My Administration Is The Best, Says President Jonathan, Blasts His Critics

 

In two years and eight months, President Goodluck Jonathan's administration has performed better than any administration in Nigeria, according to the President himself. He addressed critics of his administration, saying they criticise without thinking.
The President addressed the People's Democratic Party (PDP) supporters from the North-Western zone of Nigeria who were in the Presidential Villa on a solidarity visit.
In the past couple of weeks, Jonathan's critics have accused him of being incompetent to rule Nigeria, of anti-North activities, and sectionalism, among other things.
Jonathan said it is "blackmail" for anyone to say that he is anti-North, pointing out that he was the first to establish nine universities in the North at one time as well as the Almajiri schools to emancipate people from the shackles of poverty.
He also called on the Ministers of State for Works, Education, Mines, Agriculture and Power to give a bit of their scorecard one by one in the North-Western zone in line with the Transformation Agenda of the administration.

"By May this year, we will be three years old, and by May 2015, we will be four years old," the President noted. "And I challenge some of those who criticise without thinking to compare what we have done in the two years, eight months with that of any other administrations in this country and outside.

"Some people call themselves progressive. They have done that before. Did they change the system? Today, if you can insult Jonathan, you are a progressive. If you can attack the Federal Government, you are a progressive. Even if nothing is happening in your state, you are a progressive. We have seen the progressives.

"PDP [Peoples Democratic Party] is still the number one party and it will continue to be the number one party. (...) as long as we are united, (...) PDP will continue to be strong. No shaking!

"And sometimes people say 'Jonathan is anti-North, he does not want to develop the North.' And sometimes, they sell these ideas to people from outside, especially those from the United States of America. You Nigerians believe the West must say something for us to listen. And I have spoken to one or two envoys, and I said 'Look, if I am anti-North, agreed, I am from South-south minority, if I had established three universities in the North and three in the South because there was no money, nobody would castigate me.'

The President also pledged to make sure new Ministers would be appointed as soon as possible.

"(...) Immediately the National Assembly resumes, they will get the list of Ministers so that we will get a law that will establish a body."

Jonathan also commented on the issue of governors defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He said, "Some people are crossing to where they don't know well. We will know as we progress, but collectively all of us working together with other members across the country, we will still be the leading party.

"There is no ward, no voting unit that you don't have PDP members. In fact, if you go to some areas, they don't even know this new name yet. So be rest assured that we will continue to work together to strengthen our party and will continue to be the number one party in the country."

The President also urged to see the Amalgamation which brought Nigerians together as a source of unity promising to use the national dialogue to cement the bond.