Former President Goodluck Jonathan has delivered a blunt warning about Nigeria’s deteriorating global image, blaming weak governance and a compromised judiciary for scaring away investors and stalling national progress.
Speaking at the Haske Satumari Foundation’s annual colloquium in Abuja, Jonathan criticized political leaders across all branches of government, accusing them of knowing the right course of action but deliberately refusing to take it.
“No serious investor will bring their money into a country where the judiciary is compromised—where government officials can dictate court judgments,” he declared.
Addressing the political crisis in Rivers State, he invoked an Indian proverb: “If someone is truly asleep, you can wake them up. But if someone is pretending to be asleep, waking them up becomes impossible.”
Jonathan also dismissed the notion that Nigeria’s tarnished reputation is solely due to cyber fraud, arguing that governance failures play a bigger role. While avoiding direct commentary on the proposed state of emergency in Rivers, he stressed the global norm that former leaders rarely criticize their successors.
The colloquium featured discussions on inclusion, governance, and leadership, with Kenyan Senator Crystal Asige highlighting barriers preventing persons with disabilities from fully participating in politics and economic life.
