Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Friday described the performance of President Goodluck Jonathan as below average.
Obasanjo spoke during an encounter with book writers in Abeokuta, Ogun State, as part of activities marking the popular Ake Festival.
When asked of his view on Jonathan’s administration, he said, “His performance is below average. I will not accept responsibility for his performance. There is nobody that gets such a position without being helped.”
The former President also debunked the insinuations that he had selected Jonathan as the running mate to the late President Musa Yar’Adua because he knew the latter was sick.
“Yar’Adua told me he was well. He showed me his medical report and I even consulted experts,” he said.
He said he had only supported the idea of a South-Southerner succeeding Yar’Adua to extend the sense of belonging that the emergence of a Southern President in 1999 represented.
When the former President was also asked on why he preferred Jonathan to the former governor of Rivers State, Donald Duke, he said, “In my own life, I don’t put all my eggs in one basket. Duke was young enough to be in the reserve.
“He did not agree with me. Donald Duke is my friend but he needs a little of toning down. He needs to get his feet on the ground.”
The former President had, in a December 2, 2013 18-page letter to Jonathan titled: “Before it is too late” raised many issues concerning Jonathan’s administration.
The Presidency on Friday said a statement credited to Obasanjo that President Goodluck Jonathan’s performance is below average was “not true and in error.”
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, said this in a telephone interview.
Okupe said if the statement indeed emanated from the former leader, it was the most uncharitable thing to say about the present administration which he said had achieved so much in various areas.
“If indeed former President Obasanjo said that, that statement was in error because no government since independence has done close to 50 per cent of what this administration has done in less than four years,” Okupe said.
He recalled that when Obasanjo was leaving office, the total power generation capacity in the country was about 2,600MW, claiming that the present administration had been able to raise the figure to about 4,000MW.
Okupe also said the Jonathan administration inherited 24 airports that were in states of disrepair across the country at inception.
He said all the airports had so far been refurbished by the present administration, therefore increasing the country’s reputation among comity of nations.
The presidential aide also said the present administration inherited 10 moribund National Integrated Power Projects and went ahead to restore and commission them.
He added that the Jonathan administration had succeeded in completely eradicating the rot and corruption met in the distribution of fertilisers in the agriculture sector.
He also said the present administration made progress in road construction by making 70 per cent of road network motorable.
Okupe also said many of the manufacturing industries that were moribund in 2011 have started work again.
“These are just a few among the achievements of the present administration. So if that statement was indeed made, it is most uncharitable and it is not true,” he added. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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No matter what GJ has acoomplished so much more than OBJ so why is he sating these things? Because he wants to control the seat of the president hoping that his selection will be a puppet.
ReplyDeleteOBJ go and die. What was your score card the two times you held sway at the helms of affairs?. Where you not the one that crush freedom of speech across the country ?.Have you forgotten ODI massacre, ZAKI BIU massacre ?, you desecrated the office of president by coming down so low and very hard on Idris Abdukarim when he stated the obvious. Halliburton scandal .Where you not the one that used your office to steal plenty land in the name of OFN in all the geopolitical zones ??. Just hold your peace and don't allow us to dig deep into your shady and dirty deals. Must you always control somebody at the top??.
ReplyDeleteJonathan's administration has achieves more than what Obasanjo did in just four years wth all the Boko haram distractions. Please old fool(OBJ) keep ur running mouth away from this administration
ReplyDeleteShot up! What has good luck done?
ReplyDeleteMote than OBJ surely.
DeleteOBJ you shamelessly accepted that you selected your successor rather than through election. During your reign was there anything like opposition? What of crime rate? Better keep quite.
ReplyDeleteObj..I feel ur sadness. What we have today is the worst since independence. I feel your pain. We will not hold u responsible. I voted a shoeless man, today it seems my vote is noe a licence to bring naija to this all time low. Never will I vote him again.
ReplyDeleteYou are nobody
DeleteHi - if you cannot see that achievements of OBJ in his time were not one fifth of GEJ, you are man most miserable. If you will not vote GEJ, who else will you, is it to vote ISN into power? We do not want iraq and syria scenes replayed here, already they're sponsoring that in northeast. Sorry I am not sure if you are a muslim or not. If that is the case, your comments above I think must have been born out of that and therefore may support ISN here. Be informed that will not be, God has chosen and nobody can twist God's hand, this is a prophecy, mark it. Where there is light darkness must disappear, no way darkness can remove/upstage light. This is according to the scripture.
DeleteKeep ur vote. It is not significantly
DeleteObj , you are the worst Head of state and President that hold unto power for eight yrs and wanted third term plus looting the resources of Niger Delta to establish Ota farm , that u are feeding on . You should be ashamed of yourself for insulting Nigerians with your scores this old age school you went to cannot be use to rate the timely Education GEJ obtain and We Nigerians cannot accept your scores on Jonathan-Oriebaje
ReplyDeleteIf Jonathan's performance is below average, then should Atiku or Buhari take over? Baba where are you driving us to? back to dark age when we have managed to survive? It is a fact that Jonathan is the only candidate for now until 2019 and we can get the best person to replace him.
ReplyDeletethis okupe guy na mumu
ReplyDeleteOBJ is a frustrated old man. Jonathan has performed creditably well
ReplyDeletewhat will you score yourself?
