Jonathan Tackles Buhari Articles / OlatunjiMichael / 1 hours ago …Says, ‘I built 12 varsities, where are your nursery schools? …Asks, ‘Did he buy one rifle for soldiers as military ruler?’ …Accuses opponents of cloning voters’ cards …NEF carpets president over ‘motor park’ comment A visibly angry President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday challenged his main opponent in the coming elections, Major General Muhammadu Buhari, to a debate on performance record. He also admitted to supporters of his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that his generation has failed Nigerians in virtually all facets of life and urged the younger generation to redefine the country. The event was the flag-off of the PDP’s campaign in Lagos State and the handing over of the party’s flags to governorship candidates of various states ahead of next month’s election. The president was, however, criticized sharply by the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) over comments attributed to him on Wednesday that some former leaders were behaving like motor-park touts. Jonathan reeled out the achievements of his administration in fighting insecurity, corruption and building institutions that will outlive his generation but not without replying the opposition and his critics who had labeled him weak and unfocused. He asked the youths to vote wisely so as to be relevant. His words: “I want to address the people who are voting for the first time. I crave your indulgence to say this and whatever I say now, please go back and ask your uncles, mothers, fathers that are about or over 60 years old. “2015 election is about the young people. It’s a decision of either to continue to be relevant or irrelevant especially those of you who are between ages 18 and 23.” “I’ve heard a lot of lies being spread against me and my government and this afternoon, I shall discuss insecurity, corruption and allegation of a weak government. But before then, I have directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that all Nigerians must vote. They must vote and I mean it. Before 2011, No Nigerian complained of voters card but now, it has become an issue and relevant. “Sadly, some people are already cloning cards. They want to take us to the old days. Please, don’t go back to the old days because Nigeria is not for old people like us. The only way to do this is to ensure that all eligible Nigerians must vote.” On insecurity, President Jonathan said he has done well and will do more but not without a poser to his critics. His words” We have been accused of not being able to tackle insecurity and they have said that they will put an end to insurgency. But please ask him, when he was in charge, did he buy one rifle for the Nigerian soldier? Please, ask them what they did with the defence budget?” The President spoke further: “Young Nigerians must stand up and redefine Nigeria. I have built institutions to fight corruption and that is why we have adopted an approach of doing procurements directly from the source. It is now government-to-government as against the time we were using vendors. It is not easy but the truth is that we are getting there. “I have being accused of being weak and unfocused just because I believe in due process. Late President Musa Yaradua was an apostle of due process and so am I. Because I have refused to take your fathers, uncles, brothers and drag them to Kirikiri, they have labeled me weak. Any country that does not obey rule of law is a jungle. Any country not bound by the rule of law is a jungle” President Jonathan added that the privatisation of the power sector is already yielding result. According to him, this is an interface period. He reminded the gathering that the Egbin power plant at Ikorodu got burnt in 2005 and it affected power supply but that it has been fixed. “I want to tell you again. Those of you between the age of 18 and 23 should be focused because my generation has failed Nigerians. Only you, the youths can take us to the moon. I have invested in the youths. Before I came on board, there were 12 states that had no federal universities. I have built 12 in 12 states. I created schools for the Almajiris and programmes for out-of-school children. Will a government that has no plan do all of this? “Ask them if they built any nursery school for anybody! All they are interested in is to deceive people now that they won’t probe the past. They are all lies. They want to lock up all their enemies but as for me, I have no enemy to fight. “Ask them, when they were in power, how many women were in their cabinet? Not a single one. They want Nigerian women to die in the kitchen.” Jonathan also reacted to a recent statement that MEND is not supporting him but the APC. His words: “The leader of MEND is Orka. Where is Orka now? He is in South African prison. Thank God he is not in Nigeria, they would have said that the president is persecuting him. He was the one that bombed Abuja on October 1. He wanted to assassinate me and now he is endorsing a candidate. Do you expect him to endorse me?” “I implore you the youths. Leave us alone because we are half dead. Make a good choice and vote for PDP. Look at the candidates who received flags this afternoon; they are all your age mates. We are interested in your future” Earlier, the Vice President, Architect Namadi Sambo and the National Chairman of the Party, Alhaji Adamu Muazu had praised the transformational agenda of the President and urged Nigerians to vote for continuity. But to the APC, President Jonathan is only shedding crocodile tears with his lamentation over the fact that Nigeria has become more divided along religious and ethnic lines today than at any time in its history. In a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja, the opposition party declared: “Mr. President, there is no point being sanctimonious about an issue for which you bear the most responsibility. You are the most divisive leader in the history of Nigeria, having ceaselessly exploited the country’s fault lines for political gains.” The APC statement was issued in Abuja by its National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed. It said President Jonathan is the first leader to have turned the house of worship to a political arena, using the pulpit to make political and policy statements and making a show of what should ordinarily be a very personal religious affair. APC said the President’s belated lamentation is aimed at pulling the wool over the eyes of Nigerians with a view to extracting undeserved political gains, especially a few weeks before next month’s elections. Visit website
Posted on: Fri, 09 Jan 2015 03:53:12 +0000
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