President Goodluck Jonathan has taken a swipe at the governors of states in the north east where there is prevailing security challenge, describing them as bad leaders.
According to him, state governors who have failed in their responsibility to provide qualitative education to their people should be ashamed of themselves and stop deceiving the people by blaming the federal government.
The President, who was speaking on Saturday in Bauchi, at the north east unity rally of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), reminded the governors that their inability to ensure that their children attend school is responsible for the current security challenge in the zone.
He therefore, enjoined state governors to ensure that they provide qualitative education at the primary and secondary school levels for their people.
President Jonathan noted that in line with his resolve to ensure fairness, all the states of the federation now have federal Universities, saying “I have done my part”.
President Jonathan wondered why governors would come to Abuja to talk about bad leadership when they have failed woefully in their responsibility.
He said, “Sometime governors will come and say we have some issues because of bad leadership, bad leadership from whom”? he queried.
The President continued, “If we have security challenge either Boko Haram, kidnapping or whatever, these are people who couldn’t go to primary schools, who couldn’t go to secondary schools and they have no homes and criminals now recruit and use them.
“If you see them, they wear rags but they carry rifles that worth more than N250, 000 and somebody give them food to eat so that they can have strength to kill.
The federal government does not control primary school, the federal government does not control secondary education and a governor has been on seat in that state for eight years and there are people that can’t go to secondary school and you say bad leadership.
“Who is a bad leader? Is it the federal government? I make sure each state has a University, that is the responsibility of the federal government and I have done it.
“Somebody cannot do his job for eight years, he still has so many children who could not go to primary school, who could not go to secondary school and you open your mouth to talk about bad leadership.
“Is it the federal government or Mr President that will put your children in the primary school and secondary school?
“I have done my part; we will make sure that we fund these Universities. So, a state governor that his people don’t go to school and all of them now carry weapons to kill people, you should be shameful to talk about bad leadership.
“They are deceiving Nigerians and that must end. We must expose ourselves to all Nigerians but that time is not today”.
To party members, the President assured them that the party would give them opportunity to realise their political dreams without having a ‘godfather’.
His words “Let me reassure our PDP family that nobody should deceive you, PDP is the only democratic party. PDP is the only party where God is our common father, you don’t need any ‘godfather’ to make you get what you want.
“More than 60 percent of Nigerians are in PDP, no matter how people use the media to deceive you, we know ourselves, we know the politicians in this country. We know who is a politician, who is a mobiliser, more than 60 percent of these people are in PDP.
“PDP will continue to rule, we will surely reclaim Adamwa state. If some people are leaving, they are just leaving with one vote, Adamawa is for PDP and we will surely reclaim Adamawa state. The north east is for PDP,” he assured.
Present at the crowded rally were the National Chairman, Adamu Mu’azu; Vice President Namadi Sambo; Senate President David Mark, BoT Chairman, Tony Anenih, who took turns to address the party members.
Also in attendance were the chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum chairman, Godswil Akpabio and other governors from the zone.
Speaking, the host governor, Isa Yuguda, thanked the President for what he has done for the zone, urging him to ensure completion of the ongoing dam and Mambilla Hydro power projects.
