Bakare raised concerns in the keynote address he delivered at a symposium in Abuja to celebrate the 70th birthday of Pastor Chinedu Ezekwesili, husband of former Minister of Education, Dr Obiageli Ezekwesili.
He attributed the current economic hardship to corruption and bad governance.
There were multiple reports of how hoodlums broke into warehouses and stole foodstuffs and other valuable items in the last two weeks.
Bakare, who blamed the development on bad governance, also described it as a reflection of systemic failure.
While warning that a failed institution can’t resolve the filth of corruption in any society, the cleric said it would be ridiculous of Nigerians to expect the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and other anti-graft agencies in the country to do it alone.
Bakare said, “Somewhere in the equation, something has to be done, whether in the homes that produce the fabrics or even in the institution of states that have failed to liquidate this criminal enterprise and facilitate alternative pathways for young people; somewhere in the societal equation where corruption and bad governance are crippling the economy, leaving no fewer than 133 million Nigerians in multidimensional poverty and 26.5 million in acute hunger across the country.
“With families going to bed hungry, a citizen is forced to take to the streets and to loot warehouses in their quest for survival. It means somebody has failed in his duty. In other words, somewhere in the governance equation is where we have the real issue. The good news however is that man has the capacity to reverse the situations. With the help of his Creator, man is himself a creator with the ability to recreate his world.
“This is a mission and purpose of every man. No citizen deserves to sleep under the bridge in a nation that has government. Until the righteous people are appointed into office, we are wasting time. There is only one antidote to fight corruption. EFCC and ICPC cannot fight it alone. Anybody that sits on the committee to investigate corruption who is corrupt himself can’t fight corruption in Nigeria.”
Continuing, the former presidential aspirant hailed the former minister and her spouse for remaining a shining light in a society where corruption and bad governance are crippling the economy.
The preacher said those who are closer to the couple and understand their history know that the ex-minister and former World VP climbed up the ladder of success on the giant shoulder of her husband.
“Ezekwesili became a model of what a purposeful person should be when she stood up to the oppressive regime of the military at a time to an agent of disruptive change in government, first as ‘Madam Due Process’ and then as two-term minister.
“Again rising from her position as the vice president of World Bank to rallying Nigerians for the ‘Bring back our girls’ movement and stepping into the terrain to run for the office of the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the giant strides of Oby Ezekwesili cannot be told without the support of Pastor Chinedu. My brother, we celebrate you today because you are a true model of a supporting husband,” he stated.
Ezekwesili told the audience that only men of courage can appreciate what it takes to marry an activist and independent woman like his wife.
“I have always taken my time to make sure Oby becomes the best she can ever be. Real men are not afraid of our wives because in marriage, two of you are one. So if you are working against yourself, there is something definitely wrong with you,” he noted.
