Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, representing Ondo South Senatorial District, has advised former President Olusegun Obasanjo to refrain from making statements that undermine Nigeria’s progress, asserting that the country is functioning effectively under President Bola Tinubu and the APC-led Federal Government.
Ibrahim made this remark during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday.
He was reacting to Obasanjo’s recent keynote address at the Chinua Achebe Leadership Forum at Yale University in Connecticut, USA.
In his address, Obasanjo criticised Nigeria’s leadership, describing the country as being in a state of “state capture” and urging Nigerians to prioritise credible leadership for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure electoral integrity.
“I have a lot of respect for former President Olusegun Obasanjo, but the language of the war on peacetime is a disaster,” Ibrahim said.
“Everybody knows that developing countries are failed states. How do you define developing countries in international relations? Failed states.”
He questioned Obasanjo’s understanding of the current administration’s challenges and progress, saying, “Is Obasanjo interest more than my interest? I employed over 4,000 Nigerians. Baba himself knows that if Nigeria at this time is a failed state, then what do we talk about Ghana?”
Ibrahim who listed the reforms under Tinubu’s government, argued that the administration is steering the country in a positive direction.
His words, “Nigeria is working under this government. Three things are very important if you are dealing with international politics: authority and influence. I have been in the IMF now for over nine years; IMF is going to like Tinubu for some of the reforms that he is pioneering. You think America will easily say, ‘Yes, good boy, I clap for you because you are removing subsidy?’”
“That you are running an economic policy that is completely not dependent on these countries. It has not been dictated by America and China. So, Tinubu’s administration knows from the beginning what problems they are going to give by trying to be independent.”
“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 and government.”
He further challenged Obasanjo’s silence on issues like Boko Haram and security improvements under Tinubu. “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?”
Ibrahim concluded by urging Obasanjo to adopt a more constructive tone, stating, “So, to me, when you use the language of war in peacetime, you are doing a disservice to the nation.”
Vanguard
