Former President Jonathan’s Performance Will Hunt S/South For A Long Time – Obasanjo Says

Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has said the performance of the immediate past president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan while in office, whether positive or negative, will hunt the people of the South-South region for a long time to come.

He made the remark on Friday in Benin, Edo State, while delivering the 11th Convocation Lecture of Benson Idahosa University (BIU), on the topic; “Effective Educational System: A panacea for Societal Development and Transformation.”

Apparently alluding to allegation that he supported the emergence of President Goodluck Jonathan even when he knew that he might not perform optimally, Obasanjo noted that there was nothing wrong in supporting anybody to power, but that what such person does with it is a different matter entirely.

“I have also said that you can help anybody to get a job but you cannot help him to do it. Let us get it clear, there is nobody who has got into any position who has not been helped by one person or more than one person. To become Nigeria’s head of state, it was first of all my performance in the war front, now if General Gowon has not sent me to the war front, you won’t know whether I can perform or cannot perform. Now he sent me to the war front, I thank him for it and because I performed, we shared the credit. If I have failed, Gowon would not have shared the credit, he would not have shared the condemnation with me, I will be alone. 

“Yes, as I have said, I believe that opportunity that afforded itself in 2010 to somebody from the minority to on his own steam become the President of Nigeria, he should never lose the opportunity but what he did with it is entirely to him. And don’t forget what he did or did not do with it, will reflect for a long time on that part of the country [he came from]. Don’t take that lightly, what he did or did not do with it will reflect for a long time on that part of the country,” he said.

According to the former President, no one becomes President without the help and support of other people, just as he declared that he had just one vote among the 18 million votes that brought him Jonathan to power, adding that, “You voted for him. I was not the only 18 million voters who voted for him.”