Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan has dismissed Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno and his other critics as never liking him based on some “parochial and paternalistic sentiments.”

In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Ikechukwu Eze, on Friday, the ex-president said Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State’s claims that his administration was dogged by poor choices and bad governance were “parochial and jaundiced,” saying his achievements in government are yet to be matched by his successor.

The former president was responding to Mr. Shettima’s statement at the book launch of Bolaji Abdullahi, the spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja on Thursday.

Jonathan challenged the governor to come clean over the roles he played in the kidnap of the Chibok school girls, stressing that it goes beyond the dismissive claim that ‘Jonathan thought I kidnapped Chibok girls.’

“The governor is now denying that he had no hand in the kidnap of the Chibok girls even before anybody accused him of culpability. However, we share the view of those who insist that the governor had other things up his sleeve when he promised the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) that he would secure the girls, and ended up doing the very opposite, by deliberately abandoning them to their fate, without any security presence in their school.

“It is instructive that while other governors in the zone heeded the security advice, Shettima remained the only one that flagrantly flouted it. Should we also fail to point out that his decision to reward the principal of Chibok Secondary School, who was uncharacteristically absent on the night terrorists stormed the school, with the post of a commissioner, did throw up more questions than answers?

The statement further described Mr. Abdullahi’s book titled ‘On a Platter of Gold- How Jonathan won and lost Nigeria” as sour grapes and full of lies and gossip written by someone who was still aggrieved at his removal as minister during the Jonathan administration.

Below is the full text of the statement:

Our attention has been drawn to the claims made by the Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima on Thursday at a book launch to the effect that former President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan wasted the goodwill he commanded because of bad governance and poor choices in office. He was also said to have accused Jonathan of believing that he was behind the kidnap of the Chibok girls.

As a man who had never seen anything good in the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan on account of party and other differences, it has remained our considered view that in a democracy, Governor Kashim Shettima and others like him are entitled to their opinion, no matter how jaundiced.

However, it is a sad commentary on the character of some of our politicians that they go to any length to make spurious statements, in pursuit of the sad narrative to remain politically correct. We cannot be deceived by his crocodile tears and patronizing claim that “Jonathan is essentially a decent man”, which is a ploy he deployed to justify his false allegation of a lost glory.

The man who today speaks of squandered goodwill should be able to tell Nigerians what percentage of the votes Jonathan got in 2011 from Borno State at the height of that his envisaged glory according to Shettima, and what it became in subsequent elections. What was obvious yesterday and has remained so today is that Governor Shettima and those who think like him never liked Jonathan based on some parochial and paternalistic sentiments.

We didn’t expect anything less from Governor Shettima, knowing the ignoble roles he played in frustrating the war waged by the past administration against Boko Haram, even in his own Borno State.

He should be able to tell us if it was Jonathan’s poor choices that led the Governor to expose students of Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok to avoidable danger, in total disregard of a Federal

Government directive to the Governors in the three states most affected by Boko Haram to relocate their students writing the West African School Certificate Examinations to safe zones.

The governor is now denying that he had no hand in the kidnap of the Chibok girls even before anybody accused him of culpability. However, we share the view of those who insist that the governor had other things up his sleeve when he promised the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) that he would secure the girls, and ended up doing the very opposite, by deliberately abandoning them to their fate, without any security presence in their school.

It is instructive that while other governors in the zone heeded the security advice, Shettima remained the only one that flagrantly flouted it. Should we also fail to point out that his decision to reward the principal of Chibok Secondary School, who was uncharacteristically absent on the night terrorists stormed the school, with the post of a commissioner, did throw up more questions than answers?

Talking about accountability, perhaps, Shettima should also do well to explain to the good people of Borno State and Nigerians what he did with the over N60 billion Local Governments fund, left by his predecessor, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff.

We understand Governor Shettima and those who spoke like him accused Jonathan of bad governance and poor choices, and we would like to know if it was bad governance that led Jonathan to assemble a-yet-to be matched crop of dynamic cabinet and economic management team made up of tested technocrats like Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala in Finance ministry, Shamsuddeen Usman in Planning, Olusegun Aganga in Trade and Investments as well as Akinwumi Adesina leading the charge in Agriculture. The efforts of the Jonathan administration in repositioning Nigeria’s economy remain self-evident and it must have in deed been poor choices at their best for Jonathan and his team to have recorded the following key achievements:

