Here's What Nigerians are Saying About Jonathan as 2013 Ends

Reactions have started pouring in over the Presidency’s self-assessment of "unprecedented success" in 2013 by Dr. Doyin Okupe who had claimed that the Jonathan administration had made remarkable successes with key projects executed in the outgoing year. But many Nigerians are saying the claim is a big lie:

"Nobody that has any sense of shame, who believes in Nigeria or has lived in Nigeria, can give this government or this Presidency any pass mark. We have a saying in Hausa: if a man promises a short, you look at the one he’s wearing. The quality of the shirt on his neck will give you an indication that he can present you with a shirt. 

"Look at the people who are assessing this man high. Doyin Okupe has never held any other position in government other than as a noise maker."

Okupe's claims were challenged by former governor of the old Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa; leader of All Progressives Congress, APC, in the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamala; chairman of the House of Reps Committee on Ethics and Anti-Corruption, Abiodun Faleke; and leading member of the Northern Elders Forum, Dr. Junaid Mohammed.

Flaying the assertions of success, Gbajabiamila and Faleke, a member from Lagos State in separate chats with Vanguard, asked Okupe to enumerate the successes for public review. Gbajabiamila said: “It would be nice if he could define or explain to Nigerians what he understands as dividends of democracy.”

Mohammed flays Presidency
Meanwhile, Second Republic lawmaker, Junaid Mohammed, said Okupe is a known noisemaker.

He said: “He has never won election. The first time he was appointed as an Adviser on Media by Obasanjo, there was uproar by the Nigerian media, Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Guild of Editors, RATTAWU and others.”

Balarabe
Balarabe Musa said: “There is no success at all. Even his political party is in disarray. His statement shows gross failure because he is inconsistent in his statement.

“So what specific way has he achieved? He has not achieved anything. He is even doing worse than others and he is threatening even the existence of the country in many respects. If this level of poverty continues, it can lead to serious consequences.”