By Oluwakemi Ishola
The Presidency on Sunday said former President Olusegun Obasanjo is attempting to divide the country with his recent comment where he stated that Nigeria was slowly becoming a failed state.
Presidency in a statement signed by Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity to the president stated that Obasanjo was attempting to divide the nation while President Muhammadu Buhari continues to promote nation building and the unity of Nigeria.
It would be recalled that Obasanjo had on Friday while delivering a speech stated that he has never seen Nigeria so divided the way it is now under president Buhari, adding that only self-deluded people would claim all is well in Nigeria.
Taking a swipe at the former president, presidency said Obasanjo has descended from the lofty heights of Commander-in-Chief to the lowly level of “Divider-in-Chief.”
It stated that Obasanjo should as a statesman get involved in problems solving rather than trying heard in sowing seed of disunity along ethnic and religious line.
“As some commentators are already suggesting, Chief Obasanjo should, in accordance with his mantra as a statesman, get involved with problems solving, when and where they exist instead of helping the mushrooming of a poisonous atmosphere of ethnic and religious nationalism.”
The statement added that Obasanjo must have disappointed his admirers by supporting few extremist groups who have vowed to shun National Assembly’s invitation to participate in the process of constitutional amendment.
“Surely, he must have disappointed many of his local and foreign admirers by showering commendations on a few extremist groups who have vowed to shun the invitation to the National Assembly to participate in the process of constitutional amendment,” it said.
“No doubt, he must have left those admirers confused in announcing the support for the boycott of a democratic process of changing the constitution, at the same time calling for dialogue and engagement.”
It also said in the statement that the former president sought tenure elongation under his administration with dubious intention of constitution amendment, an attempt he said he failed at.
“The fact that the process he ushered in under his administration with the dubious intention of amendments that sought tenure elongation failed, as did two other attempts by the successor administrations of the same political party- does not in any way justify his dismissal of the exercise by the 9th Assembly as a another waste of time and resources.
“To the credit of the All Progressives Congress-led 8th Assembly, the process of constitutional amendment was kickstarted and carried through, paving the way for, among other benefits, the financial independence of local government councils, States Houses of Assembly and the country’s Judiciary. These changes have already been signed into laws by the President as mandated by the constitution.”
The Presidency added that the recent decision relating to subsidy withdrawal has been on the wish list of the Obasanjo-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) nothing that he had failed in achieving these measures because of greed.
“They plundered the treasury as much as anyone could in the name of either subsidy or waiver with reckless impunity.”
It said that President Buhari is seeking the best interest of the people and the state by providing the kind of reform and development that Nigeria urgently needs.
“This President has run an administration focused on infrastructure and development. He has repaired our damaged relations with neighbours and our traditional allies such as the UK, US, China, Russia, France, Germany, Saudi Arabia and the others with lots of benefits to the country.”
With the assiduous work of President Buhari, particularly the positive change the country has witnessed under this administration, the presidency said it is not a surprise that envy and challenges are coming from failed politicians.
“With so much to show and many more coming, it is little surprise that President Buhari would be the object of envy and harsh unfair challenges by politicians who failed to deliver, but continue to nurse ambitions of delighting the audience long after their curtain has been drawn.”
