Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has again attacked the Federal Government, stating that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration is incompetent and incapable of addressing the killings and poverty in the country.
He argued that the administration was confused and had reached the end of its tether while the nation was being left perilously to drift.
Instead of proffering solutions, the former leader said the government had been wringing its hands and “giving one unrighteous and unacceptable justification after the other.”
Obasanjo said this in a letter read on his behalf at a one-day national summit on insecurity and killings in Nigeria convened by the Northern Elders Forum, Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, Ohanaeze Ndigbo and Pan Niger Delta Forum on Wednesday in Abuja.
The ex-President, who was represented by a former governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, noted that Buhari was, by his action and inaction, doing a lot of harm to the nation’s commonwealth and heritage.
In the letter which was addressed to the NEF Chairman, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, the retired general recalled the discussion he had with the elder statesman about the danger to the nation’s democracy when he hosted him (Ango) in Abeokuta some weeks ago.
Obasanjo said, “When you kindly paid me a visit a couple of weeks ago, we deliberated on the danger to our democracy, our common identity, our commonality of purpose, our dream and our unity in diversity.
“We lamented the harm that the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, by his action and inaction, has done and is doing to our commonwealth and our common heritage.”
The Owu chief added that the nation had never been so divided along religious and regional lines as being witnessed today.
“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. If these are not stopped, they could be the death knell of our democracy,” he stressed.
The elder statesman, however, expressed hope that in spite of the unfortunate situation created by the government, his consultations with people had given him 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, language and social standing that the situation should be retrieved and the nation should be saved,” he stated.
The former President admonished the elders to continue with the dialogue which he said was necessary to clear misgivings, misunderstanding, misperception, misrepresentation, erroneous beliefs and outdated ideas and concepts.