By Sunday Ani
The traditional ruler of the Otumara community in the Lagos Mainland Local Government Area, High Chief Kehinde Kalejaiye, has stated that what Nigeria needs at this time is individual character remoulding, rather than electoral or judicial reform, to address its multifaceted socio-economic and political challenges.
Kalejaiye suggested that the solution to Nigeria’s problems lies in living by and upholding the second stanza of the country’s national pledge, stressing that this would set the nation on the right path to progress, peace, and prosperity.
He argued that there is nothing wrong with Nigeria’s electoral and legal systems, identifying individual attitudes toward corruption, greed, and an excessive love for power and authority as the real culprits sinking the nation’s ship.
However, he urged Nigerians, particularly the political class, to embark on self-cleansing and remain faithful, loyal, and honest to the Nigerian state.
He said: “If we live our lives in accordance with the second stanza of the country’s national pledge, corruption, electoral fraud and rigging, vote-buying, and other challenges confronting us as a nation will be foregone issues. Our pledge to be faithful, loyal, and honest must strictly be adhered to in order to tackle corruption in the judiciary and in governance.
“Our problem is not human resources; we have professionals in every field in abundance. Our problem is not the absence of laws; the country’s laws are objective and unambiguous. Our problem lies with individuals’ greed and corruption.
“This is where I disagree with the former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who, speaking at the Chinua Achebe Leadership Forum at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, USA, called for reforms to the country’s electoral laws and the appointment of new, credible leaders for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to prevent corruption and re-establish trust.
“The former president said reforming the electoral system and appointing new credible leaders would address the issues at hand. But I say, remoulding individual character and living the second stanza of the national pledge are enough to set us on the path of progress.
“If this is done, those at the helm of affairs at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), INEC, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and other government agencies and parastatals will be just, honest, and incorruptible in dealing with others because the success of the Nigerian project will be paramount in their hearts.
“They will shun corruption and not compromise in handling corruption cases. There are references to corruption cases that have been lying fallow for years at the ICPC and EFCC without prosecution. The same applies to government officials who, at the snap of a finger, are eager to drop charges against suspects of financial and economic crimes.”
