Former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has said that the lingering security challenges confronting the nation can best be tackled by Nigerians both home and abroad.
He said they have a role to play if security will be a thing of the past. The former president who spoke during his surprise visit to the Ayangbunren of Ikorodu, Oba Adewale Sotobi, lamented the death of former political adviser to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ahmed Gulak, who was shot dead in Imo State on Sunday.
OBJ said the security challenges in Nigeria has also led to the kidnapping of the wife of one of his managers about three week ago.
He called on Nigerians to contribute their quota towards the development of the nation saying, “the current regime had done all it could to tackle security challenges in Nigeria,”
According to him, “insecurity is a major problem in Nigeria. Gulak was killed in Imo. He was my Special Assistant: a young man with brighter future has been shot dead. About three weeks ago, the wife of one of my managers was kidnapped about three weeks ago.
“This is a major problem because insecurity does not help us domestically or grow our investment. We cannot make progress under insecurity because it will limit the rate of investment,” he said.
As part of economic growth in Ikorodu land, the former president expressed determination to resuscitate the moribund Ikorodu Bricks Factory, along Ibeshe Road, saying, “Ikorodu Bricks Factory must be resuscitated and the glory of Ikorodu should be restored,” said OBJ.
Still on the state of insecurity, he said he had written series of hidden letters bothering on the state of the nation, to President Muhammadu Buhari but when it appeared he (the President) could not proffer solution to some of the issues raised in the letters, he decided to write open letters.
In his response, Oba Sotobi assured the former president that Ikorodu indigenes will contribute their quota towards ensuring the resuscitation of Ikorodu Bricks Factory.
Earlier, the ‘Agba Akin’ of Ikorodu Land, Otunba Ayodele Eleso called for inclusion of Ikorodu indigenes in governance.
Also, he said that the Ayangbunren should be conferred with a national award based on his contribution to the socio-economic development of the nation.