The traditional ruler of the Otumara Community in the Lagos Mainland Local Government Area, High Chief Kehinde Kalejaiye, has stated that Nigeria needs to focus on individual character development rather than electoral or judicial reform to address its complex 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.
He argued that embracing this principle at this crucial time would set the nation on a path toward progress, peace, and prosperity.
He emphasised that there is nothing fundamentally wrong with the country’s electoral and legal systems. Instead, he identified individual attitudes towards corruption, greed, and an excessive desire for power and authority as the primary factors undermining the nation’s progress.
Kalejaiye urged Nigerians, especially those in the political class, to engage in self-improvement and to be faithful, loyal, and honest to the Nigerian state.
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He said: “If we live our lives in accordance to 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 a foregone issue. Our pledge to be faithful, loyal and honest must strictly adhere 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 but our problem has to do with individual greed and corruption.
“This is where I disagree with the former President Olusegun Obasanjo who called for the reform of the country’s electoral law and the appointment of new, credible leaders for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to prevent corruption and re-establish trust during the Chinua Achebe leadership forum held at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
“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 is enough to set us on the path of progress. If this is done, those at the helms of affairs of the EFCC, INEC the ICPC, and other government agencies and parastatals will be just, honest, and incorruptible in dealing with others because the success of the Nigeria 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 goes for government officials who at the snap of a finger are eager to drop charges against suspects of financial and economic crimes.”