Former President, Goodluck Jonathan has replied his
critics who accused him of handing over a nation at the
verge of collapse to his successor, President
Muhammadu Buhari.
.
Jonathan recounted the achievements of his government
to include, handing over a country that produced the
richest man in Africa.
.
Jonathan said, “I took over a Nigeria that was the
second largest economy in Africa with a GDP of
$270.5 billion in 2009, I handed over a Nigeria that had
grown to become the largest economy in Africa and the
24th largest economy in the World with a GDP of
$574 billion.
.
“I inherited a Nigeria in which the trains were not
working, and handed over a Nigeria in which citizens
can safely travel by trains again. I also inherited a
country where illiteracy rate particularly in the Northern
part was alarming. I handed over a country where
every state in the North and indeed all the states had a
Federal University. I inherited a country where there
was total infrastructural decay in all the unity schools
and colleges of education. But I handed over a country
with massive infrastructural improvement in almost
higher institutions. I inherited a country where
agricultural inputs and production were almost zero.
But I handed over a country where a bag of rice was
sold for N6,500 to N7000. My regime since the
establishment of ecological fund office did more irrigation
dams in the North and other parts of the country than
other subsequent administrations put together. I inherited
epileptic fuel supplies resulting to endless queues at the
filling stations. I maintained despite enormous challenges
of fuel subsidies and handed over a relatively stable fuel
regime.
.
I inherited a Nigeria that was a net importer of cement,
and handed over a Nigeria that is a net exporter of
cement.
.
In 2009 the richest Nigerian was the 5th richest man in
Africa, but I handed over a Nigeria that produced the
richest man in Africa.
.
The former President further stated " I inherited a
country where people were almost losing hope on the
credibility of its electoral process but I noticed that
democracy will continue to grow in the African continent
if leaders value the process of elections more than the
product of the process. I handed over electoral process
that engendered fairness in its conduct and conclusiveness
".
.
He said, “Even in the 2015 general elections in my
country, Nigeria, there was potential for major crisis if
I was not a President duly elected by the will of the
people.
.
“The campaigns leading to the elections almost polarized
the country into Christian vs Muslims and North vs
South divide.
.
Most World leaders were worried that our elections
will result into major crisis.
Some pundits even from here in the United States said
that those elections would spell the end of Nigeria and
that we would cease to exist as a nation because of the
polls.
.
That is where the leadership question comes into play.
.
As a leader that was duly elected by the people, I
considered the people’s interest first.
.
How do I manage my people to avoid killings and
destruction of properties?
.
With the interest of the people propelling all the decisions
I took, we were able to sail through.
.
Indeed, we sailed through because I refused to interfere
with the independence of the Independent National
Electoral Commission, INEC, having appointed a man
I had never met in my life to run it. We sailed through
because I maintained and still believe that my personal
ambition, interest is not worth the blood of any single
Nigerian.
.
My philosophy was simple. For elections to be credible,
I as a leader, must value the process more than the
product of the process. And the citizens must have
confidence in the electoral body.
.
Pls circulate it for them to know. The deceit is getting
too much...kai baba!
critics who accused him of handing over a nation at the
verge of collapse to his successor, President
Muhammadu Buhari.
.
Jonathan recounted the achievements of his government
to include, handing over a country that produced the
richest man in Africa.
.
Jonathan said, “I took over a Nigeria that was the
second largest economy in Africa with a GDP of
$270.5 billion in 2009, I handed over a Nigeria that had
grown to become the largest economy in Africa and the
24th largest economy in the World with a GDP of
$574 billion.
.
“I inherited a Nigeria in which the trains were not
working, and handed over a Nigeria in which citizens
can safely travel by trains again. I also inherited a
country where illiteracy rate particularly in the Northern
part was alarming. I handed over a country where
every state in the North and indeed all the states had a
Federal University. I inherited a country where there
was total infrastructural decay in all the unity schools
and colleges of education. But I handed over a country
with massive infrastructural improvement in almost
higher institutions. I inherited a country where
agricultural inputs and production were almost zero.
But I handed over a country where a bag of rice was
sold for N6,500 to N7000. My regime since the
establishment of ecological fund office did more irrigation
dams in the North and other parts of the country than
other subsequent administrations put together. I inherited
epileptic fuel supplies resulting to endless queues at the
filling stations. I maintained despite enormous challenges
of fuel subsidies and handed over a relatively stable fuel
regime.
.
I inherited a Nigeria that was a net importer of cement,
and handed over a Nigeria that is a net exporter of
cement.
.
In 2009 the richest Nigerian was the 5th richest man in
Africa, but I handed over a Nigeria that produced the
richest man in Africa.
.
The former President further stated " I inherited a
country where people were almost losing hope on the
credibility of its electoral process but I noticed that
democracy will continue to grow in the African continent
if leaders value the process of elections more than the
product of the process. I handed over electoral process
that engendered fairness in its conduct and conclusiveness
".
.
He said, “Even in the 2015 general elections in my
country, Nigeria, there was potential for major crisis if
I was not a President duly elected by the will of the
people.
.
“The campaigns leading to the elections almost polarized
the country into Christian vs Muslims and North vs
South divide.
.
Most World leaders were worried that our elections
will result into major crisis.
Some pundits even from here in the United States said
that those elections would spell the end of Nigeria and
that we would cease to exist as a nation because of the
polls.
.
That is where the leadership question comes into play.
.
As a leader that was duly elected by the people, I
considered the people’s interest first.
.
How do I manage my people to avoid killings and
destruction of properties?
.
With the interest of the people propelling all the decisions
I took, we were able to sail through.
.
Indeed, we sailed through because I refused to interfere
with the independence of the Independent National
Electoral Commission, INEC, having appointed a man
I had never met in my life to run it. We sailed through
because I maintained and still believe that my personal
ambition, interest is not worth the blood of any single
Nigerian.
.
My philosophy was simple. For elections to be credible,
I as a leader, must value the process more than the
product of the process. And the citizens must have
confidence in the electoral body.
.
Pls circulate it for them to know. The deceit is getting
too much...kai baba!
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