Jonathan replies OBJ: Your letter is full of lies

The allegation of training snipers to assassinate political opponents is particularly incomprehensible to
me – President

President Goodluck Jonathan on Sunday formally replied the
18-page letter written to him by former President Olusegun
Obasanjo, saying it was a threat national security.
Unlike Obasanjo’s letter which was dated December 2 but
leaked to the press on December 11, Jonathan’s letter was
made available to journalists by his(Jonathan) Special
Adviser on Media and Publicity, Reuben Abati in Abuja.
In the letter titled “Re: Before It is too Late,” an obviously
angry Jonathan said the former President did him grave
injustice with the open letter in which he was accused of
deceit, deception, dishonesty, incompetence, clannishness,
divisiveness and insincerity, amongst other ills.
He gave 10 reasons why he chose to make his own letter
public. One of them, according to him, is because
Obasanjo’s  letter is clearly a threat to national security, as it
may deliberately or inadvertently set the stage for
subversion.
“The third reason why I must reply you in writing is that your
letter is clearly a threat to national security as it may
deliberately or inadvertently set the stage for subversion,”
Jonathan said in the letter which Abati  also streamed on his
facebook account, twitter handle and his personal website:
www.reubenabati.com.ng.
In the letter, the President said it appeared to him that
Obasanjo’s letter was designed to incite Nigerians from
other geopolitical zones against him and also calculated to
promote ethnic disharmony.
He added that the former President’s letter was also
designed to instigate members of the ruling Peoples
Democratic Party against him.
The President said he had already directed security agencies
and the National Human Rights Commission to investigate
Obasanjo’s  allegations   and make their findings public.
While explaining the efforts so far made by his
administration to address the issue of insecurity in parts of
the country, the President recalled that the seeds of the
present precarious situation were sown under previous
administrations.
He claimed that those who have continued to downplay his
administration’s efforts at restoring peace, including
Obasanjo, seemed to have forgotten the depth in which the
nation had fallen into before now.
He wrote, “You(Obasanjo) raised concerns about the
security situation in the country. I assure you that I am fully
aware of the responsibility of government for ensuring the
security of the lives and property of citizens.
“My administration is working assiduously to overcome
current national security challenges, the seeds of which were
sown under previous administrations. There have been
some setbacks; but certainly there have also been great
successes in our efforts to overcome terrorism and
insurgency.
“Those who continue to downplay our successes in this
regard, amongst whom you must now be numbered, appear
to have conveniently forgotten the depths to which security
in our country had plunged before now.
“At a stage, almost the entire North-East was under siege by
insurgents. Bombings of churches and public buildings in the
North and the federal capital became an almost weekly
occurrence. Our entire national security apparatus seemed
nonplussed and unable to come to grips with the new threat
posed by the berthing of terrorism on our shores.
“But my administration has since brought that very
unacceptable situation under significant control. We have
overhauled our entire national security architecture,
improved intelligence gathering, training, funding, logistical
support to our armed forces and security agencies, and
security collaboration with friendly countries with very
visible and positive results.
“The scope and impact of terrorist operations have been
significantly reduced and efforts are underway to restore full
normalcy to the most affected North Eastern region and
initiate a post-crisis development agenda, including a
special intervention programme to boost the region’s socio-
economic progress.
“In doing all this, we have kept our doors open for dialogue
with the insurgents and their supporters through efforts
such as the work of the Presidential Committee on Dialogue
and the Peaceful Resolution of the Security Challenges in the
North-East.
“You also know that the Governor of Borno State provided
the items you mentioned to me as carrots. Having done all
this and more, it is interesting that you still accuse me of not
acting on your hardly original recommendation that the
carrot and stick option be deployed to solve the Boko
Haram problem.
“Your suggestion that we are pursuing a ‘war against
violence without understanding the root causes of the
violence and applying solutions to deal with all the
underlying factors’ is definitely misplaced because from the
outset of this administration, we have been implementing a
multifaceted strategy against militancy, insurgency and
terrorism that includes poverty alleviation, economic
development, education and social reforms.”
On the allegation that he was training snipers to assassinate
about 1,000 people who had already been placed under
watch, Jonathan described  it  as the most invidious.
He said since he started his political career as a deputy
governor, he had never been associated with any form of
political violence.
While admitting that there had been cases of political
assassinations since the beginning of the Fourth Republic, he
said none of them occurred under his leadership.
Jonathan said if Obasanjo insisted on the spurious claim that
some of his relatives and friends were being harassed, he
should name them and tell Nigerians what agencies of his
administration were harassing them.
He wrote, “Perhaps the most invidious accusation in your
letter is the allegation that I have placed over one thousand
Nigerians on a political watch list, and that I am training
snipers and other militia to assassinate people. Baba, I don’t
know where you got that from but you do me grave injustice
in not only lending credence to such baseless rumours, but
also publicising it. You mentioned God 17 times in your
letter. Can you, as a Christian, hold the Bible and say that
you truly believe this allegation?
