Nigeria’s former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, on Friday delivered a damning verdict on the performance of the Goodluck Jonathan administration, describing it as “below average”.

Speaking at the ongoing Ake Arts and Book Festival in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Mr. Obasanjo also said security is the greatest danger Nigeria is currently facing.

“I rate this current administration below average,” Mr. Obasanjo said in response to a question about Mr. Jonathan’s performance.

The former president also said he deserved credit for helping an individual from a minority tribe become Nigeria’s President.

“Rather than take blame for bringing Jonathan to power, I should be taking credit,” he added.

The book chat session of the Festival, which ends on Saturday, was titled ‘Defining a legacy,’ and Mr. Obasanjo used the opportunity to note some of the highlights of his eight-year presidency.

He specifically underlined his refusal to sign death warrants during his tenure.

Mr. Obasanjo also shared some stories about his childhood and about his time in the military.

He then lamented that Nigeria has had a problem of leadership right from Independence in 1960.

“The biggest problem we have in Nigeria is that we have regional leaders, but no national leader.

“I have always believed that our problem as a country is that at independence we did not have a true leader.”

The former President denied speculations that he deliberately foisted a successor he knew was sick on the country.

“Yar’Adua gave me concrete evidence that he was healthy,” Mr. Obasanjo said.

On why he did not field a former Governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke, as Vice President in 2007, the former President said, “You know Donald Duke is my boy. In my own life, I don’t put all my eggs in one basket.

“Donald Duke needs to tone down and have his feet on ground, now he is having his feet on the ground…”

Despite being instrumental to Mr. Jonathan becoming president in 2010, Mr. Obasanjo has continued to be one of his fiercest critics.

Last December, the former President wrote a strongly worded letter to President Jonathan expressing dissatisfaction with the administration and warning him about the “danger that may be lurking in the corner”.

“Move away from culture of denials, cover-ups and proxies and deal honestly, sincerely and transparently with Nigerians to regain their trust and confidence,” Mr. Obasanjo wrote in the 18-page letter.

In the letter, Mr. Obasanjo also frowned at President Jonathan’s “deceit and deception” by stating that he had promised not to run for president in 2015, whereas his body language was showing a different stance.

blemon44:
what about his parformance?
what did he do when he was in power?
8 years and nothing happened
same old story

arresa:



What else is new ? Sweep story under carpet and attack the messenger...

swtme:
Mr obosanjo enough with all this stories. ..u ain't any better

blemon44:






GOD BLESS YOU MY BROTHER

abeg help me tell am

ask him if he's a saint

swtme:


errrrrrrmmmm okay I would tell him if I av more bodyguards than him.....n point of correction I'm a sister

Truckpusher:
Which of the Obasanjos? The hypocrite?

Truckpusher:
Which of the Obasanjos? The hypocrite?

blemon44:






oh sister
why are you still awake?o
you should be sleeping as a sister

tit:
Oga OBJ,
GEJ is 5X better than you.

Firefire:
OBJ that cannot even construct a motorable road to his Otta Farm ? - SMH

Yeske2:
He at least constructed Onitsha-Owerri road, which has GEJ constructed in the SE? In as much as i dislike OBJ, GEJ is 'worser' . His cluelessness is legendary and his minders ain't helping matters for him.

babyosisi:
This ozodimgba is just a big old fool
Why can't he just shut up that his mouth
A man that has no honor in his household ,disgraced and rejected by his own children ,that ought to be sitting somewhere thinking of his miserable life
Why is he so interested in this
Trying to stay relevant
What was his achievement
Bankrupting nigerian airways and putting it out of business or sleeping with family members?

say4gunit:

You should be the one to be called a fool, Baba is only saying the fact and there is nothing you or PDP can do about that. Why don't you want a failure to be called a failure? You should be ashamed of yourself.
Baba is better than your whole Generation and you should better learn to respect your elders.

babyosisi:


You are free to make your point and I am free to make mine and I have

babyosisi:


Is any South easterner complaining to you?
GEJ and Yaradua has done more for the SE than all former presidents and heads of states put together
Quote me

First of all it was in yaradua and GEJ's rule that the Abia regained oil wells that were taken from them and given to Rivers state
That alone is a major deal

Yeske2:
Hold it sister, i live in the SE. Gist us his achievements in the SE, GEJ is a joke.

babyosisi:





GEJ remodelled Enugu Airport, that now has international flights

GEJ completed the Owerri-Onitsha which OBJ abandoned in 2006.


GEJ has also remodelled the Sam Mbakwe Airport in Owerri. I saw this happen with my korokoro eyes.before GEJ that airport looked like a motor , pleaspark


GEJ has built a new federal university in Afikpo, EBonyi State.

GEJ gave the SE her first COAS since the civil war

The oil wells Abia regained from Rivers state stolen by Gowon

Those are just a few

Yeske2:
Remodeled flooded airport abi, Onitsha- Owerri road completed by OBJ? And guess what, that's the only federal road in the SE worthy of mention
Do you live in the SE? Stop getting brainwashed by the saTANists

greatgod2012:
Coming from Elder Obasanjo
I smell hypocrisy!!!




Elder Obasanjo should learn to keep silent as an elder, especially when he himself knows that he didn't perform better than the one he's criticising. As an elder, he should know that when someone throw a stone in the market, it might likely hit his/her personal person. There's no way baba Obasanjo could be saying this, without him being referred to his own tenure as the country's civilian president for eight good years without any tangible and concrete perfomance to Nigeria and Nigerians.


Not saying i'm satisfied with GEJ's performance though.