Chief Femi Fani-Kayode has been in the eye of the storm sincethe deportation of some Igbo from Lagos to Anambra State. The former Minister of Aviation has been critical of the Goodluck Jonathan administration which, he said, has performed abysmally. In this first part of the explosive interview, Fani-Kayode speaks on his trial, the Olusegun Obasanjo administration, 2015 elections, security challenge and other salient issues. It is vintage Femi Fani-Kayode. Excerpts:
How is life out of government and what are those things you are actually missing?
I do not miss being out of government. I have served my country for four years at the highest level and it is good enough.
Recently, the President’s spokesman described some of you that worked with the Obasanjo administration who are critical of the Goodluck Jonathan administration as yesterday’s men. Do you see yourself as a man of yesterday?
The essay was written by my friend and brother, Dr. Reuben Abati, who is President Jonathan’s spokesman. I responded tohim forcefully in an essay titled; ‘Hypocrisy of today’s men.’
And what he doesn’t realise or people don’t realise is that there is no yesterday’s men in politics. It is only if you are a political novice that you can make such a statement. Yesterday’s men often come back to rule the country and today’s men never last forever; they always go and they may come back again. For instance, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur is the chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. He was governor of defunct Gongola State in 1979.
He was a yesterday’s man for many years but he is back today and I am delighted about that. So, to describe anybody as yesterday’s man, I think is most inappropriate and naive. You look at Chief Tony Anenih, he was National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, in 1993 and now he is Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees. Look at Alhaji UmaruDikko, Minister of Transport in 1979 and he is now the Chairman of the PDP Disciplinary Committee.
Look at President Obasanjo himself. He was Head of State from 1976 to 1979, was sent to prison in 1996 and came out to become President again in 1999. He remained as President till 2007 and not only that, he is the one that put both President Yar’Adua and President Goodluck Jonathan in power.
So, in a situation where such things happen, to write people off and disdainfully say they are yesterday’s men as if they are dead and they have nothing more to offer does not make sense. As far as I am concerned, such assertions are inappropriate and most unwise. It is only God that knows anddetermines tomorrow. You don’t have to be in government tocontribute. I am sure that my friend and brother Reuben Abati will learn that once he leaves office himself.
Some of you that served in the Obasanjo administration are somehow critical ofJonathan administration. What really informed your criticisms?
There are so many issues. What it tells you is that some of us who worked in Obasanjo’s government, not all but some, are more sensitive to what is happening in our country.
Ours is not just like come to serve the government and leave as if we must never talk again. As far as I am concerned, government is not a cult and political parties are not cults. The whole reason for getting involved in politics is to help to develop your country and to move it forward. The reason why we can talk is because the administration that we servedhad an excellent record of performance.
If you look at the statistics, facts and figures, nobody comes close to Obasanjo in terms of his performance, be it in the economy, security or anything else. All you need to do is to dothe research.
You may not like him as an individual but you can’t fault him in terms of his record of performance. And we raised Nigeriato such a high level in terms of respect and achievement at that time. Within a space of eight years, Obasanjo did all this and he gathered the brightest and smartest cabinet that this country has ever known. His record in public office was excellent and the country was taken to a very high level in terms of economic performance and so many other areas between 1999 and 2007.
Now, when you see a situation where post-2007 till today has witnessed nothing but total degeneration in every sector, whether it be the economy, security, international affairs or anything else. Are we supposed to just sit down and keep quiet in such a situation and say nothing or are we supposed to speak up and encourage the government to do better?
Some of us felt it is important to speak out so that the government can do better. That is why I am critical and I believe that every true patriot ought to be critical if government is getting it wrong and not doing well.
You said Obasanjo performed very well while in office but this is contrary to some critics who felt that his eight years were wasted years?
They are ignorant. Anybody that says Obasanjo’s eight years were a waste is ignorant and I really don’t have time for suchpeople. Forget about Obasanjo as an individual, look at his record of performance. How can any sensible person say he did nothing?
Look, in 1999 when he came in, we had $1.5 billion in the foreign reserve and by the time this man left office he had built up the amount to $67 billion. He took $20 billion out of that to pay off our foreign debt, leaving $47 billion. From $1.5billion to $67 billion in eight years is quite an achievement.
Yet today, despite the huge amounts of money that we have made as a consequence of record high crude oil and gas prices and sales, we only have approximately $40 billion left in our foreign reserves five years after. We have less money in those reserves today than we did five years ago despite thefact that we have earned billions of dollars within those five years.
That is hardly fiscal discipline and the question that we have asked our government, and we are still waiting for an answer, is where has all that money gone? We were not the only ones that asked that question.
The Prime Minister of Great Britain, Mr. David Cameron, asked the same question and put it rather bluntly by saying that the Nigerian government would have to tell the G8 where the hundreds of millions of dollars that it had made from crude oil sales in the last few years had gone. He even gave them a deadline for an answer which was June 2013.
Needless to say our President and his government just ignored him. Number two, when he came into power in 1999,we had a foreign debt of $33 billion. But by the time Obasanjo left, we had no debt left. For the first time in the history of Africa we had a debt free country. We were set free from the economic slavery that comes with being indebted to the Western monetary agencies and the Bretton Woods institutions and that was a wonderful thing. It had never happened before. Obasanjo achieved that.
Yet today, five years later, we are back in debt to the tune of approximately $10 billion and we are still borrowing. That is hardly progress and this government has thereby enslaved future generations of Nigerians to economic servitude and bondage to the western powers and international monetary institutions.
They have squandered all of Obasanjo’s gains in this respect and sold us down the river. That is hardly progress. Thirdly, look at the Excess Crude Account, ECA. When Obasanjo came into power in 1999 there was no ECA. He created it and by the time he left office in 2007 he left $24 billion in that account.
He built all that money up in the space of eight years. Yet fiveyears later, despite all the money we have made from oil sales, our present government and Yar’Adua’s one that came before it, proved to us that they are incapable of saving any money for a rainy day because that account has been depleted and virtually emptied. Five years after $24 billion was left there, we only have approximately $9 billion in it today. That is hardly progress. Fourthly, look at the issue of power generation.
When Obasanjo came into office in 1999 we were generating 1,500 megawatts per year and there had been no development in the power sector for almost 20 years previous to that time. By the time he left office in 2007, eight years later, we were generating 4,500 megawatts per year.
Today, five years later, we are back to 3,000 megawatts per year. As a matter of fact, no government has been able to reach the same level of power generation that Obasanjo reached in 2007 when he left office. Instead of improving on what Obasanjo did they went the other way and brought power generation down. From 1,500 megawatts in 1999 to 4,500 megawatts in 2007 and up until today no government has reached that 4,500 megawatts which we achieved in 2007. I repeat today, five years later, we are still on 3,000 megawatts.
That is not what I would describe as progress. It is better described as retrogression of the highest order. Let us go back to the economy. In terms of inflation, interest rates, ordinary individual being able to get loan, unemployment, we are worse off today than we were five years ago. You see when people talk they don’t have the facts and figures and they are too lazy or blinded by prejudice and hate to do their homework and find out the truth. Let us look at it, today we have an 80 per cent graduate unemployment

