strategies for anti graft campaign.
Prof Pat Utomi of the Lagos Business School and Prof Emeritus Ayo Bamgbose of the University of Ibadan and representative of Senator Binta Garba, also highlighted reasons for the underdevelopment of Nigeria and Africa and proffered solutions.
Utomi attributed the bane of Africa to collapse of culture, weak institutions, wrong policy choices that deplete progress and unfavourable disposition of leadership to human capital development.
He explained the collapse of culture has changed the orientation of people from delayed gratification to immediate gains and greed. Effective leadership, according to him, is all about shaping culture and the way things are done, adding that culture is about values, which must be upheld for the betterment of the society.
