Jonathan performing better than Obasanjo – Presidency‏

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President Goodluck Jonathan has again taken a
swipe at former President Olusegun Obasanjo,
saying the ex-President left Nigeria in darkness
after his tenure.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media
and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, said this during
an interview on Sahara TV on Saturday.
During the interview, Abati responded to
questions on the several issues involving the
Presidency, and tongue-lashed the opposition for
attacking the President on almost all issues.
On the proposed national conference, which was
scheduled to hold this year, Abati praised the
President, saying it would be better than the
political reform conference that was organised by
Obasanjo.
He said, “The last political reform conference,
organised by Obasanjo failed. It ended up the
discussion of tenure elongation and third term
ambition.”
Abati faulted those who have questioned why
Jonathan’s government scheduled the national
conference to be held the same year the country
is marking 100 years of amalgamation.
He said the celebration of Nigeria at 100 is not
about the Jonathan administration, but a
celebration by the private sector, the state and
local government and all Nigerians.
On the power sector, Abati said power supply has
become better in the country than it was in
2007 and 2010.
He also criticised those who have questioned
Presidency’s budgetary allocation saying,
“Everyone is involved in the budget- making
process. Both the intelligent and the
unintelligent. Even okada drivers have become
budget analysts.
“Nigerians are concerned about corruption.
[President Jonathan] too is concerned about
corruption.”
Abati also accused the media of bias for the
opposition.
“The media as we have it in Nigeria today is
heavily in the hands of the opposition. Whatever
the President says, they twist it,” he said.
He also praised Jonathan as the only president
that has given Nigerians a road map.
“What he (Pres. Jonathan) has been able to do is
historic. We have never had a president in
Nigeria that presented Nigeria with a road map,”
he said.
Obasanjo, however, said he would not join issues
with the President and his aides. He said
Jonathan is building on the foundations he laid
while he was the President.
The ex-president, who spoke through his Chief of
Staff, Mr. Victor Durodola, said he had said his
mind in his letter to Jonathan and the President
should accept his challenge in good faith.
Durodola said, “He (Obasanjo) doesn’t want to
join issues with anybody anymore after that reply
(President Goodluck Jonathan’s reply to the ex-
president’s controversial letter); he really doesn’t
want to.
“I would have told you that everybody knows
that whatever it is that they are commissioning
today, the foundation was laid when Obasanjo
was President; everybody knows that. Most of the
equipment came even before he left.
“But, as I said, he really does not want to (join
issues with the presidency) at all. In one
paragraph in his (Obasanjo’s) letter, he said he
had done his duties to him (Jonathan) as a
former president, as a former Board of Trustees
Chairman (of the ruling Peoples Democratic
Party) and as a citizen of Nigeria.
“It is left for him (Jonathan) to accept the
challenge and do what is right.”