Obasanjo Lashes Out At Jonathan’s Slow Response To Boko Haram Insurgency

It was meant to be a lecture in honour of a distinguished pastor celebrating his 40th anniversary on the pulpit. But the forum turned out to be more; it became a podium for a blistering criticism of the President Jonathan administration.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo lashed out at Dr. Goodluck Jonathan's administration for what he called its slow handling of the Boko Haram insurgency.

Obasanjo, who was instrumental to the enthronement of the late Yar’Adua and Jonathan, said the sect’s activities would have been nipped in the bud had drastic steps been taken at the initial stage of Boko Haram’s insurgency – as he did in 1999 when he deployed troops in Odi community, Bayelsa State.

He spoke in Warri as the moderator of a public lecture by former External Affairs Minister Prof Bolaji Akinyemi in honour of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) President Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, who is marking his 40th anniversary as a pastor.

The former president accused his successors of allowing the Boko Haram scourge to become a national security problem.

He said:

“My fear is that when you have a sore and you don’t attend to it early enough, it festers and becomes very bad. Don’t leave a problem that can be bad unattended”.

Reflecting on the crisis at Odi, Obasanjo said:

“I attended to a problem that I saw; I sent soldiers. They were killed, 19 of them (were) decapitated. If I had allowed that to continue, I would not have the authority to send security anywhere again. I attended to it”.

“If you say you do not want a strong leader, who can have all the characteristics of a leader, including the fear of God, then, you have a weak leader and the rest of the problem is yours”, he added.

In his reaction to comments on rising corruption by public office holders in Akinyemi’s paper, Obasanjo blamed the weakened anti-corruption fight on his successor.

“At one time, they said the fear of (Mallam Nuhu) Ribadu, former Chairman of the Economic and Economic Crimes Commission (EFCC), is the beginning of wisdom. Then, what happened to Ribadu? And there was no longer any wisdom”, he added.

He hinted that the faltering fight against corruption had made it impossible to recover an outstanding $1billion from the cash stolen by the late General Sani Abacha and his family.

Posted: at 14-11-2012 07:39 AM (12 years ago) | Gistmaniac

its a wake up call

Posted: at 14-11-2012 08:19 AM (12 years ago) | Gistmaniac

I like OBJ,he no dey slack atall. Action film activated. lets see if our president will wake up from slumber.

Posted: at 14-11-2012 08:52 AM (12 years ago) | Upcoming

good

Posted: at 14-11-2012 09:37 AM (12 years ago) | Gistmaniac

Good talk obj bt yu play a big part in the failure of nigerians democracy.

Posted: at 14-11-2012 10:23 AM (12 years ago) | Upcoming

A weak leader Jonathan is. Very sad

Posted: at 14-11-2012 10:26 AM (12 years ago) | Upcoming

Jonathan, inject urself wt fastermol and wake up from ur slumber, next time Nija should look at their leaders family background b4 electing them, Jonathan and his family are very slow to the core, the wife join.

Posted: at 14-11-2012 10:59 AM (12 years ago) | Gistmaniac

The slow gene is affecting him imagine very slow to ask for help too.

Posted: at 14-11-2012 11:01 AM (12 years ago) | Gistmaniac

Goodluck for you! Good me! Goodluck for everybody, weds una like am or not, come 2015' you must vote for him so he can finish the good work he is doing, he is a gentle man and Godfearing,so Obj should not expect the best president in ?africa to behave like him, Goodluck 2015! Goodluck 2015!

Posted: at 14-11-2012 11:08 AM (12 years ago) | Gistmaniac

 

Posted: at 14-11-2012 11:16 AM (12 years ago) | Addicted Hero