SOME leaders, including that of the pan-Yoruba group, Afenifere, on Tuesday, slammed governors under the aegis of the Northern Governors’ Forum for rating former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, as the standard for good governance in the country. In a release issued by the governors on Monday, to mark Obasanjo’s 76th birthday, they had credited him for leaving legacies in all sectors of the economy of the country.A Second Republic governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, who was among those who spoke to the Nigerian Tribune on the rating of Obasanjo as the epitome of good governance, vehemently expressed his objection to the governors’ position, saying it amounted to obscuring the obvious.
“No, I do not agree with the governors; their claim is totally false” he exclaimed and likened the position to a case of “one-eyed man being king in a country of the blind.”
He said the former leader could not absolve himself from the socio-economic crises confronting Nigerians, owing to the alleged failure of his eight year-administration.
Though he said the Obasanjo-led tenure was better than succeeding administration, Balarabe alleged that the regime compounded the problem of corruption in country.
“Maybe, the categorisation is because of the absence of real good governance in Nigeria. But Obasanjo can never a symbol of good governance because his government was corrupt. Of course, those who came after him were worse,” Balarabe claimed.
Also in its reaction, Afenifere also faulted the position of the governors, which it said failed to recognise the negative consequences of the actions and inactions of Obasanjo while he was in the saddle for eight years.
It claimed that the current level of poverty across the country was a direct fallout of the administration, as it failed to use the huge foreign revenues that accrued to the country judiciously.
Speaking through its spokesman, Mr Yinka Odumakin, the organisation said the pronouncement of the governors was absolutely illogical, because of the colossal amount of public funds that went down the drain in the name of revamping public infrastructure.
It equally recalled that the plan by the Obasanjo administration to review the Nigerian constitution ended in a near fiasco, because of a third term agenda, in spite of the colossal amount of public fund pumped into the project.
A founding members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ambassador Yahaya Kwande, however, said though he did “not have a contrary view” on the statement of the governors, Obasanjo only made some impressions during his terms in office.
Those feats, according to him, were because the former was able to complement his military background with the political sagacity of his deputy, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
Kwande said Obasanjo totally derailed from governance after securing a second term in office, following seemingly irreconcilable political differences between them.
OBJ, promoter of national unity - Jonathan
Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan has described Obasanjo as a “true nationalist and promoter of national unity.”
Jonathan said this while addressing a gathering at the launch of “Legacy Book Project,” a book written in honour of Obasanjo which was co-written by Professor Akin Mabogunje and Alhaji Ahmed Joda, during the activities marking his 76th birthday, held at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta, on Tuesday.
The event also witnessed presentations of trophies to winners of inter-collegiate and inter-university debate on Human Security in Africa.
Jonathan, represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr Mike Oghiadomhe, said Obasanjo was a true elder statesman and peace loving person.
Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, said the celebrant was a special gift to the state, Nigeria and, indeed, the whole Africa.
“Let me say this, that whether you love him or hate him, Baba is a true nationalist who laboured selflessly for the unity and progress of this country,” he said.
Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, in his congratulatory message, also described Obasanjo as “an outstanding statesman, who has dedicated himself to the ideals of national unity, peace and progress of Nigeria.”
“No, I do not agree with the governors; their claim is totally false” he exclaimed and likened the position to a case of “one-eyed man being king in a country of the blind.”
He said the former leader could not absolve himself from the socio-economic crises confronting Nigerians, owing to the alleged failure of his eight year-administration.
Though he said the Obasanjo-led tenure was better than succeeding administration, Balarabe alleged that the regime compounded the problem of corruption in country.
“Maybe, the categorisation is because of the absence of real good governance in Nigeria. But Obasanjo can never a symbol of good governance because his government was corrupt. Of course, those who came after him were worse,” Balarabe claimed.
Also in its reaction, Afenifere also faulted the position of the governors, which it said failed to recognise the negative consequences of the actions and inactions of Obasanjo while he was in the saddle for eight years.
It claimed that the current level of poverty across the country was a direct fallout of the administration, as it failed to use the huge foreign revenues that accrued to the country judiciously.
Speaking through its spokesman, Mr Yinka Odumakin, the organisation said the pronouncement of the governors was absolutely illogical, because of the colossal amount of public funds that went down the drain in the name of revamping public infrastructure.
It equally recalled that the plan by the Obasanjo administration to review the Nigerian constitution ended in a near fiasco, because of a third term agenda, in spite of the colossal amount of public fund pumped into the project.
A founding members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ambassador Yahaya Kwande, however, said though he did “not have a contrary view” on the statement of the governors, Obasanjo only made some impressions during his terms in office.
Those feats, according to him, were because the former was able to complement his military background with the political sagacity of his deputy, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
Kwande said Obasanjo totally derailed from governance after securing a second term in office, following seemingly irreconcilable political differences between them.
OBJ, promoter of national unity - Jonathan
Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan has described Obasanjo as a “true nationalist and promoter of national unity.”
Jonathan said this while addressing a gathering at the launch of “Legacy Book Project,” a book written in honour of Obasanjo which was co-written by Professor Akin Mabogunje and Alhaji Ahmed Joda, during the activities marking his 76th birthday, held at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta, on Tuesday.
The event also witnessed presentations of trophies to winners of inter-collegiate and inter-university debate on Human Security in Africa.
Jonathan, represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr Mike Oghiadomhe, said Obasanjo was a true elder statesman and peace loving person.
Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, said the celebrant was a special gift to the state, Nigeria and, indeed, the whole Africa.
“Let me say this, that whether you love him or hate him, Baba is a true nationalist who laboured selflessly for the unity and progress of this country,” he said.
Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, in his congratulatory message, also described Obasanjo as “an outstanding statesman, who has dedicated himself to the ideals of national unity, peace and progress of Nigeria.”
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