President Goodluck Jonathan’s Senior Special Assistant on Public
Affairs, Doyin Okupe, said on Tuesday that critics of the President needed to
be examined by psychiatrists.
Okupe said this while reacting to the statement by a former Vice
President, Atiku Abubakar, in which the ex-VP raised the alarm over the
activities of the members of the violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram, in the
North-East.
Atiku had alleged that if the activities of the insurgents were not
quickly curtailed, they could overrun the entire region.
He also berated the leadership of the country, wondering what it had
been doing to curtail the criminal activities of the members of the sect.
But Okupe said such statements were not expected from Atiku, who the
presidential aide said had been part of the system.
He said, “Those people saying that this government is clueless need
psychiatric test. From now on, anybody who says this government is clueless
should be referred to a psychiatrist.
“It is obvious that people are also trying to make mileage of
insurgency. On Monday, a very notable member of the Nigerian leadership
institution, in particular Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, took a swipe at the Federal
Government and at the President.
“You know, it’s difficult to comment publicly about people who have held
very important and highly dignified position in our polity, but when people go
to the extent of trying to make political gains out of national tragedy, it is
difficult not to say something because this is part of the misinformation which
the Nigerian public has been subjected to.
“Atiku said that we have problems with leadership, both political
leadership and military leadership. For a former Vice President, I believe the
comments passed by Atiku Abubakar, I don’t want to use the word
‘irresponsible’, but I will say it is a little bit out of place.
“It is not something you expect from an elder statesman, somebody who
has been in the system and who understands how government works.”
Okupe, who said he was angry with the statement of Atiku, said it was
wrong for someone aspiring to lead the country to speak ill of the armed forces
because he would command the same military if elected.
He alleged that it was statements from people like Atiku that emboldened
the insurgents to take up arms against the state.
“I remember very well that before the 2011 elections, it was the people
like Atiku Abubakar who said that those who make peaceful change impossible
make violent change inevitable.
“That was his statement and that was what poured out some of these young
people who have been brainwashed to take up armed against their state,” he
said.
He insisted that the government of Jonathan was doing everything
possible to contain insurgency, adding that there was hardly any country not
currently battling with insurgency.
Okupe said insurgency remained the problem facing the country and that
government had been battling it and would overcome it, especially with the
calibre of people serving in the government.
He also added that the present government remained the best since
independence in 1960.
He said, “We have capable people who have made name running this
economy; people like (Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Olusegun)
Aganga; (Minster of Finance, Ngozi) Okonjo-Iweala and others and people are
saying this government is clueless.
“How can these capable people be running an economy where the government
is clueless. Is this possible?
“But I want to say here that Jonathan administration is the most
successful since 1960.”