President Jonathan Is Like A Mad Man – Lamido

Right before his meeting with President Jonathan at Aso
Villa yesterday, Governor Lamido of Jigawa had some
strong words for the Commander in Chief.
The governor spoke to journalists from Leadership
Newspapers before the meeting.
” To us we are on a rescue mission, because what we are
seeing today is a mad man inside petrol filling station with
lighter in his hand, the threat he poses is very lethal and
would not spare anyone,” he said.
He said the arrest of his sons was politically motivated.
“This arrest of my children on alleged corruption or
stealing or whatever they call it, is nothing short of
political miscalculation and an attempt to jolt me to
change my political philosophy and succumb to the selfish
interest of an ordinary human being as against the wish of
my God and betterment of Nigeria.
“Let me inform my detractors, in the last 30 years of my
political struggle, I was harassed, arrested persecuted by
those who saw my struggle as a threat to their interest,
but I endured and refused to cow down. So at my age
now with all my past experience it is a big mistake for
anybody to think of using any form of threat against my
family, or my life or anything else to taunt me.
“I am not proud or conceited, but I can unequivocally say,
in terms of good governance, justice, fairness, and
judicious use of public funds; what we are doing in Jigawa
state is exceptional in contemporary Nigeria. Many people
including President Jonathan, past and present political
and traditional leaders had testified to that.
“But today in what appeared to be a political knife, some
body called Jonathan from Bayelsa state with another
person called Lamorde and some police officers tried to
tell the world that they love Jigawa people and also they
are concerned and keen in protecting state treasury better
than me. This is very ridiculous.”
The governor took it a step further by taking a swipe at
Bayelsans, insinuating that the culture in the Niger Delta
state permits stealing and corruption.
According to him, “It is true every people have their own
culture and traditions and wherever they found
themselves, they must exhibit it. It is known to the whole
world how a United Kingdom court arrested and tried
former Bayelsa Governor Mr Diepreye Alamiesiegha on
stealing of his state money. After the court found him
guilty, the people of the state came out in defence of their
child by protesting against the court action, they said the
money he stole was Bayelsa state money, therefore they
have forgiven him, and also warned against any attempt to
arrest him by any national or international institution, this
accentuated how some people behave.
“So imagine somebody with this background, now has guts
to come down to Jigawa state where we have the belie and
culture in which every form of stealing is absolutely
repugnant and punishable, claiming he came to help us in
protecting and securing our money from thieves, you
know from onset the man lacks moral value for such job.
“Besides, of all the 36 state governors in the country and
the federal government, it is only Sule Lamido that EFCC
found corrupt, who connived with his children and looted
his state money,” he said.
In a further attempt to exonerate himself and his sons
from wrongdoing, the governor said that even President
Jonathan had testified in the past that there is judicious
use of public funds in Jigawa state.
“During Jonathan’s visit to my state in which he
commissioned various projects in the state, he said the
Birnin Kudu local government secretariat which we built at
the cost of N400million, if it were in his state such project
would not cost less than N2 billion, also the new Dutse
NYSC permanent orientation camp built at the cost of
N800million would cost over N2billion. However when he
commissioned the new state secretariat he called all
Nigerians to come to Jigawa and learn the judicious use of
peoples’ money;” he said.
It should also be pointed out that the governor himself
paid similar glowing tributes to the president at those
times as well, but now criticises him, a testament to how
transient political relationships can be.
Gov. Lamido also talked about the politics of 2015.
He said: “On the issue of contesting for any seat I never
ever said somebody should not contest, what I insisted is
that, there is legal and moral way to get any seat, and
anybody who wants to contest election must follow due
process, must be transparent way with full obedience to
party and Nigeria constitution.
“It is totally wrong and reprehensible for anybody to think
of using police, judiciary or other illegal way to get power,
we fought against such idea in the past and we would
vehemently continue to oppose it.
“So, if fighting against injustice, breach of trust and
flagrant abuse to the party and Nigerian constitution, and
also preaching to adhere to the rule of law is corruption, I
would continue to live on this.”
He claimed that he had been expecting this kind of
reaction from Aso Rock ever since they “started this
struggle against President Jonathan’s move to perpetuate
himself in power through illegal ways.”
According to the governor, he told his fellow governors in
the movement that, “this man at the corridor of power
who is so blind on his selfish interest would use any
avenue to fight back, including threat to our lives, power,
political interest, wealth and even our family would not be
spared in his move to crush us.
“But to us the struggle is not about party or personality, it
is a struggle to save the peace and unity of Nigeria, by
preaching and insisting to entrench justice, fairness, fair -
play and rule of law in our democracy and leadership
system. This is essential for the survival of this country as
a single entity.”