Taciturn former Head of State who permitted the return of democracy to Nigeria in 1999, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, has called for a change in the way the nation is governed, stressing that Nigeria is currently at the crossroad with no idea as to which direction to turn.
Addressing Nigerians in a statement issued by him and published by some national dailies on Wednesday, the ex-military ruler stressed on the need to tell the truth so as to help those at the helm of affairs correctly identify and diagnose the causes of disaffection and anger in the land.
“There is palpable desperation everywhere in the land; we are in a situation in which everyone is dissatisfied with what is going on, but nobody is sure of what to do, or what is going to happen next,” he stated.
Abubakar, who emphasized that the country was faced by danger from an intractable insurgency, elite mistrust and poverty as seen in the glaring economic hardship, noted that this had led to a situation where the rich cannot sleep because the poor are hungry, angry, and awake.
He wondered why the Boko Haram insurgency was allowed to degenerate to this level, stressing that “this nation has suffered greatly and lost thousands of lives to the Boko Haram insurgency, with more than a million people displaced within the country, and tens of thousands have been forced across our borders into neighboring countries.
“In one of the most senseless attacks, more than 2,000 people were said to have been killed in a single attack in Baga town of Borno State last week. This is clearly unacceptable, and we feel the time has come to restore the people’s confidence in the ability of government to confront, repel and put a stop to the impunity of the insurgency,” he stated.
While advising President Goodluck Jonathan to ensure that the military and security forces were sufficiently equipped to confront the insurgents, he called on him to consider the mobilization and re-absorption of all retired able-bodied security personnel and undertaking fresh recruitment into the police force and other paramilitary agencies.
The former Head of State while warning politicians against do-or-die politics asserted that Nigeria was greater than the ambition and ego of any of its citizens.
Hear him, “We must force our politicians to accept and learn to play by the rules; and in their politicking adopt the highest ethical conduct, especially during campaigns and the conduct of the elections themselves.
“The inordinate ambition of some of our politicians, especially their do-or-die attitude in their quest for power, their way of subverting the electoral process in order to get to power must be checked by this nation or else they will terminally checkmate it.
“All Nigerians of goodwill must, therefore, rise to tell politicians and, indeed, all Nigerians that Nigeria is greater than the ambition and ego of any of its citizens; and at every encounter with whoever, this nation must prevail,” he admonished.(Daily Post)
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