Pulled from Sahara Reporters
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has again torn at President Goodluck Jonathan, saying Nigerian democracy remained at risk due to the action of the present administration.
Speaking at a book Launch in honour of the pioneer chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC, Mustapha Akanbiā, in Abuja, Mr. Obasanjo, who is the Chairman of the occasion, said the president should stop encouraging āverbal violence which may not physically hurt but has ways of degenerating into physical violence.
Mr. Obasanjo said the greatest indictment against any administration is to be seen trying to destroy opposition of all sortās which invariably mean destroying democracy.
āManagement of democracy without resorting to brute force and dictatorial tendencies must be cultivated,ā the former President said.
āAs a leader, you must not deliberately do evil or condone evil. You should know that you will one day give account to God, you may cover up here, but before God, there is no cover up.ā
The former president also spoke at lenght on the Presidentās handling of the Boko Haram insurgency, ācorruption, the economy and youth unemployment.
On insecurity, Mr. Obasanjo said Boko Haram is not out to āfrustrate anyoneās political effortsā and lamented that it took Mr. Jonathan the years to āfully understand the menace.
On corruption, Mr. Obasanjo said, āwhen the head is rotten, the whole body is uselessā
On the economy, he said Nigeria would continue to sink deeper and that what Nigerians are told about the state of the economy āis not truly what the economy isā.
āThe economy is in doldrums, if not in reverse,ā he said.
Mr. Obasanjoās latest attack on the President is coming seven days after he rated Mr. Jonathanās performance as below average.
The former president had spoken last weekend in Abeokuta while addressing book writers as part of activities marking the Ake Arts and Book Festival.
āI rate this current administration below average,ā Mr. Obasanjo said in response to a question about Mr. Jonathanās performance.
The former president also said he deserved credit for helping an individual from a minority tribe become Nigeriaās President. āRather than take blame for bringing Jonathan to power, I should be taking credit,ā he added.
The Nigerian presidency responded Sunday, slamming Mr. Obasanjo and describing his rating as untrue and misleading. In a statement in Abuja, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Doyin Okupe, said Mr. Obasanjoās rating was at variance āwith the facts on the groundā.
Mr. Okupe said President Jonathan had performed so well that āin terms of performance and achievements, no administration since 1960 when Nigeria gained independence from Britain, has done as much as that of President Jonathanā.