More than 80% of Nigeria’s crude oil, according to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, is pilfered.
At the book presentation for “Court and Politics,” which was authored by Dr. Umar Ardo, a former colleague of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, in Abuja, Obasanjo made this statement.
The former president claims that one of the main reasons Nigeria’s economy is in shambles is because, unlike other oil-producing nations, Nigeria is unable to account for its oil output because of theft.
Crude oil theft is one of the reasons why the Nigerian economy will be in ruins, according to Obasanjo, who was represented by Babangida Aliyu, a former governor of Niger State.
Approximately two million barrels of crude oil are allocated daily, but approximately 1.7 million are pilfered, according to the former president.
In response to a question on whether Nigeria should return to a parliamentary system, Obasanjo stated that there are issues with the current presidential system but added that Nigerians are not disciplined.
This is in response to Prof. Ango Abdullahi, a former vice chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) and chairman of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), who has said that Nigeria’s government has failed the country’s citizens.
Abdullahi continued, saying that the nation needed to be saved from its lack of leadership.
He urged the development of a healthy political culture while emphasising that no system is perfect.
“Enough of our failures. Something else must give way to our failures. We have failed this country. This must stop.
“Time has come for us to go back to the drawing boards to rescue this country.
“Enough is enough of our failure; we must agree that we failed enough.
“I visited Dantata and he was very angry with me, saying the people of the North have failed the North and Nigeria. Until the North accepts that they have failed the North and sit together to discuss the way forward, there won’t be progress.
“We gathered in 1978 when we wanted to return to civilian rule. We were to discuss why the system of 1961 failed but we were shocked when they said the parliamentary system of government was not going to be discussed and that we should go for the federal system of government.
“And they gave us two options: that of the French and America. And now we have practised the presidential system for 24 years and it has failed and I will score it F9.
“Time has come for us to go back to the drawing board so that we can save this country,” Abdullahi stated.
cc: Vanguard Ng