Nigeria’s Gross domestic Product rose to $503 billion in 2013 and became Africa’s largest economy and 26th in the world; from 3rd and 4th respectively.
Nigeria became the number one destination for Foreign Direct Investment in Africa under former President Jonathan, with the numbers rising from $24.9 million as at 2007 to over $35 billion in 2014.
Jonathan Government delivered over 25,000 kilometres of motor able federal roads from just a quarter of that number in 2011.
The Jonathan Administration resuscitated the railways in the country after about 30-years of hiatus
Jonathan’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda ended fertilizer racketeering, encouraged more young Nigerians to take to farming, boosted local food production and took the country closer to self-sufficiency in food production by recording more than 50% reduction in food imports. It was as a result of this that the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations, for the first time, voted Nigeria the largest producer of Cassava in the world.
Power generation under Jonathan was boosted to about 5,000 megawatts in 2014 up from 2,000 megawatts in 2011.
Prices of food and other household items remained stable and inflationary pressure was down to a single digit.
Under Jonathan, Nigeria controlled clinically Ebola outbreak to the admiration of the whole world, became Guinea-worm-free and also eradicated polio, with United States billionaire and renowned philanthropist Bill Gates, praising Nigeria’s successes against polio as one of the great world achievements of 2014. Sadly polio has returned to the country with the likes of Shettima in charge of the endemic states.
Under Jonathan Life expectancy in Nigeria rose from 47 years in 2010 to 54 years in 2015.
Just before Jonathan left office, CNN Money projected that Nigeria’s economy in 2015 would become the third fastest growing economy in the world at 7 per cent behind China at 7.3 per cent and Qatar at 7.1 per cent.

Was it bad governance and poor choices that reformed the political and electoral processes to the extent that the United Nations is now pleading with the government of the day to strive to maintain the standards established by Jonathan?

Fortunately, Nigerians know where they stand with all of their leaders. All those who are calling Jonathan names today, and accusing him of having become quite unpopular, should simply take a walk on the streets of any Nigerian city as real leaders do. That way, they will accurately gauge their own approval and test their popularity with the Nigerian people.

On the book entitled “On a Platter of Gold- How Jonathan won and lost Nigeria” written by Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, we have watched for some time as some outrageous fabrications are extracted from its pages day after day by the media. When the publication of the book, with an ominous title was first mooted, we knew it will be full of bile and sour grapes. We didn’t expect truth, sincerity and accuracy of narration, given that the author who was sacked from his ministerial position by the subject of the book, is now the spokesman for the ruling APC.

We will therefore like to dissociate former President Jonathan from the book’s salacious contents, with all the obvious distortions, lies and exaggerations. Its pages are populated with gossip, politically influenced newspaper articles, uncoordinated raw data and unproven claims. Sadly, the author did not help matters, as there was no rigour or in-depth investigations towards establishing the veracity of the allegations the book contained. For instance, it is ridiculous for the author to have claimed that the President was forced to sack a certain minister by another cabinet member when the obvious truth known to all key members of the administration was that the President acted based on the recommendation of an internal committee that investigated the matter. This, unfortunately, is the kind of baseless claims and narrative that run through the entire book, and it would be pointless devoting our time towards making a case by case response to all its ridiculous allegations.

We will like to remind Nigerians of what former President Jonathan said earlier in the year when a similar book was published, that only the key actors in his government and in the 2015 presidential elections could give an exact account of what transpired, not speculations and conjectures by third party spectators. That time will come someday.

https://independent.ng/dislike-parochial-sentiments-jonathan-replies-critics/

I love my president

Always have intelligent reply for em haters

Almost 3yrs gone and GEJ still get criticized, it's not bcuz he's a bad man, it shows those who betrayed him are yet to get good sleep, their conscience has failed to get rid of their evil deeds, am sure APC will still use GEJ as a campaign topic come 2019, #weloveGEJ

Jonathan continues to be clueless even as a private citizen.

Will he continue to defend and respond every remark made about him?

Jonathan is a saint compared to buhari.

Robust response!

Very apt and transparent.. the facts are all there.

This is what jonathan should have done right from the get go... gradually they would all be scared of even the mention of his name because they cant match his achievements recognised by transparent bodies and individual.

After this, do you think shettima would comment on jonathan again.

daewoorazer:

Nigga may have good intentions for za country, he however lacks the political manpower and maturity to govern such a failed state as ours.

Him and buhari shld just negodu, we've had enuf of unintelligent shytes

Read before running your mouth like a spoilt tap!

MayorofLagos:
Jonathan continues to be clueless even as a private citizen.

Will he continue to defend and respond every remark made about him?

You are pained! Very pained. Tell your APC spokesman to withdraw the book and write on Buhari instead!

Goodluck Jonathan's response was very detailed...concise... and consisted of "I did". Not we planned to do! Attack the statement if truly you have any brain!

daewoorazer:




There is something called 'minding own business'

Guess momma was too busy to have taught that into your demented skull....

Very true sir, if you are from the west, the wasterners would have been worshiping the ground you thread on ditto the almajiri north. Food for thought is how those guys are celebrating evil men like awolowo and buhari yet hate a good man like GEJ. Could it ever be for noble reasons? Your guess is as good as mine. God Will Continue To Bless You Sir & shame your detractors!

proeast:
Very true sir, if you are from the west, the westerners would have been worshiping the ground you thread on ditto the almajiri north. Food for thought is how those guys are celebrating evil men like awolowo and buhari yet hate a good man like GEJ. Could it ever be for noble reasons? Your guess is as good as mine. God Will Continue To Bless You Sir & shame your detractors!

