Former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, expressed his discontent with the current state of the nation on Friday, stating that most of its leaders belong in prison or on the gallows, rather than holding public office.
Speaking to six lawmakers from the House of Representatives, Obasanjo emphasized that character should be a crucial factor in selecting good leaders.
The lawmakers in the entourage included Abdulmalik Danga from Kogi, Dr. Usman Midala from Borno, Matthew Nwogu from Imo, Peter Aniekwe from Anambra, Kama Nkemkanma from Ebonyi, and Ugochinyere Ikenga from Imo.
He asserted that without a shift in the mindset of the country’s leaders, the change Nigeria seeks will remain elusive.
“Our main problem is ourselves and until we take care of ourselves, we may have one term of four years, one term of six years, one term of seven years, if it’s the same people and same mentality and way we do things, then it won’t change.
“Yes system, yes democracy, we have to rethink democracy, we have to rethink the form of government, but what is the character of the people in government?
“With all due respect, most of them should be behind bars, some should even be in the gallows and that is the truth.
“Now if these are the people that are ruling us, then what do you expect? So, the point is the character of the people that are coming to the government. Their attributes, the sort of people they truly are.
“We need to really think about how we select leaders, what should be the character of a leader we select? What should be their track record?
“Where should we find them? Are they role models? And I think those are the first things we have to think about,” he stated.