teamGEJ

More pepper soup MADAM CH-U-KOR-DU!
As Dbanj will say in his second language. . . IGBO!

Look at President Obasanjo himself. He was Head of State from 1976 to 1979, was sent to prison in 1996 and came out to become President again in 1999. [size=20pt]He remained as President till 2007 and not only that, he is the one that put both President Yar’Adua and President Goodluck Jonathan in power.[/size]

LOOK AT THIS SHAMELESS HE-GOAT?
Then why are you complaining?

IJJJJJJIOT!

Mtcheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew!

USSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSELESS YORUBA MAN!!!!
Witi dat ya mouth wey you take chop BIANCAR TOTO!
Ewu!

The reason I will FOREVER RESPECT ATIKU. . .for he recognized from the VERY BEGINNING, THAT IF THE HEAD OF THE FISH(OBJ) is rotten. . . WHY BLAME THE NECK(ATIKU)?

This FFK IS THE ULTIMATE EPITOME OF WHAT THE YORUBA TRIBE STANDS FOR. . . IN NIGERIA. . .they will POINT THE FINGERS TO EVERY OTHER ONE BUT THEMSELVES!

USSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSELESS IJJJJJIOT! Abeg. . .move!
KEEP CHOPPING TOTO AND SHAAAAAAAAAAAARAP!
Pig!

PHOCKING BIGOT who thinks SCREWWWWWWWWWWWWWWING WOMEN FROM OTHER ETHNIC GROUPS EXONERATES ONE FROM BIGOTRY!

DUNCE!

[b]You said Obasanjo performed very well while in office but this is contrary to some critics who felt that his eight years were wasted years?

They are ignorant. Anybody that says Obasanjo’s eight years were a waste is ignorant and I really don’t have time for such people. Forget about Obasanjo as an individual, look at his record of performance. How can any sensible person say he did nothing?

Look, in 1999 when he came in, we had $1.5 billion in the foreign reserve and by the time this man left office he had built up the amount to $67 billion. He took $20 billion out of that to pay off our foreign debt, leaving $47 billion. From $1.5billion to $67 billion in eight years is quite an achievement.

Yet today, despite the huge amounts of money that we have made as a consequence of record high crude oil and gas prices and sales, we only have approximately $40 billion left in our foreign reserves five years after. We have less money in those reserves today than we did five years ago despite thefact that we have earned billions of dollars within those five years.




