Jonathan’s statement on critics self-mocking –Group
By SEYE OJO
Thursday, September 29, 2011


•
Photo: THE SUN PUBLISHING
More Stories on This Section

A pro-democracy group, the Yoruba Ronu Leadership Forum, has taken a swipe at President Goodluck Jonathan on his recent statement on the critics of the incumbent administration in Nigeria, insisting that the statement was nothing but a gentle way in self-mocking.

In a statement by the Secretary-General of the group, Mr. Akin Malaolu, the forum disclosed that it was right for critics to tell Jonathan’s government where its administrative decisions had failed so that he could take pragmatic steps towards finding a lasting solution to the challenges.

Jonathan had asserted at an interdenominational service on Sunday at the National Ecumenical Centre, Abuja, as part of activities marking the country’s 51st Independence Anniversary:
“If you listen to some of the things people say or write in the papers, some people would want the president to be a lion; some people would want the president to be a troop commander who would crush everybody on sight. Unfortunately, I am not a troop commander. I am not an army general. Some would want the president to be like David or other warriors in the Bible, unfortunately, I am not one of those.

“The only prayer I need from you is for God to use me to change this country. I don’t need to be like Nebuchadnezzar, David or other great men to change this country.“Someone had written in the papers: Is Nigeria on auto pilot? I tell them that Nigeria is not on auto pilot. God is in-charge and God will take us to the destination He has destined for us.” But the Yoruba Ronu Leadership Forum said in the statement: “We shall confess to how regrettable we viewed the statement made by our president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, on outspoken critics of his government. It is sad that such superstition can be displayed by our president himself and a gentle way in self-mocking.

“We wish to state clearly to our president that a leader should be seen to be leading, putting up, hurrying around, turning about, laying down, making, organising, exceeding and restraining. These are the attributes Americans saw in President Barack Obama and other good leaders now and before, which we assume to be near absent in our dear president’s case and most of our other political leaders.

“It is right for critics to show the president the absurdities he is guilty of and most especially when his administrative decisions had failed to prove that they can ameliorate the conditions of our millions of helpless people. “For the information of the president, kerosene is still N200 per litre as against its official price of N50 while a bag of cement is now N3, 000 in the aftermath of his presidential orders to the petroleum minister and cement manufacturers and recent suspension of travels of Nigeria by the United Nations (UN) is an addition to the woes.”

At the interdenominational service, Jonathan was not happy that detractors of his government always make unfair remarks on his style of administration, which according to him, had received several accolades from respected world figures such as President Barack Obama of United States and Jacob Zuma of South Africa.


http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2011/sept/29/national-29-09-2011-018.html