Change is inevitable, ex-COAS tells leaders
Former Chief of Army Staff and Chairman of SURE-P retired Gen.
Martin Luther Agwai has said change in leadership is inevitable, declaring that the country’s leaders must accept it and move with it. Gen Agwai also cautioned the military to stay out of partisan politics if they should win the war against Boko Haram insurgency and other security challenges.
He made the assertion yesterday in a speech at the 78th birthday anniversary celebration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo in Abeokuta.
“In life,” he said, “you find out that everything needs change, if that is what the community wants, what the people want, you must give it to them and as such, it becomes inevitable.”
He added: “You can have everything nice, but, if you don’t
have the right leadership to propel it, it cannot go anywhere.
“Integrity matters, doing what is good for the larger society, and not just what you want to do for a narrow society to please yourself.”
In a lecture titled, “Imperatives of a National Security framework for the development and progress of Nigeria,” Gen Agwai said the involvement of the military in politics would retard the growth and development of the country.
He said the military should remain professional, adding that integrity also matters in providing quality leadership.
Agwai described Gen Obasanjo as an inspiration to a generation of military officers in the country, adding that they should always be appreciative of his contributions to their lives.
The chairman of SURE-P said the former President has been a source of inspiration for him and others, particularly from the minority ethnic group.
“I for one, from somewhere (small) ethnic group in Nigeria; from a small village to have become Chief of Staff. I will always remain appreciative of this,” Agwai said.
Ogun state governor, Sen. Ibikunle Amosun in his remarks described Obasanjo as a special breed of specie for Nigeria and Africa.
He said the All Progressives Congress (APC) “will give the desired growth and development of your dream when the party is elected come March 28.”
National Leader of the APC, Sen. Bola Tinubu, in a goodwill message, eulogised the virtues of Gen Obasanjo.
Also, the National chairman of the APC Chief John Oyegun described Obasanjo as a statesman with genuine and committed dream for the country.
He recalled that when the former President gave his PDP card for someone to tear, the APC had wanted to come and offer him a replacement, “but, we had a rethink.”
“We reasoned that this nationalist and statesman has crossed the threshold. He has become truly the father of the nation and it would be demeaning by going to present APC card to him.
“Nigeria and Nigerians have an icon now, a nonpartisan man has arrived, somebody we can all go to and if you do well he tells you and if you have not done well, he can look at you in the eyes and say you can go to hell.
“Baba Obasanjo, you are the only symbol of this country everybody can now run to meet. We know where you are and we know your views too.
“You have done great service to APC, you have done great service to the politics of this nation. We know you desire change, rather than continuity of nothingness.”
Obasanjo thanked all those present for being his guests, noting that all issues raised in the papers presented were not new “and they are issues we have been saying needed to be attended to.”
The event was attended by guests, including former Osun state governor and National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), now APC stalwart, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola; former Ekiti state governor and now South West chairman of the APC, Segun Oni.
However, as at the time of this report, no top member of the PDP was in attendance, except an ally to the celebrant, who is a member of board of trustees of the party, Chief Tunde Oshunrinde.
The event also coincided with the annual summit of the Centre for Human Security of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL).