Five Peoples Democratic Party governors
led by the Chairman, PDP Governors Forum, and governor, Akwa Ibom State,
Godswill Akpabio, on Thursday held a closed-door meeting, which lasted
for three hours, with the former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, in
his Hilltop residence in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Other governors on the trip are the
governors of Bauchi, Jigawa, Cross River, and Niger states, Isa Yuguda,
Sule Lamido, Liyel Imoke and Babangida Aliyu respectively.
The governors arrived Obasanjo’s residence around 12.30pm and emerged from the inner chamber at exactly 3.30pm.
Briefing journalists after the meeting,
Obasanjo, said the governors’ visit was not unconnected with nagging
issues of the Boko Haram insurgents and the economy.
But from his utterance, the frosty relationship between President Goodluck Jonathan and Obasanjo was also discussed.
He said that his criticism of Jonathan in recent times was not aimed at castigating or bad-mouthing him.
He said,” First of all, I thank my
colleagues and my brothers who have decided to pay me a special visit.
They were concerned about what you may call the situation of the nation,
the security, and the economy. What we have discussed, most of them I
have raised in my own public pronouncement in recent times, not to
castigate anybody, not to bad-mouth anybody, not to run anybody down,
but out of genuine concern for the situation of this country and that is
the same thing that has brought them and I want to thank them.”
The former President noted that the situation in the country currently was bad, but added that it was not totally irretrievable.
He added, “When we look at these issues
closely, very objectively and we came to the conclusion that yes, we
have a bad situation, but not irretrievably bad. Something can still be
done and what is now required is the will and the courage to do
something when and how it needs to be done.”
Obasanjo, who appreciated the governors
for their concern for the nation, said the task to save the country was
not for one man or group but for all Nigerians.
He said, “I appreciate their coming to me
because of the respect and honour they have for me. But this task is
not for one man and it is not even a task for one group, it is a task
that requires all hands to be on deck. And as they have said and as they
have assured me that they would have this type of consultation with
other leaders so that this country which is ours and for which we have
no alternatives, but will move forward.”
On the economy, especially the slump in
oil price, Obasanjo noted that the leadership had failed to prepare for
the rainy day, and that was why the economy was tottering.
He said, “When we had surplus, we did not
remember the rainy day, now that the rainy day is staring us in the
face, we must be honest and courageous enough to do what is right, to
let the nation know and then to take the steps that will put it right as
quickly as possible.
“You do not need to be an oracle or a
World Bank expert or an International Monetary Fund expert to know that
our economy is not what it should be and this is not the first time we
would hear it, we have heard it in the past.
"PUNCH"
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