•UK Conservative Party leader, Kemi Badenoch
Former presidential spokesman, Laolu Akande, has urged Nigerians to stop fixating on the recent comments made by Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the United Kingdom’s Conservative Party, and instead focus on the myriad of pressing issues facing the country.
Akande made this call on television yesterday, where he addressed the uproar over Badenoch’s remarks.
44-year-old Badenoch was born in London and spent part of her childhood in Nigeria recently remarked that she did not want the United Kingdom to mirror the situation in Nigeria.
Badenoch’s comments have sparked outrage among Nigerians.
“Our obsession with Mrs. Badenoch’s comments is entirely diversionary.
“Instead of focusing on her, we should be attacking our real problems. Who cares what she thinks? The bigger issue is the state of our country — we should be putting pressure on our leaders to solve fundamental problems like fixing the national power grid,” he said.
During the programme on Channels TV, Akande commended the Supreme Court for its recent ruling that dismissed a lawsuit filed by 19 state governments challenging the constitutionality of key anti-corruption agencies. He described the case as a self-serving attempt to undermine the operations of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).
“The 7-member Supreme Court panel unanimously dismissed the suit, labeling it ‘selfish,’” Akande said. “This ruling is a comforting rebuke against attempts to weaken our fight against corruption. It shows that while much has gone wrong in our country, redemption is not impossible if we remain steadfast.”