Stop inciting tribal bigotry. We southwesterners love gej. Don't alienate him further

OGA dat your long parochial,meaninless,and an unguarded utterances,like APC misleading,futile list of questionable 2019 budget you spoke up there, should be wrapped and shove up your ass. in fact,you all are thieves and deserves a trial by fire

We love GEJ. A true hero of democracy. If only he listened to OBJ.
Shettima has cases to answer on boko haram!

daewoorazer:




How rabid can you be ohhhh uncivilized politician?

At first, I'm not sorry your mentor failed woefully, and I ain't sorry to let u in on this, what seem detailed to you is obviously another waste for lawma's bin if you ask me.

I only read words from the wise, not some overfed Nigerian leaders thieves like ur mentor..

With GEJ as your mentor, your IQ ain't that surprising..mongol

With Buhari has yours...

angels09:

You are pained! Very pained. Tell your APC spokesman to withdraw the book and write on Buhari instead!

Na Jonathan be first ex-President to be probed in the public space?

Why he cant keep hin mouth shut?

He should be looking for ways to get Anyim Pius Anyim out of prison. Thats his SGF. Very significant!

All these replies to every dick, jack & harry is irrelevant.

MayorofLagos:


Na Jonathan be first ex-President to be probed in the public space?

Why he cant keep hin mouth shut?

He should be looking for ways to get Anyim Pius Anyim out of prison. Thats his SGF. Very significant!

All these replies to every dick, jack & harry is irrelevant.

He will not do that!
Shame on you for not putting Babachir Lawal in jail for stealing from the homeless and fatherless boko haram refugees!
Shettima is an APC governor innit?

This note to long ooo , I laugh for Yoruba

daewoorazer:




This ratifies your lunacy.

In my very first comment, you'd realise I considered both buhari and GEJ as unintelligent. So I ain't no politician..

If your grey matter ain't infected, I won't need to point this out to you....

Now You See where 'mind own business' comes in?

Grow up son...

This is what you all do. When Buhari is been bashed all Buhari Support Organisation zombies form apolitical. Come up with your original monikers.... Sarrki...omenka or python1

MayorofLagos:
Jonathan continues to be clueless even as a private citizen.

Will he continue to defend and respond every remark made about him?

The joke is on you, so he should keep mum while reprobats and fa.ggots peddle lies and fallacies about him? If a lie is allowed to be repeated continously it will start looking like truth! The re.tar.ded & brain dead Buhari will soon complete his four years against GEJ's six years, pray, tell, what legacy is the !diot of daura going to leave behind? is it recession, terrorism, Nigerians being sold as slaves in Libya or dying In the Mediteranean Sea because they were trying to escape buhari's induced starvation? Shame on the likes of you that support a useless and worthless old terrorist like buhari yet still condemn noble men like GEJ.

Shetima should come clean on the chibok issue. So many questions begging for answers

angels09:

Stop inciting tribal bigotry. We southwesterners love gej. Don't alienate him further

Really? When did that love for GEJ by SW start? Okay, I guess you guys are just realizing your folly after buhari's tragic performance hit you guys. The fact still remains that while SE & SS stood with GEJ to the very last you guys sold out and worked with the north to bring about this disaster everyone is facing now.

daewoorazer:




How rabid can you be ohhhh uncivilized politician?

At first, I'm not sorry your mentor failed woefully, and I ain't sorry to let u in on this, what seem detailed to you is obviously another waste for lawma's bin if you ask me.

I only read words from the wise, not some overfed Nigerian leaders thieves like ur mentor..

With GEJ as your mentor, your IQ ain't that surprising..mongol

This your rant is childish.

proeast:
Really? When did that love for GEJ by SW start? Okay, I guess you guys are just realizing your folly after buhari's tragic performance hit you guys. The fact still remains that while SE & SS stood with GEJ to the very last you guys sold out and worked with the north to bring about this disaster everyone is facing now.

You are not intelligent enough for a response from me. Check where afenifere stood on issue.

I am quite disappointed with this present administration as their campaign promises has been thrown to dust bin hence lies, corruption and silence looting ongoing.

However, the ineffectual buffoon during his era of which oil price was at the highest ($110 per barrel) could not manage the economy at all. No reasonable infrastructure to show for our Foreign earning meanwhile foreign reserve got depleted, mass looting and economic wreckage courtesy of his armed robber retuinees in power.

Sometimes I don't blame these stupid leaders but we Nigerians who keep supporting these old shameful men.

2019 is around the corner and some buffoons are chanting "Atikulate". Not by death or illness, ain't voting for any of them (PMB or ATIKU). They got nothing to offer.