Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has strongly criticized corrupt politicians, saying they cannot deliver good governance. Obasanjo, who referred to corrupt leaders as “thieves,” made the remark during a virtual address at the memorial lecture for Denis Joseph Slattery, held at the Civic Centre in Victoria Island, Lagos.
The memorial lecture, themed “The Imperative for Moral Rectitude in Governance,” was organized by the Old Boys’ Association of St. Finbarr’s College to honor the legacy of Slattery, an Irish missionary who arrived in Nigeria in 1941 and made significant contributions to education and sports in the country.
Speaking on the importance of integrity in leadership, the 87-year-old statesman emphasized that politicians with a history of corruption should be held accountable.
“If you look clinically at the people in government today at both executive and legislative levels, some of them should be permanently behind bars for their past misdemeanour and criminal misconduct,” Obasanjo said.
He argued that officials with “questionable” integrity cannot make decisions that serve the public interest.
The former president didn’t hold back in his condemnation of corrupt politicians, stating that they should not be trusted to provide fair governance.
“You cannot expect thieves to give good judgment in favor of the owner of the property,” he remarked, stressing that accountability is the most crucial responsibility for anyone in public office.
Obasanjo also reflected on his personal experiences with corruption in Nigerian politics, recalling how shocked he was by the normalization of unethical behavior. He shared a story from his early days in politics, when an official tried to excuse criminal behavior as just part of the political process.
“The first thing that shocked me when I went into politics was the level of corruption of election officials, which was taken as normal,” “The second was the level of general and criminal misbehaviour which was taken with levity and impunity,” Obasanjo said.
He recounted an incident where he confronted a government official who lied during a meeting, only to be told, “It is all politics, Sir.”
Obasanjo expressed frustration at how immoral actions are often excused under the guise of political maneuvering.
“Every bad thing they do is passed on as politics, which means politics has no room for morality, principles, rectitude, ethics, good character, and attributes,” he lamented.
Highlighting the need for a shift in leadership, Obasanjo called for transformational leaders who prioritize the nation’s well-being over personal gain.
“Nigeria needs transformational leaders rather than transactional leaders, truth instead of lies, honesty instead of dishonesty, integrity instead of disintegrity, hope instead of despair, production instead of deduction, inclusion instead of exclusion and marginalisation,” he stated.
The memorial lecture honored the late Denis Slattery, who made lasting contributions to education and sports in Nigeria. Slattery, who was posted to St. Gregory’s College in Lagos as a teacher in 1943, later founded St. Finbarr’s College in 1956. His impact extended beyond education; he was the pioneer chairman of the Nigerian Football Association and a founding member of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ).
In recognition of his contributions, Slattery was honored with the Order of the Niger (OON) by Obasanjo in 2001. He passed away in July 2003, but his legacy continues to inspire many, as seen by the notable figures who attended the lecture in his memory, including former Cross River Governor Donald Duke, former footballer Segun Odegbami, music producer ID Cabasa, and actor Patrick Doyle.