Speaking at a book Launch in honour of the pioneer chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC, Mustapha Akanbi, in Abuja, Mr. Obasanjo, who is the Chairman of the occasion, said the president should stop encouraging ‘verbal violence which may not physically hurt but has ways of degenerating into physical violence’.
Obasanjo said the greatest indictment against any administration is to be seen trying to destroy opposition by all means, which invariably mean destroying democracy.
Giving a clear warning to Jonathan and his boys, Obasanjo said:
“As a leader, you must not deliberately do evil or condone evil. You should know that you will one day give account to God, you may cover up here, but before God, there is no cover up.
“Management of democracy without resorting to brute force and dictatorial tendencies must be cultivated.”
The former president also spoke at length on the President’s handling of the Boko Haram insurgency, the poor state of the economy, youth unemployment and corruption.
On insecurity, Obasanjo said Boko Haram is not out to “frustrate anyone’s political efforts” and lamented that it took Mr. Jonathan the years to fully understand the menace.
On corruption, Obasanjo said, “when the head is rotten, the whole body is useless”.
On the economy, he said Nigeria would continue to sink deeper and that what Nigerians are told about the state of the economy “is not truly what the economy is”.
“The economy is in doldrums, if not in reverse,” he said.
Obasanjo’s latest attack on the President is coming seven days after he rated Jonathan’s performance as below average. The Presidency attack him but many Nigerians have hailed him for speaking the truth.
