Former President Goodluck Jonathan says he is ashamed that Nigeria is
now being used as a negative example in the international community.
He
cited recent instances when the Ghanaian President, Nana Akufo-Addo,
mocked the poor state of security in Nigeria and the naira’s weakening
status.
Jonathan spoke at the inauguration of
the first bridge built by Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State in Ado
Ekiti, the state capital, on Friday night.
The former President lamented that things were so bad in the country that Nigeria had lost its respect in Africa.
He
said, “He (Ghanaian President) said Ghana is not like Nigeria where
cattle roam the streets. At another occasion in the United Kingdom, he
made scathing remarks about Nigeria’s currency.
“I feel ashamed as a former President that the president of a neighbouring country used Nigeria as negative examples.
“If
a neighbouring African president will use Nigeria to make negative
examples, then we as leaders must know certain things are wrong in the
country. That means we as leaders must change the way we do things.”
The
former President, therefore, urged Nigerian leaders to show serious
concern, noting that many things had gone wrong in the country.
According
to Punch, Jonathan also advised President Muhammadu Buhari to resist
pressure to rig the July 14 governorship election in Ekiti State and
subsequent elections in the country.
He praised the people of
Ekiti for their support for the Peoples Democratic Party, urging them to
support the youthful candidates of the party in the election.
The party has elected 50-year-old Deputy Governor, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, and 39-year-old Deji Ogunsakin as his running mate.
He said, “I don’t believe anybody can defeat the PDP in Ekiti if election is going to be held.”
He
said, “I use this opportunity to call on Mr. President because I was
there before. When you are there, there is so much pressure on you to
use your power to subjugate democracy.
“Don’t do that because
when you are going; the only thing you leave behind is your good name.
If you use it wrongly, posterity will haunt you. I call on Mr. President
to use his power to strengthen democracy.”
Jonathan also
defended Nigerian youths, saying they were one of the best in the world
and should not be branded lazy as recently remarked by Buhari.