That is hardly fiscal discipline and the question that we have asked our government, and we are still waiting for an answer, is where has all that money gone? We were not the only ones that asked that question.


The Prime Minister of Great Britain, Mr. David Cameron, asked the same question and put it rather bluntly by saying that the Nigerian government would have to tell the G8 where the hundreds of millions of dollars that it had made from crude oil sales in the last few years had gone. He even gave them a deadline for an answer which was June 2013.

Needless to say our President and his government just ignored him.

Number two, when he came into power in 1999,we had a foreign debt of $33 billion. But by the time Obasanjo left, we had no debt left. For the first time in the history of Africa we had a debt free country.

We were set free from the economic slavery that comes with being indebted to the Western monetary agencies and the Bretton Woods institutions and that was a wonderful thing. It had never happened before. Obasanjo achieved that.

Yet today, five years later, we are back in debt to the tune of approximately $10 billion and we are still borrowing. That is hardly progress and this government has thereby enslaved future generations of Nigerians to economic servitude and bondage to the western powers and international monetary institutions.
They have squandered all of Obasanjo’s gains in this respect and sold us down the river. That is hardly progress.

Thirdly, look at the Excess Crude Account, ECA. When Obasanjo came into power in 1999 there was no ECA. He created it and by the time he left office in 2007 he left $24 billion in that account.



[/b]

Only 'DAVID CAMERON'? RAPHAEL CAMERON NKO?


SOMEBARRRY HOL' ME O!!!!!
Amadioha pia fu kwa ghi ishi dia!
This "ERAN" thinks he is talking to BIANCA AND OTHER DESPERATE CONCUBINES WILLING TO LOOK AT THE 'BRAINS LOCATED IN HIS SCROTUM AND TIP OF THAT HIS UNCIRCUMCISED AMALA AND EWEDU-DRIPPING BLOKOS KE!

[size=20pt]How MUCH HAS GEJ THE "DUNCE-BACK OF OTUOKE". . . BEEN PAYING TO ODUDUWA LAND IN FORM OF OIL BLOCKS/OIL-REVENUE. . . .TO REMAIN IN OFFICE? WHY DID OBJ PICK SUCH WEAKLINGS LIKE YARADUA AND GEJ TO COVER HIS TRACKS? WHY NOT SMART MEN LIKE ODILI OR DUKE?[/size]

ANSWER: Enough to wipe off the 'so-called' OBJ SAVINGS OF COURSE. . .so that OBJ'S HANDS AND THE REST OF YOU THIEVES IN ODUDUWA LAND can keep smiling and pointing fingers, WHEN YOU ARE THE SAME USUAL TWO-FACED DOUBLE-DIPPING AND DEALING CLOWNS/SCUMBAGS FROM HISTORICAL RELEVANCE!

The NORTHERNERS HAVE FIGURED YOU OUT. . . .in time enough for smart crooks like TINUBU "THE DRUG-PUSHER" AND BABA-SUWE PI=MP TO JUMP SHIP. . . ALL TO AVOID EXPOSURE! GAME OVER FOR OBJ. . . . AND GEJ!!!!!
Awobi!



M0-ERAN!
With all due DISRESPECT. . .FEMI FANI KAYODE. . .I PUT IT TO YOU. . .THAT YOUR SKULL IS AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF IMBECILITY!


BEHOLD THE RICHEST WOMAN IN THE WORLD. . . ! DON'T ASK ME HOW!!!!!

http://www.gistexpress.com/2013/07/29/richest-black-woman-in-the-world-folrunsho-alakija-acquires-4-g-wagons-for-her-4sons/

I dont know how some Nigerians reason! This gentle man stated facts that you have to ponder over to speak out for change, yet it is abusive words that most of you send to him. It shows that many Nigerian youth are visionless.
Facts have been established, we challenge Abati to state their own fact as well.

Facts my cli-TO-rishi-rishi!

Kanwulia:


Only 'DAVID CAMERON'? RAPHAEL CAMERON NKO?


SOMEBARRRY HOL' ME O!!!!!
Amadioha pia fu kwa ghi ishi dia!
This "ERAN" thinks he is talking to BIANCA AND OTHER DESPERATE CONCUBINES WILLING TO LOOK AT THE 'BRAINS LOCATED IN HIS SCROTUM AND TIP OF THAT HIS UNCIRCUMCISED AMALA AND EWEDU-DRIPPING BLOKOS KE!

