Kehinde Fajobi
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Friday described corruption as a “great monster” hindering Nigeria’s progress.
He made the remark during the memorial service for Justice Olayinka Ayoola (retd.), a former Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), at the Methodist Church Nigeria, Diocese of Agodi, Ibadan.
Ayoola passed away on August 20, 2024, at the age of 90.
Reflecting on Ayoola’s legacy, Obasanjo said, “Corruption is a great monster that is still battling with us in the country.
“It’s not that ICPC and Ayoola had not done their job or that even I, who appointed him, had not done what I could have done; it was the pressure of this great cancer of corruption.”
He praised Ayoola as “a great man, great Nigerian, great African, and man of the world” who left an indelible mark on the country.
Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, in her tribute, urged introspection about personal legacies.
She remarked, “He has left indelible footprints in the sand of time. We treasure him and all the things he had done to give Nigeria a befitting name. He left a legacy we should be proud of.”
Delivering the sermon, Revd Simeon Onaleke, Bishop of Agodi Diocese, called for legislation barring corrupt politicians from re-contesting.
“Do things that will make people remember you. Ayoola fought many battles, not with guns or swords. He did well,” Onaleke said.
Dignitaries at the event included Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Hajo Sarki Bello; Oyo State Chief Judge, Justice Iyabo Yerima; and other prominent judges and legal luminaries, alongside family members and friends.