State of the Nation: Obasanjo writes Northern Elders Forum

Olusegun Obasanjo

Former President and elder statesman Olusegun Obasanjo (Ph.D) has written another caustic letter on the state of the nation, six months after he addressed one to President Muhammadu Buhari, triggering an unexpected backlash that questioned the morality of his position.

However, the letter was this time, addressed to the Chairman of Northern Elders Forum, Prof. Ango Abdullahi and was delivered by former Osun State Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, a key member of Obasanjo’s founded African Democratic Party, at a summit of National Elders and Leaders of Nigeria held in Abuja on Wednesday.

Raising the gear of his cutting attack on the Buhari administration, Obasanjo criticized  some of the policies of the present government which he claimed had divided Nigerians along religious and regional lines, posing, according to his interpretation, “a serious danger to the country’s democracy”.

“Nigeria, in recent times, has not been so divided along religious and regional lines as at today with inexcusable killings and devastating poverty and with government’s wringing hands and apparently incompetent to stem the tide except giving one unrighteous and unacceptable justification after the other.

“The obvious indication is that the government is seemingly confused and has got to the end of its tether and the nation is being left divisively and perilously to drift.

“Earlier last week, I noted in a speech some undesirable elements being allowed and being introduced to our democracy by this administration and if these are not stopped, they could be the death knell of our democracy.

“In spite of these unfortunate situations created by the government, my contact and consultation, which brought me face-to-face with people’s plight and frustration, also gave me hope.

“People are not ready to give up in despair and leave their fate and their present and future in the hands of inept leadership for their lives to be ruined.

“I see common concern across the nation irrespective of tribe, religion, region, language and social standing that the situation should be retrieved and the nation should be saved,” Obasanjo stated in the letter.

The former president, who also complained about recent killings, called for non-partisan dialogue to save the future generation. (NAN)