I'm a better president than OBJ, says Jonathan

Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria

File Photo: L-R: President Goodluck Jonathan and Chief Olusegun Obasanjo
File Photo: L-R: President Goodluck Jonathan and Chief Olusegun Obasanjo

President Goodluck Jonathan has rejected a below-average scorecard given him by former Nigerian leader, Olusegun Obasanjo. Instead, President Jonathan has rated himself the best leader since Nigeria’s independence in 1960.

Dr. Doyin Okupe, President Jonathan’s Special Assistant on Public Affairs, gave the revised score-card in Abuja on Sunday, expressing disbelief that Obasanjo could make the comment credited to him.

“Our attention has been drawn to comments made by a former President of this country, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, regarding the performance of the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.

“Obasanjo had at an event over the weekend declared that he rated the President Goodluck Jonathan administration ‘below average’.

Doyin Okupe
Doyin Okupe

“We aver that Obasanjo’s comments are untrue, misleading and clearly do not tally with the facts on the ground.

“We therefore wish to assert without equivocation that in terms of performance and achievements, no administration since 1960 when Nigeria gained independence from Britain, has done as much as that of President Jonathan.”

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He said that every discerning and unbiased Nigerian would definitely attest to this “as the evidence stare all of us in the face,” Okupe stated.

According to Okupe, who also was a special assistant to Obasanjo, in Obasanjo’s first term, contrary to Obasanjo’s position, the Federal Government under Jonathan had performed excellently given the prevailing circumstances and resources available to it.

He said while it was true that Nigeria had been faced with incidents of insurgency and terrorism, especially in the last few years, the Jonathan administration had successfully contained the initial widespread activities of the insurgents, which he said were prevalent in 12 states of the North, including the Federal Capital Territory.

“While it is true that the present activities of the terrorists in the three north-eastern states have become more deadly in mindless killings, kidnappings and supposed territorial seizures, government has made giant diplomatic strides with our neighbouring countries in order to checkmate the crisscrossing of the insurgents.

“The military and other security agents, which have engaged the insurgents since inception, have done a great job in spite of recent challenges.

“The truth of the matter which we must know and accept is that we have an internal enemy supported by internal and external resources waging a major warfare against our nation,” he said.

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