by Tolu Orekoya
Embattled Nigerian president, Goodluck Jonathan sought to kill two birds with one stone yesterday, as he reassured foreign-based Nigerians and took a shot at his home-based critics.
Speaking to a cross-section of Nigerians based in Brazil the president asked for the unity of Nigerians across the globe to build the country, and ensure its future success.
One of the problems we have is that some Nigerians play politics with everything, but we cannot destroy our country because of personal political ambitions,” the President said while denouncing the incessant and often unjustifiable criticism of his Administration, much of which, he said, was based on lies, according to the Daily Times.
The president also made a case for Nigerians to better support his administration without the incessant criticism he has been subject to over the course of his tenure. “We now have a constitutional democracy and no one can stay in office forever. It will therefore be best for our nation if we all support whoever is there for the development of the country instead of trying to pull him down by all means,”he said.
The president is currently in Rio de Janeiro attending the UN Earth Summit, Rio+20, ostensibly to talk about sustainable development but also to strengthen bilateral ties with the South American country—which could include rescuing Nigerians imprisoned for crimes in Brazil, as well as strengthening economic ties.
He also acknowledged the vital roles Nigerians abroad played in the development of the country and reassured them that he was tackling the deteriorating security situation in the country.
You know when I became strongly pro-Jonathan ? During the misguided gang-up in January. So you elect somebody and the person appoints some good talent and they're showing the way forward, but you just want to express your you no go gree. Okay express, but meantime, what is the way forward? The expression? I can live with that too…
so now you've discovered what you always knew: that the oil importers, the legislators, the presidents' people, and your holy mother are thieves. I'm still saying – what's the way forward?
We should not be susbidizing importation in the first place, we should be taxing that and subsidizing industry (if anyone is managing to produce and export Nigerian production in the first place.) We should not be subsidizing rich people in Ikeja and Ikoyi, we should be subsidizing basic health and water and education for the poor (have you heard of them?) We eat eat eat, we produce nothing. Who is willing to admit that in Jona's far-from-infinite wisdom, he had it right in the first place?