Olufemi Adediran, Abeokuta
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has declared that, the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government has been overwhelmed by the myriads of insecurity challenges confronting it.
Obasanjo stated this following last Monday’s attack on a Kaduna-bound train where least seven persons were confirmed dead, while 21 passengers are still reportedly missing.
Recall that, the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, had vowed to hire foreign mercenaries to fight the terrorists if the Federal Government does not end the ongoing spate of terror attacks in the region.
The former President while reacting to the terror attack by suspected bandits, described it as “a serious situation”.
Obasanjo spoke at his penthouse residence, Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) in Abeokuta, Ogun State, while receiving a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirant, Dr Ugochukwu Williams, and his team on Sunday.
He expressed concern that Nigerians “are no longer safe on the road, in the train and at the airport,” calling for a concerted effort of stakeholders to stem the tide of insecurity in the country.
The former President said the present administration has been overwhelmed by the situation, but Nigerians must not allow the situation to overwhelm the country.
He said: “So, if anybody comes to say I want to see you, I want to talk to you, I will say ‘you’re welcome’. This is because I believe very strongly, and I have said it publicly and I will say it again that the situation we are in this country is not a situation where one man will say yes, he has a solution, unless we are deceiving ourselves. I believe we need to sit down collectively and look at the situation.
“A situation where you are not safe on the road, you are not safe in the train, you are not safe at the airport, that shows a very serious situation.
“I believe that all right thinking Nigerians must know that we have a situation that has overwhelmed the present administration, but we should not allow that situation to overwhelm Nigeria.”
He, however, wished Williams well in the pursuit of his presidential ambition.
In his remarks, Williams, flanked by House of Representatives aspirants from Plateau and Imo states, said he had visited Obasanjo for consultation on his presidential ambition.
He described Obasanjo as a leader who is passionate about peace and unity of Nigeria.
