You’re just ordinary politicians - Jonathan blasts Obasanjo, other statesmen, regrets that people perceive he hates the North

President Goodluck Jon­athan finally lashed out at Obasanjo and other Statesmen on their numerous negative criticisms, said they are just ordinary politicians and not elder statesmen. The President made the statement yes­terday, Jan 7th while hosting the Northern Elders Coun­cil (NEC) in Abuja.

The President said:

“Some people call themselves statesmen, but they are not. 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? Are you part of the peo­ple who 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?

On the negative perception that he hates the North, He said:

“Some people say Jonathan hates the North, I have heard that statement and I use to ask Namadi Sambo, they say I hate the North, but you are here. I asked the National Se­curity Adviser (Col. Dasuki Sam­bo) and my Principal Secretary (Hassan Tukur) the same thing. In fact, my Principal Secretary has been my friend since I was deputy governor, I never knew I was go­ing to come here as Vice President not to talk of President. But I have known him since I was the deputy governor of Bayelsa State. My Chief Detail, Yusuf from Borno State, has been with me since I was a deputy governor in Yenagoa and I see him as a good person and I have carried him along with me. So, I had to ask how can some­body wake up and say I hate the North?

“At the appropriate time Nigeri­ans will know all of us even though I know most of you know us but the younger ones do not know. Some people are hiding under some clogs, 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 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? So, let me not go too far, let me again join the Vice President in thanking you for the leadership you are showing and be rest assured you that we will continue to work and protect our people and make sure all Ni­gerians live in peace”.

“I feel sad that our younger ones are beginning to see a Nigeria as if we are so divided. A Nigeria that a Muslim and a Chris­tian cannot sit down together. I was told that even the driver of Ta­fawa Balewa (the late Prime Min­ister) was a Christian. Our people lived together in those days why not now that we have even modern ways of life? Our children leave us and go abroad, they stay together and do a lot of things together. But when we come back home, we be­gin to build walls, this is a south­erner, this is a northerner, this is a Muslim, this is a Christian, this is a Yoruba man, this is an Hausa man, this is an Ijaw man, this is a Nupe man. Is that the way we are going to develop our country?

“America is great today because America is made up of various cultural groups, everybody makes America because ethnic lines have been so weakened that people think about America. And that is why America is great today. Any country that begins to see them­selves through their tiny tribal en­claves make cannot go anywhere.

Via: Sun