by Kolapo Olapoju
President Goodluck Jonathan seems to have finally taken off his gloves as the elections get closer.
On Wednesday, January 7, he launched a verbal attack on past leaders and senior citizens, whom he says have been dropping comments “to create enmity and set the country ablaze”.
While receiving a delegation of Northern Elders Council (NEC) in Abuja, he described the targets of his criticism as peddlers of lies, who are trying to destroy the country.
Jonathan said: “Some people call themselves statesmen but they are not statesmen, they are just ordinary politicians.”
“For you to be a statesman is not because you have occupied a big office before, but the question is what are you bringing to bear? Are you building this country? Or are you a part of people who tell lies to destroy this country; to create enmity and make people who ordinarily would have been living together to fight themselves? Are you planning to set the country ablaze because you did not get that particular thing you want?”
“Some people are hiding under some cloaks; some big names and creating a lot of problems in this country; making provocative statements in this country, statements that will set this country ablaze and you tell me you are a senior citizen. You are not a senior citizen; you can never be. You are an ordinary motor park tout.”
“Because if you are a senior citizen, you will act like one. It is not because of the offices we occupy is by divine grace and providence that some of us occupy these offices. But what role are you playing to build this country?”
“At the appropriate time, Nigerians will know all of us. Even though I know most of you know us, the younger ones do not know,” the president added.
