Daniel: Nigeria Bleeding from Corruption

•Urges reform, youth investment, backs state policing with safeguards

•Tinubu, Obasanjo, Jonathan lead tributes at senator’s 70th birthday, book launch

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

Former Ogun State governor, Senator Gbenga Daniel, Wednesday, warned that corruption, misinformation, and a steady erosion of ethical values posed the gravest threats to Nigeria’s progress, calling for urgent systemic reforms to reset the country’s trajectory.

Daniel spoke in Abuja at the public presentation of four books to mark his 70th birthday, an event attended by President Bola Tinubu, former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, as well as lawmakers, traditional rulers, and business leaders.

Focusing his remarks on Nigeria’s governance challenges, Daniel said the absence of credible information had distorted public discourse and undermined sound decision-making.

He said, “One of the critical issues that has arrested and held down Nigerian society is the lack of credible information. Political decisions are frequently taken from warped viewpoints.”

He stressed the need for deliberate investment in fact-based information systems to guide policy.

On corruption, the senator described illicit financial flows and capital flight as major drains on national resources, insisting that tackling the menace requires a structured, system-wide approach.

He stated, “A significant portion of corrupt proceeds passes through our banking system.”

He proposed a carefully designed amnesty framework to encourage the repatriation of stolen funds into the economy.

Daniel also decried what he termed a decline in ethical standards in public life, urging leaders to return to the “Omoluabi ethos” anchored on integrity, accountability, and moral uprightness.

He warned that without a moral reset, governance reforms would yield limited results.

Addressing youth development, Daniel said Nigeria risked stalling its future if it failed to productively engage its growing young population.

“A nation that fails to engage its young population meaningfully is, in effect, postponing its own progress,” he said.

He called for increased investment in skills acquisition, technology, and the creative industries to curb rising social vices, such as drug abuse and cultism.

On security, the former governor endorsed ongoing debates on state policing, but cautioned against potential abuse. He advocated the creation of State Police Councils to ensure transparency and accountability in their operations.

Tinubu, represented by Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, and other dignitaries at the event paid tribute to Daniel’s contributions to governance, business, and national development.