Picture: Former Minister of Youths and Sports Development, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, in a group photograph with some secondary students in Port Harcourt, during the unveiling of his book titled "On a Platter of Gold: How Jonathan won and lost Nigeria".
A former Minister of Youths and Sports Development under the cabinet of the ex-Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi has clarified that the former president was not weak but took action to save the country of bloodshed after he lost his seat at the 2015 presidential election.
Abdullahi, a journalist and former Commissioner for Education in Kwara State, described former President Jonathan as a patriotic Nigeria who as a leader was careful not to hurt anyone, even if it takes him sacrificing his position.
The former Minister made the clarification at the weekend, during the unveiling of his book tilted “On a Platter of Gold: How Jonathan won and lost Nigeria”, hosted by an organisation, the ‘August Meeting’ convened by Mr Kingsley Wali, in Port Harcourt.
Speaking on his experience as a Minister, Abdullahi said the important lesson Jonathan taught everyone is love for th country. He added that the former president never ruled as a dictator, but obeyed the constitution in his leadership.
“Definitely President Jonathan was not weak nor clueless from my experience. Most important thing I know about him is that he is very patriotic, but as a patriot he is also some one who is careful about how he uses power.
“He (Jonathan) understands the enormity of the power of the president and he used to say that if the president of Nigeria uses 30 percent of his disposal he would become a dictator.
“So, he is some one who is careful and also reluctant to hurt people. Because of his reluctance to hurt people, it is possible that some one would integrate it as weakness. Some of the things that he did at the time that people regarded him as clueless, some other people have done the same thing or even worse.
“I think he was a victim of that kind of politics of that time. I think if he had been president of this time, he would probably have had a different approach”.
Abdullahi expressed further that “The most important thing that Jonathan had to teach everybody is love for country. And the care in the use of power. He was very particular, he didn’t want to break the law, he didn’t want to violet the constitution, and didn’t want to do anything that will make him look like a dictator. I think it is something that the current leadership of the country scan learn from him”.
Speaking on why he wrote the book, the former Minister said “Well I just felt that I was privileged to witness a moment in Nigeria history, and I felt that it is necessary to document it for posterity. So it was like a journalist trying to practice history”.
Reacting to questions by journalists on the economy challenges and removal of subsidy by the President Bola Tinubu’s administration, Abdullahi explained “Subsidy removal in 2012 was a good policy but implemented at the wrong time. There ought to have been a lot of consultations which did not happen, a lot more constituencies ought to have been carried out but was not done. And the aftermath of it was not properly managed”.
He however, advised that “Nigerian leadership need to start to create a national story. We need to give Nigerians something to believe in. We need to know who we are and to understand that there is more that connect us than separate us. I do not know what the story would be, but I know that the first thing is to agree that we need a national story”.
The event also witnessed the launch Education Champions League (ECL), an Incorporated Trustee dedicated to fostering intellectual growth and community enrichment.
Speaking on the ECL, the convener of August Meeting, Wali, said competition will start in April or May in first instance for Secondary schools in Port Harcourt for logistic reasons.
He said the league will be in form of quiz competition among participating schools, pointing out that the first prize winner would take home a total of N10million prize money with 50 percent going to participants, 25 percent to the school and 25 percent to furnish the school library.
Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
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