Senator Jimoh Ibrahim has urged former President Olusegun Obasanjo to desist from making inflammatory statement while commenting on the state of the nation.
He advised the former leader to be mindful of his language, saying that employing a language of war in peace time is tantamount to mutiny.
Ibrahim, who represents Ondo South District in the Senate, reacted to the ex – President’s address at a symposium organised by the Chinua Achebe Leadership Forum in Yale University, Connecticut, United States, where he described Nigeria under President Bola Tinubu as a failing state.
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Taking exception to the outburst, Ibrahim said the country is functioning effectively under the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government.
Ibrahim, who spoke on a television programme, said contrary to Obasanjo’s claims, Nigeria is not a failed state.
Taking exception to the outburst, Ibrahim said the country is functioning effectively under the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government.
Ibrahim, who spoke on a television programme, said contrary to Obasanjo’s claims, Nigeria is not a failed state.
The former President, who spoke on the theme: “Leadership Failure and State Capture in Nigeria,” described what was happening in the country at the moment as “state capture”.
Ibrahim, who disagreed with Obasanjo, said:” I have a lot of respect for former President Olusegun Obasanjo, but the language of war in peace time is inappropriate . Everybody knows that developing countries have a myriad of challenges , but it is most inappropriate to label all of them as failed states. How do you define developing countries in international relations? Failed states with absence of government and institutions that are not working ? Nigerian cannot be so defined.
“Obasanjo cannot be more interested in Nigeria than myself and many others. I employ over 4,000 Nigerians. Baba himself knows that Nigeria is not a failed state, but a country going through a difficult phase.
“Nigeria is working under this government. Tinubu’s administration knows from the beginning the problems they are going to face by trying to be independent . The economic reforms are necessary and will lead to a more prosperous country.”
Ibrahim, who maintained that Nigeria is not a failed state, cautioned the former President to desist from using war language during peacetime.
He stressed: “So, I disagree with former President Obasanjo that Nigeria is a failed state. I disagree with Obasanjo for using war language in peacetime; we don’t need this kind of bullet statement from an elder statesman.
“Obasanjo should keep quiet. If he wants to say anything, he should look at the assessment of the government in its totality. Why is Obasanjo not talking about Boko Haram? Why is Obasanjo not talking about security? Why is Obasanjo not telling us that the security situation in the country has improved under Tinubu? Is the dollar-to-naira ratio now the yardstick to measure government performance?
“So, to me, when you use the language of war in peacetime, you are doing a disservice to the nation.”
