By Felix Khanoba
Former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Kanu Agabi, SAN, has called for the establishment of a National Integration Commission to tackle Nigeria’s persistent unity challenges.
Agabi made the call on Friday in Abuja while delivering the 15th Convocation Lecture of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).
Speaking on the theme, ‘Nigeria Against Corruption,’ the senior lawyer linked corruption and weak national integration to rising insecurity and the appointment of unqualified individuals into public office.
He raised serious concerns about Nigeria’s electoral process, describing it as largely flawed and incapable of producing credible leadership.
According to him, the absence of free and fair elections continues to erode public confidence and entrench corruption at all levels.
“If we are ever going to free ourselves from corruption, if the nation is ever going to be non-violent and secure, we must first have free and fair elections. So far our elections have been far from free or fair.
“If a President, a governor, a legislator or a councillor sees nothing wrong with employing the most inferior methods to acquire office, he or she should not be surprised if other citizens employ unethical methods to achieve their own aims.
“A leader who has acquired power by such means should expect that his bad example will be followed. Until we conduct free and fair elections the people are never going to take government seriously when it condemns corruption,” he said.
Agabi also faulted the country’s education system, describing it as a driver of corruption rather than a remedy. He criticised its heavy reliance on Western models, arguing that it disconnects students from their communities and promotes elitism.
“Education as presently conceived and offered has aided and facilitated the entrenchment of a complex of superiority in our children. It has made them proud and distant from the community,” he said.
He advocated a more practical and locally relevant curriculum that balances intellectual development with vocational skills, urging universities to focus on innovation and national growth.
“Our universities must teach not just the use of the mind, but also the use of the hands. The studies we offer ought to be of utility to the nation,” he stated.
The former AGF further condemned widespread malpractice in tertiary institutions, including irregular admissions, examination fraud, cultism and unethical relationships between lecturers and students. He warned that such practices have undermined the credibility of Nigerian universities.
He also stressed the need to reduce the high stakes associated with political office, noting that desperation for power often leads to violence and democratic instability.
“When the stakes are too high, powerful groups whose interests are threatened by legitimately elected governments provide support for violent movements that destroy democracy,” he noted.
Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of NOUN, Professor Uduma Oji Uduma, described corruption as a deep moral and philosophical crisis that continues to weaken institutions, distort values and hinder national development.
According to him, corruption persists not only because of perpetrators but also due to societal tolerance, warning that education without integrity poses a significant danger.
He called on universities, government and citizens to uphold accountability and ethical standards, stressing that national renewal depends on collective moral courage and a commitment to integrity.
In his remarks, the chairman of the convocation lecture and former Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Professor Kabir Bala, commended Agabi’s lecture, particularly its focus on national unity.
“I would like to say that for a very long time, s I’ve not had a lecture like this. I have learned so much, and I’m glad you still allow senior citizens to help us in this way…..
“And actually, some of the solutions have been provided in this lecture,” he said.
He, however, called for the practical implementation of the ideas presented, noting that they could help address corruption and disunity in the country.
“This lecture, like I said, is pregnant, and it touches on most aspects of corruption in this country,” he added.
The event also featured the presentation of plaques to the guest lecturer, Agabi, and the convocation lecture chairman, Professor Kabir Bala.