[size=20pt]How MUCH HAS GEJ THE "DUNCE-BACK OF OKPUKE". . . BEEN PAYING TO ODUDUWA LAND IN FORM OF OIL BLOCKS/OIL-REVENUE. . . .TO REMAIN IN OFFICE? WHY DID OBJ PICK SUCH WEAKLINGS LIKE YARADUA AND GEJ TO COVER HIS TRACKS? WHY NOT SMART MEN LIKE ODILI OR DUKE?[/size]

ANSWER: Enough to wipe off the 'so-called' OBJ SAVINGS OF COURSE. . .so that OBJ'S HANDS AND THE REST OF YOU THIEVES IN ODUDUWA LAND can keep smiling and pointing fingers, WHEN YOU ARE THE SAME USUAL TWO-FACED DOUBLE-DIPPING AND DEALING CLOWNS/SCUMBAGS FROM HISTORICAL RELEVANCE!

The NORTHERNERS HAVE FIGURED YOU OUT. . . .in time enough for smart crooks like TINUBU "THE DRUG-PUSHER" AND BABA-SUWE PI=MP TO JUMP SHIP. . . ALL TO AVOID EXPOSURE! GAME OVER FOR OBJ. . . . AND GEJ!!!!!
Awobi!



M0-ERAN!
With all due DISRESPECT. . .FEMI FANI KAYODE. . .I PUT IT TO YOU. . .THAT YOUR SKULL IS AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF IMBECILITY!


BEHOLD THE RICHEST WOMAN IN THE WORLD. . . ! DON'T ASK ME HOW!!!!!

http://www.gistexpress.com/2013/07/29/richest-black-woman-in-the-world-folrunsho-alakija-acquires-4-g-wagons-for-her-4sons/

useless bigot, i pity your family line and generation, if this is the best your dust of a brain can reason. am waiting for your response ooooo

delvinmaya:

useless bigot, i pity your family line and generation, if this is the best your dust of a brain can reason. am waiting for your response ooooo

I believe this topic is about FFK. . . and his mouth that feels, sounds, looks and smells like BIANCAR'S. . . .****!
STAY FOCUSED!
Thank you!

This thread reeks of tribalism. When can we as Nigerians learn to view things from a clear point of view and not from a tribalistic point of view? Tribalism is not helping at all.

Sirniyeh: I dont know how some Nigerians reason! This gentle man stated facts that you have to ponder over to speak out for change, yet it is abusive words that most of you send to him. It shows that many Nigerian youth are visionless.
Facts have been established, we challenge Abati to state their own fact as well.

Don't mind them. You don't have to xplain ur self to people, those who like you dnt need it and those who hates you won't believe you. Even if FFK shots someone that is trying to kill this guys @ gunpoint, they would still blame FFK for killing their enemy.

Kanwulia:

I believe this topic is about FFK. . . and his mouth that feels, sounds, looks and smells like BIANCAR'S. . . .****!
STAY FOCUSED!
Thank you!

i hate FFK, and am yoruba, he spews thrash like an uncouth child. but the individual (you) i quoted insulted a tribe just cos of one man, now that i cant stand. FFK speaks for himself not the yoruba race, so you should address your insults to FFK alone

What kinda long story is this!












Guess it's End Time Tins

It is left for the masses to justify the achievement of obj regime not this scallywag.......he failed to point out that a litre of kerosine was sold for 13 naira wen obj came in.........and inflation was one of the economic problem of obj admin.....and if you all are competent in thinking y den u appoint two unproductive people as president and vice president......YOUR STATEMENT JUST STAND FOR BIGOTRY...

peeps in...peeps out

Am not a fan of FFK but on this present issue generating around, i will be his No1 fan till the issue die down

You see,majority of these "KAIN KAIN"drinkers need to be taken to psychatrist.You never tackel messages but messanger.

Spare the messenger and send him back to his oga at the top by disputing the facts/figures. instead of spearing him to appease your corrupt guilty mind! Where facts stand, noise makers slump!

tha_originator: What kinda long story is this!












Guess it's End Time Tins

All this end time people, your end is coming very soon IJN.

Nairaland politics section has made people go insane

Like our vote counts........... Sure don't vote! Voting power to da peeps!!!!

Some People are just naive! why can’t we for once face reality about the situation of this country? The worst part of it is that - the affected poor Nigerians do not see dangerous in this alarming state of the nation! instead, they occupy themselves supporting what has made them substandard in all values. The system, having realize her youth weakness, has subsequently continue to ensure they remain dormant so that nobody among oppressed would be able to lose out of the bondage and seek judgment for hardship melted on them.
I've learned not to add to their problem for they do not realize or reconnect their memory in the right direction. However, government of Nigeria is evil and applying all methods to ensure its citizens are permanent handicap. A country where facts are rebuke. Truth is no longer value. corruption is now chosen as set standard of living. what a shame! You are attacking ethnic while your live is miserably structured!
I shed tears for you all!!!!

i use to think that this fani kayode guy has some brain up his skull