ReplyDeleteITT internatinal Thief thief like Baba and Ab. Arrangee masters ooh yeeeeeeeeeee, Arangee masters yeeeeeeee.They go start to steal money like Baba and Ab
ReplyDeleteOBJ you are responsible for the unruly and criminal behaviours of Tambuwal and other House of Reps member towards the Govt and the polity. Old man who suppose to be a peace maker is using the lower NASS as tugs against the Fed Govt. The evils that men do live with them. In 4 yrs GEJ has done 10 times what you did in all the years you rule this country including as military head of state. Close your mouth and let God prolong your life as you prayed during your birthday. But I do not think God will want you to continue to cause trouble in the country. You and your cohorts in APC have already killed much and done a lot of damage in the country. Because GEJ unlike you is not into political killing, which was your major strategy during your tenures, that's why you are rating him below average. I hope all of you will run to exile as GEJ returns to power next year. God used donkey to bring Saul (Paul) to Christ, so could God have used just anything to bring GEJ to power. Your playing advisory part in GEJ political career does not mean he belongs to you, nor this country belongs you. By the same way God used Babangida as well to bring you out from prison and installed as the President. Your first tenure was a total failure, and your supporters and agents then were busy telling nigerians all time you committed impeachable offence that you were "Learning". Many attempts of impeachment were carried out by lower NASS led by Ghali N'aba yet Nigerians tolerated your excesses. You commited uncountable impeachable offences but was pardoned, In second coming was destruction of anything opposition including human beings especially those worked and sacrificed for installing you president. There were political killings everywhere. Please GEJ has a human face and you cannot force him to be devil like you, your NASS tugs and APC. Frustration you cause Tambuwal is bringing all these, you deceived him into believing you will work for him to become presidential aspirant in PDP which failed. He ran to APC, declared to run for lower position to his present, of governor, yet confused, he later went and bought presidential form for APC, again still desperate, ambitious, uncertain and afraid of what will become of seeing he would not scale through presidential nomination in APC. He did U turn went back to purchase gov'nor form, a disgracing and lower to Speakership. All these which were the aftermath of the numerous visits of tambuwal and meeting with OBJ at Otta farm. All the plans failed, feeling frustrated and defeated now you people resorted to brigandry and hooliganism. This will also fail. There is no doubt Tambuwal and his team are frustrated and confused and therefore turned to violence. Otta farmer leave Nigeria alone it does not belong to you. Babangida, Abdusalam, and others, hijacked PDP formed and nurtured by Ekwueme and forced you on us. Did not turn around to destroy you nor tried to sponsor or employ all these wicked and devilish arsenals which you are currently using against GEJ and indeed entire nigeria. You people do not care how many innocent people being killed, in your ongoing onslaught, all you care is let GEJ be forced out of seat. Remember your doom days and how God showed you mercy, and you have turned yourself to demon due to your selfish and inordinate desires. You recently enrolled for MA in theology, hope your teachers will tell the principles of Christianity, it is not for politics nor means to penetrate into christians. God forgive if this amounts to judgment, How could a person be muslim and christian same time, having mosque in his compound and parade himself as christian. I doubt the christianity because no true christian will build a mosque in his compound. Whom is being deceived here?. We still remember the Pharisees and Sadducees of bible, your acts seem to fit in. I wish I am wrong. This is a nightmare. There is God, and you people shall not succeed in Jesus Name. Amen.
ReplyDeleteGood talk. OBJ us a bug old fool
Deleteall of u dat are talking bad abt obj are hiding ur ids.. cowards
ReplyDeleteWonder why you ID is also hidden, hypocrite like you. - O'Naba
DeleteOBJ, you are wrong about your accessment. Call spade a spade joe score card is zero not below average, look as much as am not Obj fan, but obj government put us thru part of progress but we needed a president to us to the promise land not the one to take us backward and that exactly what is going on now.
ReplyDeleteObj u no get conscience. Shame no dey catch u?
ReplyDeleteShame no dey catch this obj again ooo
ReplyDeleteObj u no get conscience. Shame no dey catch u?
ReplyDeletei c! why r we always wasting tym in d name of voting during elections? so its selection u guys do right? i believe if u were asked weda u guys do selection rada dan election u would have said its election but u just foolishly confessed now. may God forgive u,obj.
ReplyDeleteOBJ was right. Nigerians please do not be sentimental. GEJ hasnt done anything and he knows. Thats why he is using all resources available to make sure he comes back. If you have done well as a president, you would not worry so much for re-election. All of you that are shouting in GEJ's favor will be the first to condem him within the first few months afyer he is re-elected.
ReplyDeleteThank I am old enough to know all that transpired during obj and gej regime. Obj - kangaroo impeachments on some states plateau, kidnapping of a state governor ngige, efcc harrasment of political enemies, assassination of political enemies ie bola age, harry, not giving Amaechi the PDP mandate. Poor state of airports, low power output even after spending so much on power and IPP projects etc. I think gej is still better by far.
ReplyDeleteOkupe! where are the 4,000MWs? Where are the roads Okupe is talking about? Which industries? Have the textile factories re-opened?
ReplyDeleteYes, the textile factories have reopened. Also some of the moribund automobile plants have also reopened.
ReplyDelete