Olusegun Adeyemo
Mr. Kunle Olatunji, Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to Senator Yunus Akintunde of Oyo Central Senatorial District, has said that Nigerians deeply miss the era of discipline enforced during Muhammadu Buhari’s time as a military Head of State, lamenting the current alarming state of indiscipline across the country.
Speaking in a tribute during an interview with Journal Nigeria, Olatunji recalled the strict order and civic responsibility that characterized Buhari’s military regime in the 1980s, describing it as a period when discipline was not only promoted but actively enforced. According to him, the contrast with today’s Nigeria is stark and troubling.
“President Muhammadu Buhari will be missed for his military era — that period brought real discipline,” he said. “There was structure. Nigerians were afraid to misbehave. There was consequence for wrongdoing, and it helped keep society in line.”
Olatunji decried what he sees as the steady collapse of order in the country, where both the governing class and the ordinary citizen act without fear of consequences. “The totality of Nigerians as a people, we need more discipline. We are not organized. The system is not structured for Nigerians to behave well,” he remarked.
He pointed to everyday instances of misconduct, including indiscriminate waste disposal by the elite and bribery among public officials, as symptoms of the wider decay in discipline. “Some elites still throw dirty things from their cars onto the street — that’s indiscipline,” he said. “Public officials take bribes openly. There’s no shame because there are no punishments.”
He emphasized that the current system, lacking enforcement and accountability, is enabling bad behavior and stifling national development. “People do as they please. There is no deterrence,” Olatunji stated. “When there is no punishment, indiscipline flourishes.”
Calling for urgent reform, Olatunji urged Nigerians to take personal responsibility and for the institutions of government to implement and enforce disciplinary measures that will restore a sense of order and collective responsibility.
He further echoed the views of Senator Yunus Akintunde, who has consistently maintained that moral values, institutional discipline, and enforcement of standards are critical foundations for national progress. The Senator has been vocal about the need for a national reorientation, stressing that without discipline, no meaningful development can be achieved.
Olatunji’s remarks come against a backdrop of increasing concerns over corruption, social irresponsibility, and the failure of public institutions to enforce laws, fueling nationwide frustration and calls for a return to strong leadership and societal values.