By Nuel Suji
Former president Olusegun Obasanjo has ascribed his emergence as military head of state to his gallantry performance during the Nigerian civil war, even as carpeted immediate past president Goodluck Jonathan for poor performance.
Obasanjo said the war gave him opportunity to showcase himself, adding that similar opportunity beckoned in 2010 that gave Jonathan the chance of becoming president. “What he did with that opportunity is entirely up to him.” he said.
Obasanjo, spoke while responding to questions shortly after delivering a convocation lecture at the Benson Idahosa University, Benin City, said he couldn’t have helped Jonathan to do his job as Nigeria President after helping him to secure the position.
He said, “I became the Head of State because of my performance in the war front. If General Gowon had not sent me to the war front, he would not know whether I could perform or not. He sent me to the war front and because I performed, we both shared the credit. But if I had failed, he would not have shared the condemnation with me. I would have taken that alone.
He said the Niger Delta region will suffer for the actions and inactions of the immediate past president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.
Jonathan, who lost the March 28 presidential election to President Mohammadu Buhari hails from Bayelsa, a state in the Niger Delta.
“I believe that the opportunity that afforded itself in 2010 was for somebody from the minority to on his self esteem become the President of Nigeria. We should never lose such opportunity. What he did with that opportunity is entirely up to him.
“What he did or did not do with it will reflect for a long time on that part of the country,” Obasanjo said in a cynical reference to the former president.
“There is no particular person who got there without the people,” he added.