“The allegation of training snipers to assassinate political
opponents is particularly incomprehensible to me. Since I
started my political career as a deputy governor, I have
never been associated with any form of political violence. I
have been a President for over three years now, with a lot of
challenges and opposition mainly from the high and mighty.
“There have certainly been cases of political assassination
since the advent of our Fourth Republic, but as you well
know, none of them occurred under my leadership.
“Regarding the over 1000 people you say are on a political
watch list, I urge you to kindly tell Nigerians who they are
and what agencies of government are ‘watching’ them. Your
allegation that I am using security operatives to harass
people is also baseless. “Nigerians are waiting for your
evidence of proof. That was an accusation made against
previous administrations, including yours, but it is certainly
not my style and will never be. Again, if you insist on the
spurious claim that some of your relatives and friends are
being harassed, I urge you to name them and tell Nigerians
what agencies of my administration are harassing them.”
While admitting that corruption is an issue in the country,
Jonathan said the seed was planted a long time ago. He told
Obasanjo that his administration was making efforts to
drastically reduce its effects on national development.
He insisted that while he would not shield any government
official or private individual involved in corruption, he would
follow due process in all that he does.
The President said Obasanjo could not claim ignorance of
several highly placed persons in the country, including sons
of some of PDP leaders currently facing trial for their
involvement in the celebrated oil  subsidy scam.
He said he could hardly be blamed if the wheels of justice
still ground slowly in the country.
Jonathan accused Obasanjo and a few unnamed senior
members of the PDP of instigating the seeming crisis in the
party.
He observed that at the heart of all the current troubles in
the party and the larger polity was the unbridled jostling
and positioning for personal or group advantage ahead of
the 2015 general elections.
Jonathan added, “Instigating people to cause problems and
disaffection within the party is something that you are
certainly familiar with. You will recall that founding fathers of
the party were frustrated out of the party at a time.
“ The late Chief Sunday Awoniyi was pushed out, the Late
Chief Solomon Lar left and later came back; Chief Audu
Ogbeh and Chief Tom Ikimi also left. Chief Okwesilieze
Nwodo left and later came back. In 2005/2006, link-men
were sent to take over party structures from PDP governors
in an unveiled attempt to undermine the state governors. In
spite of that, the governors did not leave the party because
nobody instigated and encouraged them to do so.”
On his alleged promise not to contest the 2015 elections,
Jonathan
said Obasanjo and “ambitious acolytes” in the PDP were on
a virulent campaign to harass him “out of an undeclared
candidature for the 2015 presidential elections so as to pave
the way for a successor anointed by you(Obasanjo).”
He said the former President’s claims about discussions he
had with him and Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State
and others were wrong.
He however said in keeping with his declared stance that he
would only make his position on the 2015 election known in
2014, he would reserve further comments until the
appropriate time.
Jonathan also described the allegation that he asked half a
dozen African Presidents to speak to Obasanjo about his
alleged ambition for 2015 as untrue.
“I have never requested any African President to discuss with
you on my behalf.  In our discussion, I mentioned to you that
four Presidents told me that they were concerned about the
political situation in Nigeria and intended to talk to you
about it. So far, only three of them have confirmed to me
that they have had any discussion with you. If I made such a
request, why would I deny it?,”Jonathan wrote.
He said the claim that he was imposing Buruji Kashamu in
the South-West was one of the lies that should not be
associated with a former President.
He also denied stalling a water project in Rivers State,
saying that he does not engage in negative political actions
and will never, as President, oppress the people of a state or
deprive them of much needed public services as a result of
political disagreement.
On Obasanjo’s claim that he was ethnic in approach, the
President said although he is the first President from a
minority group, he had never been unmindful of the fact that
he was elected leader of the whole of Nigeria.
He told Obasanjo, “Having twice held the high office of
President, Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria, I trust that you will understand
that I cannot possibly find the time to offer a line-by-line
response to all the accusations and allegations made in your
letter while dealing with other pressing demands of office
and more urgent affairs of state.
“I have tried, however, to respond to only the most serious
of the charges which question my sincerity, personal honour,
and commitment to the oath which I have sworn, to always
uphold and protect the interests of all Nigerians, and
promote their well-being.
“In closing, let me state that you have done me grave
injustice with your public letter in which you wrongfully
accused me of deceit, deception, dishonesty, incompetence,
clannishness, divisiveness and insincerity, amongst other ills.
“I have not, myself, ever claimed to be all-knowing or
infallible, but I have never taken Nigeria or Nigerians for
granted as you implied, and I will continue to do my utmost
to steer our ship of state towards the brighter future to
which we all aspire.”
When contacted on the telephone, an aide to  Obasanjo, Mr.
Tunde Oladunjoye, said he had yet to discuss Jonathan’s
reply with his principal.
He said, “I am aware that the letter has found its way into
the Internet and the media.  I am yet to discuss it with Baba
Obasanjo, who is presently attending the Ogun State
Government Christmas Carol.”