Former President Olusegun Obasanjo at a consultative dialogue in Abuja convened for socio-cultural associations across the country, decried that the mismanagement of Nigeria is degenerating threats of disintegration, saying that the country is becoming a failed state and deeply divided.
It was gathered that Dr. Obasanjo in a speech – Moving Nigeria Away from Tipping Over – had declared: “I do appreciate that you all feel sad and embarrassed as most of us feel as Nigerians with the situation we find ourselves in.
“Today, Nigeria is fast drifting to a failed and badly divided state; economically, our country is becoming a basket case and poverty capital of the world, and socially, we are firming up as an unwholesome and insecure country.
“And these manifestations are the products of recent mismanagement of diversity and socio-economic development of our country. Old fault lines that were disappearing have opened up in greater fissures and with drums of hatred, disintegration and separation and accompanying choruses being heard loud and clear almost everywhere.”
The elder statesman, however, noted that unity is necessary to overcome the problems troubling Nigeria, commending the organizers of the consultative forum. He cautioned that aggrieved people agitating for the disintegration of Nigeria should be conscious that when allowed to split, citizens would still be neighbours and need to maintain relations among one another.
Dr. Obasanjo had further declared: “With what I have seen, read and heard from the rapprochement that you are forging together, I see a ray of hope that Nigeria can be saved from disintegration.
“If we are ready to live together in understanding, mutual respect and love with equity, justice, inclusiveness while engendering sense of belonging and unity of purpose and all hands on deck, we can deal with internal issues of terrorism, organised crimes, banditry, kidnapping, human trafficking, drug, money laundering and corruption. We will then be able to deal successfully with any incoming attack of terrorism, organised crimes, etc; from outside.”
Participants at the consultative dialogue were identified to include the Afenifere, Middle Belt Forum, Northern Elders Forum, Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo and Pan Niger Delta Forum.