The immediate past President
of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan has stated that when he was elected
into office, Nigeria was the second largest economy in Africa but by the
time he was leaving, he handed over a Nigeria with the largest economy
in Africa.
Jonathan
stated this yesterday while speaking to Friends of Africa coalition at
the Mayor’s office in Newark, New Jersey, on topics bordering on
strengthening democracy and elections.
The
Former Nigerian President also noted that in 2009 the richest Nigerian
was the 5th richest man in Africa, but he handed over a Nigeria that
produced the richest man in Africa.
Jonathan
also spoke about the 2015 general elections, the economy of Nigeria
before and during his administration and the recent elections in Benin
Republic.
According to Dr. Jonathan:
“Even
in the 2015 general elections in my country, Nigeria, there was
potential for major crisis if I was not a President duly elected by the
will of the people.”
“The
campaigns leading to the elections almost polarized the country into
Christian v Muslims and North v South divide. Most World leaders were
worried that our elections will result into major crisis. Some pundits
even from here in the United States said that those elections would
spell the end of Nigeria and that we would cease to exist as a nation
because of the polls.”
“That is where the leadership question comes into play. As a leader that was duly elected by the people, I considered the people’s interest first. How do I manage my people to avoid killings and destruction of properties? With the interest of the people propelling all the decisions I took, we were able to sail through.”
“Indeed,
we sail through because I refused to interfere with the independence of
the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, having appointed a
man I had never met in my life to run it. My philosophy was simple. For
elections to be credible, I as a leader, must value the process more
than the product of the process. And the citizens must have confidence
in the electoral body.”
“This
rule of the law of process ensured that Nigeria’s peace, prosperity and
progress was not derailed by the conduct and results of the 2015
elections and I am proud to say that while I took over a Nigeria that
was the second largest economy in Africa with a GDP of $270.5 billion in
2009, I handed over a Nigeria that had grown to become the largest
economy in Africa and the 24th largest economy in the World with a GDP
of $574 billion.”
“I
inherited a Nigeria in which the trains were not working, and handed
over a Nigeria in which citizens can safely travel by trains again. I
inherited a Nigeria that was a net importer of cement, and handed over a
Nigeria that is a net exporter of cement. In 2009 the richest Nigerian
was the 5th richest man in Africa, but I handed over a Nigeria that
produced the richest man in Africa.”
“These
are but a few of the parameters that illustrate some of the economic
transformations we engineered during my term in office. This was made
possible by the fact that there was a stable political leadership in
Nigeria that did not have to pander to any other constituency except the
electorate who brought me to power. And these actions have a contagious
effect.”
“Perhaps
because of what we achieved in Nigeria, our next door neighbor, Benin
Republic, last month replicated what President Mathieu Kerekou did in
1991, that is to organize and conduct free and fair elections that led
to the victory of opposition candidate Patrice Talon.”
“Once
again, I must commend my friend, the incumbent and outgoing President
of Benin Republic, President Thomas Boni Yayi, for his statesmanlike
conduct during and after the elections.”
REPORTS AFRIQUE
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