Many govt officials in Nigeria unfit for public offices, they should be in prison – Obasanjo

• According to him, government officials with “questionable” character would not strive to develop the country or serve the interest of Nigerians.

Former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, says Nigeria has way too many corrupt, criminal and morally bankrupt individuals holding public offices.

He asserted that some of the people currently in government should be in prison for their past criminal deeds.

Obasanjo made the assertion on Thursday while speaking virtually at the memorial lecture of Denis Joseph Slattery in Lagos.

According to him, government officials with “questionable” character would not strive to develop the country or serve the interest of Nigerians.

In his speech titled “The Imperative for Moral Rectitude in Governance,” Obasanjo pointed out that the most important demand of anybody involved in governance at any level is “accountability.”

He said: “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. You cannot expect thieves to give good judgement in favour of the owner of the property.”