Former President Goodluck Jonathan has warned that a compromised Judiciary and poor governance deter investment and diminish Nigeria’s global reputation.
He made the remarks at the ‘2025 Haske Satumari Foundation’s annual colloquium’ in Abuja, which focused on promoting social development through diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Jonathan criticised the actions of key political actors, stating that the decisions made by the executive, legislature, and judiciary shape how Nigeria is perceived internationally.
“No serious investor will bring their money into a country whereby the Judiciary is compromised—where government officials can dictate court judgments,” he said.
Referring to the political situation 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.
“In Nigeria today, key actors—from the executive to the legislature and judiciary—know the right course of action, yet they refuse to take it. They are merely pretending to be asleep”, he stated.
The former president highlighted the abuse of power across all branches of government, stressing that governance decisions have far-reaching consequences.
“I always remind people that the actions of those in power affect everyone. Sometimes, people act as if their decisions have no personal consequences. But no one wants to invest in an environment where their financial assets are at risk,” he added.
Jonathan linked Nigeria’s poor global perception to failures in governance, rather than solely blaming criminal activities such as cyber fraud.
“Many assume our poor reputation is only due to fraudsters like ‘Yahoo boys’ or the 419 scam. While such activities play a role, they are not the only factor. If we truly want to build a nation where our children and grandchildren can thrive, we must be willing to make sacrifices. Doing the right thing may come at a cost, but we must be prepared to pay the price”.
In his welcome remarks, the founder of the Haske Satumari Foundation, Kudla Satumari, stressed the importance of diversity and inclusion in national development.
