Former presidential spokesman, Laolu Akande, said that Nigeria needs brave leaders to confront and punish corrupt forces within the nation.
Akande stated this during ‘My Take’ segment of a programme aired on Channels Television on Friday.
He said, “The problems as of today, the pervasive hardship in the land, and the menacing insecurities require courageous leadership at the very top. Our leaders must be bold enough to fire appointed public officials who don’t deliver on their ‘Key Performance Indicators’.
“We have seen in this nation how impunity and lack of consequences have exacerbated preexisting issues and brought up new ones. Certain agencies have been accused of collusion and corruption; our leaders should not be afraid to look into these charges in great detail, find out what is going on, and, if proven, punish those involved in the corruption and collusion.
“A president, a governor, an elected senator, or an assembly member is no use, in the long run, if he or she fails to use the big stick against those holding our commonwealth down.
“For example, how is it that over half of the oil lifted in Nigeria is being stolen and no one has been apprehended or prosecuted for several years?
“As a nation, we are struggling to meet up with our OPEC quota. OPEC cut Nigeria’s quota to 1.38 million barrels per day (bpd) from 1.78 million bpd because for years we have failed to meet our quota.
“For this, when it comes to the problem of corruption, our leaders need to be brave enough, sincere enough, and direct enough to make a firm stand. It calls for audacity.”
Akande further added that in 2015, many Nigerians thought that the former President whose campaign spearheaded the ‘Change’ narrative would actually bring the change. But that has not happened eight years after. Our leaders, who made the promises, are still grappling with the straws. Corruption is worse, the economy is biting, and insecurity is relentless. We seem to lack the bold leadership to look at the problems eyeball to eyeball and say, ‘No more’.
READ MORE: Economic Hardship: Widow Faints Due to Hunger in Ibadan Market
“Nigerians have given the same set of leaders—the APC, who made that illustrious promise of ‘Change’ in 2015, another chance now under Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who would have spent nine months in office at the end of this month.
“The burden that Tinubu is carrying is heavier than that of former President Buhari and it is important that is said because now Tinubu is not just carrying the burden of promise but he is carrying the burden of truncated hope. And good a thing he has rightly named his agenda Renewed Hope. Nigerians have placed so much expectations on the promises and now they are wondering why they believed a lie. So, it is up to Tinubu to show that those promises made in 2015 were no lies. And that is why we are appealing to him today and all those in authority that the government be it executive, judiciary or legislature, it’s important to apply courage and boldness.”