Shun ‘bread and butter’ politicians, Jonathan tells Nigerians

• Ex-president left lasting legacies, says Oshiomhole

Efforts of previous leaders, particularly these of the First Republic to unite Nigeria failed as a result of they had been regional however not nationalistic of their programmes and insurance policies, former President Goodluck Jonathan lamented on Saturday.

Jonathan nonetheless defined that the leaders did their greatest to additionally place the nation for financial prosperity, whereas the makes an attempt yielded extra to centrifugal forces which strengthened ethnic pursuits.

The previous President additionally charged Nigerians to be circumspect within the train of their voting rights, saying, “We should shift away from the politics of bread and butter.”

Jonathan said this in his paper titled: ‘Lasting legacy: Key to Nigeria’s improvement points’, on the one-year memorial lecture in honour of late Captain Hosa Okunbo in Abuja.

In keeping with him, the current crop of leaders inherited a rustic that was already balkanised into three areas and later 4 areas.

Jonathan stated, “I imagine that the legacy of nationhood and roots of unity had been weak at Nigeria’s independence and never a lot has been performed since then to strengthen the bottom of the union.

“The choice to shift away from the regional association to a nationwide focus, the place Nigerians will start to see their nation as their widespread heritage, want a distinct orientation, planning, technique and adaptation.

“My cost to Nigerians is to be circumspect within the train of their voting rights. We should shift away from the politics of bread and butter and make sure that we don’t elect leaders that may purchase our conscience in the present day and mortgage the way forward for our kids and grandchildren. We should always endeavour to elect solely these that may depart legacies of unity, peace and improvement.”

On the occasion, a former Minister of Training, Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili urged politicians to develop the training sector, she lamented would proceed to elude Nigeria and different African nations if the political class doesn’t spend money on training.

She stated, “Once you have a look at the parameters and points in our nation, particularly the present knowledge, it exhibits that the continent is in disaster and it has to take care of a few of the issues that the previous President Jonathan stated about  society, It’s that 9 out of each 10 Africans don’t have the literacy and numeracy abilities required of Youngsters of their age in different elements of the world.

In the same vein, spokesperson for the Atiku presidential marketing campaign, Dino Melaye, recalled how Capt. Hosa Okunbor, assisted him up to now. He described Jonathan as “the best rapid previous President Nigeria ever had.”

In the meantime, former governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole, stated Jonathan left an enduring legacy that set a pedestal for his successors.

He stated, “A part of your legacy was if you launched the almajiri college and your thought was that no Nigerian baby ought to be left on the road and likewise appropriated particular funds.”  he stated.

As well as, the Olu of Warri and son-in-law of the deceased, Ogiame Atuwase III decried the glorification of abdomen infrastructure in Nigeria’s political tradition.

Whereas lauding Jonathan for not upturning the presidential elections in 2015, the monarch decried the dearth of belief within the nation.

 He stated, “As a nation, we’re in a state of affairs of uncooked survival which fosters an setting that escalates grievances and creates social chaos. And earlier than we all know it, we’re in a tradition of deception and there’s no peace the place there isn’t any belief. And there’s no belief the place there isn’t any reality in phrases, which is why it’s simple for not simply politicians, anybody actually to only say one thing they usually don’t imagine in what they’re saying.”