It’s not too late to save Nigeria from disintegration –Ojikutu

It’s not too late to save Nigeria from disintegration –Ojikutu

A former Lagos state Deputy Governor, Alhaja Sinatu Aderoju Ojikutu, has reiterated her call for the establishment of The Truth, Restitution and Recovery Commission to heal all the wounds inflicted as a result of ethnic and political differences in order to put the country on the path of economic recovery and growth.

Ojikutu made this assertion in Lagos on Tuesday in reaction to the Gen. Abdusalami Abubakar’s parley with some stakeholders across the country with the call on the President Muhammadu Buhari to secure the country in view of the hunger and the anger in the land.

Ojikutu, who was the first woman to be elected Deputy Governor in Nigeria during one of her interventions last year December on the state of the Nation had posited then that there was urgent need to unite the country before the 2019 general election in order to douse the tension in the land.

The media parley which was widely reported hinged her call for the Truth Commission on the desperation among the political leaders across the country.

During the intervention, she was quoted to have said, “We are on the brink of disaster and we should not sit on the fence and watch Nigeria tip over. I look at Nigeria’s situation and it is giving me a sleepless night. I find what I abhor on the left and I find what I detest on the right.

“We may all be thrown into the Diaspora because of the ambition of some people, if care is not taken.

“There are no saints in Nigerian politics. I mean among all of them. We have PMB (President Muhammadu Buhari) with integrity but without economic prowess. “Most of the people around PMB are tainted, will not let him know the actual on happenings. So, we must have a truth, restitution and recovery commission.

Give a time frame for people to come out willingly and return what they have stolen, let the lifestyle of every political office holder, past and present, be scrutinized and those who cannot account for their wealth should be made to return whatever is assessed above their legitimate earnings which might have been stolen.”

Ojikutu said the truth commission would give Nigerians the opportunity to open their minds and have a clean start because the truth would come out and it would give room for the wounds to be healed, adding that this was the way to return the country to the path of glory.

The former Lagos State deputy governor urged Nigerians to do everything possible to ensure the country was not thrown into disarray because of the ambition of some individuals.

Now that the uncertainty is staring us in the face, Ojikutu said it is not too late to return the country to the path of peaceful co-existence as the spate of insurgents, kidnapping and banditry which is threatening the corporate existence of Nigeria is becoming increasingly alarming!

She also corroborated the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Mustapha Magu who said that grand economic manipulation and corruption is fueling insecurities.

Ojikutu also posits that appointees, public office holders should not be celebrated until the end of their successful tenure with the list of achievements in public domain, adding that though congratulations are in order, but buying several pages in newspapers to celebrate appointments that have not recorded any landmark achievements is the foundation for unethical patronage which will ultimately lead to grand corruption.

“All past public office holders should be identified with respect to offices they headed and should be held accountable for the rot in the system and the infrastructural collapse to projects executed during their tenure.” She said.

She, however, counseled that this position should not be shut down unceremoniously as to do so will lead to unimaginable regret.

“It’s my considered opinion that many past office holders and beneficiaries of their misdeeds are the main invisible forces behind current insecurities and past failed government policies have successfully corrupted the entire populace. Now is the time to take the bull by the horn and bring it all out in the open otherwise, it’s a revolution which will do no one any good; except the looters with their foreign bases. Why not avoid unnecessary bloodshed as no revolution is ever peaceful!”

Signed
Chief. Mrs Sinatu Aderoju Ojikutu
( Alhaja)
First Elected Female Deputy Gov (1992-93)