As Olusegun Obasanjo, the former President celebrated his 79th birthday today
Saturday, March 5th, 2016; he took a retrospective look at the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, and concluded that the anti-graft
agency has become a toothless bulldog after the exit of the pioneer chairman,
Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
The event held at the International Conference Centre, Olusegun Obasanjo
Presidential Library, Abeokuta.
He said the ex-EFCC boss handled the job so well, and people coined the
saying that the the fear of Ribadu was the beginning of wisdom. But the former
president bemoaned the fate of the anti-graft agency, describing it as a
toothless bulldog.
He said, looking in the direction of Ribadu, who was present at the
event:
“As all know when Nuhu Ribadu was handling the EFCC, he handled it in
such a way that people coined the saying that the fear of Ribadu is the
beginning of wisdom.
“And the thing you will ask is, how did we go down? How did we lose
that, how did we, Nuhu Ribadu is still here, he is still alive, the institution
that we started together is still there, what made the institution to become a
toothless bull dog?”
Obasanjo emphasised the need to be serious as a nation, if the nation
really wants to develop.
“We need to work things out so that we don’t take two steps forward, one
step and three steps backward,” he said.
Talking about fighting terrorism and insurgency, the former president
recommended the deployment of technology to fight insurgents both at local and
global levels.
Obasanjo who made reference to the theme of the international
colloquium: ‘Human Security, Violent Extremism and Radicalisation: Seeking
Sustainable Solutions’ held on Saturday as a prelude to his birthday
celebration, noted that the deployment of technology became imperative because
the insurgents were equally deploying technology to unleash terror on innocent
people.
The former president further added that since technology was in our
homes, in our pockets, it should be used to ward off those who made life
unbearable for others.
Eminent Nigerians including former governors, serving ministers and the
host governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun paid glowing tributes to
the former president, describing as a nationalist, an icon and a special gift
to the country.
Amosun, described him as a nationalist, “who is neither ethno-centric
nor an irredentist.” He added that “Baba puts Nigeria first in everything he
does.”
On his own part, the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonaya
Onu, described Obasanjo as a”special gift to our country, Nigeria, because
every time the country had faced any challenge God has used him to solve that
challenge.”
The founder of Living Faith Church, Bishop David Oyedepo later prayed
for the celebrant, requesting that God should grant him more years to continue
to serve humanity.
Other personalities present at the event include former governors of
Osun and Cross River, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Liyel Imoke, wife of the
late former governor of Ondo State, Mrs Olufunke Agagu, and Lotto magnate and
Chief Kessington Adebutu.
Source: Punch
No comments:
Post a Comment