Letter To Jonathan: Obasanjo Has No Positive Reference Point Or Legacy – Umeh

The National Chairman of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, Chief Victor Umeh, has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to ignore former President Olusegun Obasanjo, describing the latter as the architect of the nation’s woes.

Umeh, who was fielding questions from journalists in Awka, Anambra State at the weekend, warned the former president not to mistake President Jonathan’s humility for weakness, contending that he (Obasanjo) ought to be in jail for crimes against humanity, following the brutal invasion of Odi (Bayelsa) and Zaki Biam (Benue) by troops acting on the orders of then President Obasanjo.

Umeh, who was reacting to Mr. Obasanjo’s acerbic letter to the president last week, called on Nigerians to hold the former president responsible for the country’s present woes.

According to the APGA national chairman, Mr. Obasanjo bungled the bright opportunity of repositioning and launching the country into greatness.

He noted that instead of uniting the land on assumption of office in 1999, the former president engaged in a war of attrition with Ndigbo, even as he continued to undermine their growth and welfare.

The APGA boss in a damning verdict of Mr. Obasanjo’s administration lamented that he continued to promote ethnic and religious differences that resulted in violence and loss of lives.

Umeh said: “Obasanjo’s letter was a confirmation of the heavy blow his administration dealt on democracy when election rigging and manipulations were used to muzzle opposition parties. APGA suffered the same terrible fate in 2003, when its victory was given to PDP, and it took three years of legal battle to reclaim the mandate.

“Under the former president, corruption and impunity became a way of life in the country, when a privileged few where given monopoly on economic powers”.

He pointed out that the elder statesman has no positive reference point or legacy for the people of Nigeria and should, therefore, not be taken seriously.

Umeh furthered argued that the billions of dollars frittered away on the power sector during Obasanjo’s regime are yet to be accounted for.

He, therefore, urged President Jonathan to ignore such diversionary tendencies and continue his dedicated and commendable service of building enduring democratic institutions.