Five Peoples Democratic Party governors led by the Chairman, PDP Governors Forum, and governor, Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio, on Thursday held a closed-door meeting, which lasted for three hours, with the former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, in his Hilltop residence in Abeokuta, Ogun State. Other governors on the trip are the governors of Bauchi, Jigawa, Cross River, and Niger states, Isa Yuguda, Sule Lamido, Liyel Imoke and Babangida Aliyu respectively.
The governors arrived Obasanjo’s residence around 12.30pm and emerged from the inner chamber at exactly 3.30pm.
Briefing journalists after the meeting, Obasanjo, said the governors’ visit was not unconnected with nagging issues of the Boko Haram insurgents and the economy.
But from his utterance, the frosty relationship between President Goodluck Jonathan and Obasanjo was also discussed.
He said that his criticism of Jonathan in recent times was not aimed at castigating or bad-mouthing him.
He said,” First of all, I thank my colleagues and my brothers who have decided to pay me a special visit. They were concerned about what you may call the situation of the nation, the security, and the economy. What we have discussed, most of them I have raised in my own public pronouncement in recent times, not to castigate anybody, not to bad-mouth anybody, not to run anybody down, but out of genuine concern for the situation of this country and that is the same thing that has brought them and I want to thank them.”
The former President noted that the situation in the country currently was bad, but added that it was not totally irretrievable.
He added, “When we look at these issues closely, very objectively and we came to the conclusion that yes, we have a bad situation, but not irretrievably bad. Something can still be done and what is now required is the will and the courage to do something when and how it needs to be done.”
Obasanjo, who appreciated the governors for their concern for the nation, said the task to save the country was not for one man or group but for all Nigerians.
He said, “I appreciate their coming to me because of the respect and honour they have for me. But this task is not for one man and it is not even a task for one group, it is a task that requires all hands to be on deck. And as they have said and as they have assured me that they would have this type of consultation with other leaders so that this country which is ours and for which we have no alternatives, but will move forward.”
On the economy, especially the slump in oil price, Obasanjo noted that the leadership had failed to prepare for the rainy day, and that was why the economy was tottering.
He said, “When we had surplus, we did not remember the rainy day, now that the rainy day is staring us in the face, we must be honest and courageous enough to do what is right, to let the nation know and then to take the steps that will put it right as quickly as possible.
“You do not need to be an oracle or a World Bank expert or an International Monetary Fund expert to know that our economy is not what it should be and this is not the first time we would hear it, we have heard it in the past.
“When of course I came in 1999, the price of fuel was about $9 and we realised that we had a problem, we even passed a budget that we could not fund but we realised that we were in a serious situation and we took steps.
“Within two to three years, we were able to sail through, the price of fuel started moving up. Do not forget that there was a time during the Iraqi war, that the price of fuel rose to $42 per barrel and then it came down to $9. The one that we have now, we do not know when it would end but we can weather the storm if we take measure that we should take it and when to take it.”
Both Akpabio and Aliyu, who spoke for the governors, said they came to consult the former President due to his wealth of experience and his influence both nationally and internationally.
Akpabio said, “We decided that it is important for us to come and consult with him, as he said pay our respect, discuss the affairs of the nation and then to tap from his wealth of wisdom.
“The intention here is that all Nigerians are determined to reposition the country, we have no other country than Nigeria and so, no matter the challenges we may face today, we must work together as a team to redeem the situation.”
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