Former President Goodluck Jonathan has challenged Nigeria to treat the fight against corruption with seriousness, warning that the country will continue to move in circles unless it develops a shared national sense of what is right and what is wrong.
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He spoke on Thursday while chairing a gathering in Abuja to honour a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Kanu Agabi, who turned 80 on 9 July 2026. The event, held on 24 September, featured a public lecture, the unveiling of three books published in his honour, and a gallery showcasing his life and career.
Addressing the gathering, the former President said the work of the enforcement agencies cannot by itself change the country.
“Whatever the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission does, and whatever this young man and those who will succeed him do, if we do not develop as a nation an awareness to say this is wrong and this is right, we will continue to claim to be fighting corruption and we will go round in circles. We cannot move anywhere,” he said.
He said the position was worse within his own constituency.
“And if you look at the political environment I belong to, the situation is worse. From our election campaigns, and on any day I listen to the television, including this morning, and I hear statements made by senior politicians and high-ranking government officials, I feel deep sadness as a Nigerian.”
He said the Nigerian courts carry a heavy burden in ensuring that politicians abide by the rules in the interest of good governance.
The heads of the country’s anti-corruption agencies endorsed the former President’s position, as did the President of the Nigerian Bar Association.
One of the agency chiefs described the volume of complaints his commission receives.
“As an anti-corruption agency, I received petitions relating to public corruption, more than 20,000 petitions in one year. And all of them credible,” he said.
“And you know, you would ask yourself, what is happening? It seems public officials are stealing money every minute. Sometimes you see some of the cases, and it is not funny. Watch some of our cases and you will weep. The way people plunder national resources.”
Another speaker located the problem in social tolerance and institutional weakness.
“We tolerate a culture of corruption. That is why it thrives. Secondly, we have systemic failure. Our systems are weak. That is why most of the problems we face in the public sector come down to these two things,” he said.
Paying tribute to the celebrant, a speaker said his continued presence answers those who say the old standards have gone.
“And when I hear that the old standards have faded, that the old days are gone, I remember that you are still here. You are still talking about ethics, and investing in younger colleagues, and still making an impact,” he said.
“The challenge before the rest of us is whether we will do the same.”
Responding, Chief Agabi said the legal profession can no longer afford to keep quiet while the country’s fortunes decline.
“The legal sector has come under justified suspicion because of silence,” he said. “So I consider this a fitting occasion to remind ourselves that the legal profession is a profession of speech. We must speak. We cannot afford silence while the motherland suffers greatly.”
The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Honourable Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, was represented by Honourable Justice Uwani Abba-Aji of the Supreme Court, with other Justices of the apex court in attendance.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, was represented by the Solicitor-General of the Federation, Mrs. Beatrice Jedy-Agba.
The gathering also drew the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, Dr. Musa Adamu, and the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, together with senior advocates of Nigeria.
The President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mrs. Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, and other senior members of the profession were present, as were the Governor of Cross River State, Senator Bassey Otu, the former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, and traditional rulers from different parts of the country.
The public lecture, titled “Prioritising ethical conduct and anti-corruption measures in governance in Nigeria,” was delivered by the founder and chief executive of Cable Media and Publishing Limited, Mr. Simon Kolawole.
According to the Chairman of the planning committee, Professor Peter Akper, the topic was chosen because it centres on issues of particular interest to the celebrant.
Three books were unveiled in his honour: The Book of Tributes, a collection of tributes by his professional colleagues, friends and associates; Law, Ethics, and Good Governance in Nigeria, a collection of essays by legal practitioners and academics; and Commentary on Notable Cases of Chief Kanu Agabi, which examines selected cases he handled in practice.
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