ABUJA — MIXED reactions, yesterday, trailed the Presidency’s self-assessment of unprecedented success in the outgoing year.
While some stakeholders thumbed up the administration as having achieved in the face of difficult challenges, some critics of the administration were unmoved. They asked the administration’s spokesmen to articulate the alleged achievements.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Communications, Dr. Doyin Okupe had last Sunday affirmed that the Jonathan administration had made remarkable successes with key projects executed in the outgoing year.
His assertion was challenged by, among others, former governor of the old Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa; leader of All Progressives Congress, APC, in the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamala; chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Ethics and Anti-Corruption, Abiodun Faleke; and leading member of the Northern Elders Forum, Dr. Junaid Mohammed.
The assertion of success was, however, praised by others, including Kyari Gujbawu, who represents Maiduguri, Borno State in the House of Representatives, and Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Privatisation and Commercialisation, Emeka Nkem-Abonta, PDP Abia, among others.
Flaying the assertions of success, Gbajabiamila and Faleke, a member from Lagos State in separate telephone interviews asked Okupe to enumerate the successes for public review.
Gbajabiamila said: “It would be nice if he could define or explain to Nigerians what he understands as dividends of democracy.”
Mohammed flays Presidency
Meanwhile, Second Republic lawmaker, Junaid Mohammed who spoke to Vanguard on phone, said Okupe was a noisemaker.
He said: “Nobody that has any sense of shame, who believes in Nigeria or has lived in Nigeria, can give this government or this Presidency any pass mark. We have a saying in Hausa: if a man promises a short, you look at the one he’s wearing. The quality of the shirt on his neck will give you an indication that he can present you with a shirt.
“Look at the people who are assessing this man high. Doyin Okupe has never held any other position in government other than as a noise maker.
“He has never won election. The first time he was appointed as an Adviser on Media by Obasanjo, there was uproar by the Nigerian media, Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Guild of Editors, RATTAWU and others.”
Balarabe
Balarabe Musa said: “There is no success at all. Even his political party is in disarray. His statement shows gross failure because he is inconsistent in his statement.
“So what specific way has he achieved? He has not achieved anything. He is even doing worse than others and he is threatening even the existence of the country in many respects. If this level of poverty continues, it can lead to serious consequences.”
Pass mark from North
However, the member representing Maiduguri metropolis in Bornu State, Kyari Kaka Gujbawu, said Jonathan had done well in the North.
He said: “My part of the country, the North-East, has the most challenging problem which has remained education, and Mr. President has in an unprecedented manner in a single swoop in 2013, established nine federal universities in the north.
“He has established mega power generating plants in Niger and Kaduna states. I think these are dividends we are grateful for.
“But we in the North-East are in a state of dire need and implore our President to come up with a marshal plan or, more appropriately, GEJ Plan, to reconstruct and reposition our comatose socio-economic life.”
Lawmakers
Chairman, House Committee on Ethics and Anti-Corruption, Abiodun Faleke, APC, Lagos, asked Dr. Okupe to name all the achievements he claimed his principal had recorded in the last one year.
He said: “Okupe should identify the President’s achievements for Nigerians to see.”
Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Privatisation and Commercialisation, Emeka Nkem-Abonta, PDP, Abia, said President Jonathan had done remarkably well in road infrastructure and other sectors of the economy.
He said: “Those of us who travelled by road this holiday can testify that Mr. President has performed remarkably well in road infrastructure. We travelled home this time around with ease compared to previous years.
“Boko Haram is enough challenge capable of making any leader lost focus, but Jonathan has remained focused despite the odds.
“The issue here is to look at what it was and what it is now before he ascended office. The judiciary, legislature and executive needed to be asked what they have achieved too because it is a collective responsibility.”
Arewa Youth
President, Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, AYCF, Alhaji Shettima Yerima, said no one would have expected much from Jonathan, given the level of distractions he faced in the outgoing year.
Yerima also gave kudos to the President for not appearing brutish in the face of recent provocations caused by former President, Olusegun Obasanjo’s letter.
The ACYF President said: “Honestly, in fairness to Nigerians and in fairness to him, one would have assumed that with the level of insecurity in the country, the expectation will not be too high because there is no way you will have any developmental issues or any meaningful achievements on the part of government when there is insecurity in the country.
“This is in addition to the fact that there are distractions from Obasanjo and the previous leaders, who have held the country to ransom over the years.”
Posted by , Published at 2:27 PM and have
