The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, in this interview withOLALEKAN ADETAYO, reacts to some of the criticisms trailing President Goodluck Jonathan and gives reasons why he deserves a second term
Despite the achievements President Goodluck Jonathan claims to have made, what will you say is responsible for the general perception that this government has performed below expectation?
I like it that you used the word perception. There is a negative sinister perception created by the opposition. I will tell you how. The opposition has a tremendous influence on Nigerian media and therefore, most of these achievements are suppressed from coming to public glare. The second one is that achievements and good news do not make news but when Boko Haram keeps bombing and killing, that is the news. I have looked at newspapers’ headlines for one year, 75 per cent of headlines are on Boko Haram. It doesn’t matter even if you say that the President had just gone to commission an industry somewhere but when you say 285 killed in Monduga, Borno State, that is what people will remember.
Insurgency has been overplayed to the extent that it has overshadowed the laudable achievements of this administration and it is deliberate. I know for a fact that the issue of Boko Haram was designed and executed from the beginning to malign this administration. There was Boko Haram before this administration, but the evil people in the society who felt there was no way they could remove the administration saw an opportunity and they encouraged it one way or the other to the extent that we never had rest in the last two to three years.
Do you exercise any fear of possible post-election violence in the country?
That question should go to APC people. They are the ones that are identified with violence and also canvass for violence and perpetrate violence. There is no doubt about it, they have said it before and they have made it happen. We have nothing to do with violence. We win all the time, we are going to win again. We just pray that when we win, people will accept it readily and not create violence as they did in 2011. Many people who suffered the 2011 violence have not recovered from it.
One of the achievements being pointed to by this administration is the unbundling of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, why is it that Nigerians still do not have electricity?
The unbundling of the PHCN is a major event. It took 15 years and finally it took the courage, tenacity and commitment of President Jonathan to see it through. Without the unbundling of the PHCN, we will be a non-starter in terms of power generation. Government cannot provide what is required to provide Nigerians’ electricity needs. Nigerians today need 50,000MW. We are looking at about $40bn to $50b, that is multiple trillions in naira. All we have in our capital vote in a year is about N1tr, where will we get that kind of money from? So we have to break down the power infrastructure so as to encourage foreign direct investors to come and invest and take it over just like the telecommunications.
Don’t you think the issue of the missing Chibok girls has affected the political fortune of the President?
It is not just Chibok girls; everything that has to do with this insurgency has affected the political fortune of the President. The good news however is that in spite of it all, this administration has verifiable and concrete achievements that nobody can argue about.
How do you react to the claim by the opposition that the President lacks the capacity to fight Boko Haram?
It is only the mentally derailed that will say that. Because there is insurgency here, then the government is not doing well. It is nonsense talk. It is absolute nonsense talk. Insurgency is not a Nigerian affair. How much is our national budget? About N4tr. How much is that in dollars? Is that not $2b? That is not up to what America gives to Egypt on a yearly basis. It is only foolish people and some not too experienced politicians as well as ignorant and mischief makers that will say that because Jonathan’s administration has not been able to end insurgency, then he does not have what it takes to tackle Boko Haram.
When Buhari says he will end insurgency, that is total rubbish. He does not know what he is talking about, it is not going to happen unless he is the one who controls the boys on the field. That is the only reason why he can end insurgency immediately. Because in that case, what he needs to do as their commander is to ask them to stop and they will stop. If that is not the case, nobody can say he will end insurgency like that. That is just political gimmick and nobody should take him seriously. The issue of insurgency is not a campaign performance of President Jonathan.
http://www.punchng.com/feature/hotseat/buhari-cant-tackle-bharam-except-hes-their-commander-okupe/

I think Doyin okupe is on drugs

Shebi ur name b Doyin Okupe..dnt worry when Buhari resume office ur name go change to Doyin Ekute

Okope is high on otuoke ogogoro


Nneka123 u disgust me pls stop sending me a PM
Tenks

The guy is speaking the bitter truth. apc should chew it.

Let him try first. Your chairman has tried and failed.

Once a soldier is a soldier for ever
he can conquer dem
okupe go and sleep

buhari can do it

With the kind of money other nations are
spending to fight terrorism, I have reasons to
believe Doyin’s logic — only their commander
can stop them at once, possibly at zero
Naira! Then we shall chorus, “all hail the
president.”

kallmemrB:
I think Doyin okupe is on drugs

why a u callin him Doyin okupe is he not using his new name; 'FAT BASTARD'

We are not waiting for Buhari to call his boys (Boko haram) to order, the NA is already smoking them like barbecue.

Okupe try n get sense na