Headlines
Obasanjo Knocks Buhari Again, Says Nigeria Moving Towards Disaster, Instability
By Eric Elezuo
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has knocked President Muhammadu Buhari one more time, saying that Nigeria is fast moving towards disaster and instability under his administration.
Speaking exclusively to Premium Times, Obasanjo, hinted that Buhari’s administration has destroyed the war against corruption, adding that the economy has become unstable.
The former Nigerian Leader fell out with Buhari prior to the 2019 elections when he backed the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, who was his former deputy.
He accused Buhari of nepotism, saying he was also too old to run for a second term.
Obasanjo said, although Buhari was re-elected, he believed the country was on the edge of the precipice.
He said, “The progress we are making may be questionable –Is it fast enough? Is it steady enough? Is it stable enough? Are we taking two steps forward and one step backwards or one step sideways?
“You can question that, but we have no choice but to be on (the) path of sustainable development. Any other thing will be a disaster. In fact, the pace at which we are going now is tending more and more towards disaster and instability and unsustainability.”
Obasanjo said he was worried that the first three top officials of government were from a particular region.
He said the situation had called for concern as it was against the constitution.
He said, “Now, you have a situation where three top officials of government will be from only two northern zones. Ahmed Lawan is from the North-East, the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria is from the North-East, the President of the country is from the North-West. They are all from what we call the core North. How can you have that kind of arrangement and then be absolutely insensitive to it?
“So the prescription that our constitution makes for the kind of leadership that should emerge, we have failed to achieve that with the present leadership we have in place. The constitution expects the executive to care for the welfare and security of every Nigerian. But in the present situation, they don’t seem to care.”
Obasanjo said there was no more confidence in the economy, adding that the Buhari government had wasted the gains of the past administrations.
He claimed that Buhari had “corrupted” the fight against corruption, which started during his (Obasanjo) government with the creation of two anti-corruption agencies.
The first hostages freed from Gaza under a long-awaited ceasefire agreement are back in Israel. The news sparked jubilant scenes in Tel Aviv where large crowds gathered ahead of their release.
The three freed Israeli hostages – the first of 33 to be released over the next six weeks – are Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari. They are said to be in good health and are receiving treatment at a medical center in Tel Aviv.
In exchange, 90 Palestinian prisoners and detainees are set to be released by Israel from Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank.
The Israeli military withdrew from several locations in southern and northern Gaza after the truce began earlier on Sunday, an Israeli military official told CNN.
Displaced Gazans have started returning to their homes, while the aid trucks laden with much-needed supplies have crossed into Gaza. Here’s what we know about how the ceasefire deal will work.
Hamas, despite suffering devastating losses, is framing the Gaza ceasefire agreement as a victory for itself, and a failure for Israel.
One of Hamas’ main goals for taking some 250 people during its brazen October 7, 2023, attack on Israel was to secure the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. As Israel pounded Gaza in response, Hamas vowed not to return the hostages until Israel withdrew its forces from the enclave, permanently ended the war, and allowed for rebuilding.
Source: CNN
The leader of UK’s Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, has said she doesn’t want Britain to be like Nigeria that is plagued by “terrible governments.”
Speaking on Thursday at an event organised by Onward, a British think tank producing research on economic and social issues, Badenoch expressed fears that Britain may become like Nigeria if the system is not reformed.
“And why does this matter so much to me? It’s because I know what it is like to have something and then to lose it,” Badenoch told the audience.
“I don’t want Britain to lose what it has.
“I grew up in a poor country and watched my relatively wealthy family become poorer and poorer, despite working harder and harder as their money disappeared with inflation.
“I came back to the UK aged 16 with my father’s last £100 in the hope of a better life.
“So I have lived with the consequences of terrible governments that destroy lives, and I never, ever want it to happen here.”
Badenoch has been in the news of late after she dissociated herself from Nigeria, saying she has nothing to do with the Islamic northern region.
She also accused the Nigeria Police of robbing citizens instead of protecting them.
She said: “My experience with the Nigeria Police was very negative. Coming to the UK, my experience with the British Police was very positive.
“The police in Nigeria will rob us (laughter). When people say I have this bad experience with the police because I’m black, I say well…I remember the police stole my brother’s shoe and his watch.”
