Former
ministers under former President Jonathan have released a statement
where they asked the Buhari led government to stop attacking the
administration of their former boss and give them some credit. In the
statement signed by former Minister of National planning Abubakar
Suleiman and released today August 30th, the former ministers listed the
various achievements during their tenure, stressing that the successes
that have been recorded in the present government was as a result of the
good foundation they laid. They urged Buhari to press on with the
anti-corruption fight, but that the fight must be done in a fair and
non-partisan manner, in line with due process, and not as a political
witch-hunt. The statement after the cut...
We,
the Ministers who served under the President Goodluck Jonathan
administration, have watched with increasing alarm and concern the
concerted effort by the Buhari administration and members of the All
Progressives Congress (APC) to condemn, ridicule and undermine the
efforts of that administration, in addition to impugning the integrity
of its individual members.
While
we concede that every administration has the right to chart its own
path as it deems fit, we nevertheless consider the vilification of the
Jonathan administration, to be ill intentioned, unduly partisan, and in
bad faith. The effort that has been made to portray each and every
member of the Jonathan administration as corrupt and irresponsible, in
an orchestrated and vicious trial by media, has created a lynch
mentality that discredits our honest contributions to the growth and
development of our beloved nation.
We
are proud to have served Nigeria and we boldly affirm that we did
so diligently and to the best of our abilities. The improvements
that have been noticed today in the power sector, in national security,
and in social services and other sectors did not occur overnight. They
are products of solid foundations laid by the same Jonathan
administration.
Contrary
to what the APC and its agents would rather have the public believe,
the Jonathan administration did not encourage corruption,
rather it
fought corruption vigorously, within the context of the rule of law and
due process. For the benefit of those who may have
forgotten so soon,
it was the Jonathan administration that got rid of the fraud in
fertilizer subsidies, which had plagued the country for decades. This
helped to unleash a revolution in agricultural production and
productivity.
It was also the Jonathan administration that supported the institutional development of strong systems and mechanisms to curb
corruption
in the public service and plug revenue leakages. These included the
development of the Government Integrated Financial Management Platform,
The Single Treasury Account (TSA), and the Integrated Personnel and
Payroll Management Systems (IPPIS), in addition to the biometric
registration of civil servants and pensioners which saved the country
over N100 billion paid to ghost
workers and ghost pensioners.
To
ensure greater transparency and integrity in the oil and gas sector,
the Jonathan administration ordered investigations and put
mechanisms
in place to check the theft of Nigeria’s crude oil. It was also under
the Jonathan administration that a Nigerian Content policy was
introduced, which opened up that sector to Nigerians in a manner that
was not previously the case. It was also the Jonathan administration
that mobilized and secured the support of our neighbouring countries to
ensure a robust multinational response to the menace of terrorism and
insurgency, resulting in notable advancements in the fight against
terror. President Jonathan personally initiated the collaboration that
led to these advancements and ensured that Nigeria provided the needed
financial support for the Multinational Joint Task Force.
It
was the Jonathan administration that repaired and rehabilitated over
25, 000 kilometres of our nation’s roads. Nigeria also became
a profitable and preferred investment-friendly destination. It was
under President Jonathan, for example, that Nigeria’s electric power
sector became more competitive and attractive to local and
foreign investments.
The
same administration promoted the rule of law, free speech, fundamental
human rights, and a robust freedom of information regime. Women’s rights
to participate in public life and the Federal Character principle as
well as other Constitutional principles were also respected. In every
respect, our administration promoted inclusive governance and encouraged
all stakeholders including the private sector to play key roles in the
transformation of Nigeria.
It
should also not be forgotten that the Jonathan
administration strengthened electoral institutions and created a
peaceful environment for democracy to thrive. On this score, it is sad
and ironic that the chief beneficiaries of that same legacy are the most
vociferous today in condemning President Jonathan and his team.
Perhaps the new administration and the APC would be sincere enough to publish the details of the hand over notes they received.
In
addition, the Buhari administration should be fair enough to
acknowledge the good works of the Jonathan administration.
No administration can be either completely bad or completely good.
President
Jonathan’s achievements in moving this country to greater heights
deserve to be duly acknowledged. We urge President Muhammadu Buhari to
build on these achievements.
We
also urge him to press on with the anti-corruption fight, but in a fair
and non-partisan manner, in line with due process, and not as a
political witch-hunt.
The
various lies and fabrications being peddled by some
self-appointed spokespersons of the administration may entertain the
unwary, but such sensationalism may achieve the unintended effect of
de-marketing our
country within the international community. All such
persons playing to the gallery for whatever gains should be called to
order. The
name-calling of members of the Jonathan administration and the trial by news media should also stop.
We
encourage President Buhari to continue with the probes, but this must
be in strict accordance with his oath of office to treat all
Nigerians equally and with the fear of God.
We
have reserved our comment until now, in the fervent hope that once the
euphoria that may have inspired the various attacks on the
past administration wears off, reason will prevail. But we are
constrained to speak up in defence of the legacy of the Jonathan
administration, and shall do so again, for as long as those who are
determined to
rubbish that legacy, are unrelenting in their usual deployment of blackmail, persecution, and similar tactics.
Dr Abubakar O. Suleiman
Former Minister of National Planning
