TheCable

Doyin Okupe, senior special assistant to the president, says President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration has turned out to be the best since 1960, despite the myriad of challenges confronting the country.

Speaking on Tuesday during a public affairs forum tagged ‘Jonathan Administration: Four Impactful Years’, Okupe had caustic words for critics of the president, saying those describing him as clueless are psychiatric patients.

“We have lunatics parading themselves as politicians here,” he said.

“Some people who should be visiting psychiatric hospital are saying the government is clueless. It is a challenge. It is a problem and a national tragedy when a group like Alqaeda struck in America, the citizens rallied round their president. Americans didn’t say what kind of president is this? Where is the head of CIA? Responsible came out and said ‘this will not happen in this country’.

“Election should be based on performance. If you are an aspirant, go and tell the people that this is what I want to do. Don’t take unnecessary advantage of the tragedy of the nation.”

He singled out Atiku Abubakar, a former vice-president and a presidential aspirant of the All Progressive Congress (APC), for criticism over his recent comments on insurgency.

Atiku had called for international assistance to quell the insurgency, lamenting that the government’s handling of the situation was below par.

“I remember very well that before 2011 elections, it was people like Atiku Abubakar who said those who make peaceful change impossible will make violent change inevitable and that was what spurred some of these young people who have been brainwashed to take up arms against their state,” he said.

“The English man says if you sow the wind, you will reap the whirlwind. Now the whirlwind is coming and the blames are being put at a wrong doorstep. The recent comments passed by Alhaji Atiku Abubabkar is… I don’t want to use the word ‘irresponsible’. But I will say it’s a little bit out of place.

“It’s not something you expect from an elder statesman, somebody who has been in the system, who understands how government works. I have difficulty with this because I am trying to choose my word, I am being careful but also angry for a good reason.

“When you want to be a political leader in the country. You want to be the president and you take sides with the insurgents. You celebrate their supposed victories and ridicule your own armed forces. A potential commander-in-chief of the armed forces making a mockery of the armed forces that he is likely going to inherit. The least we can say for the sake of respect is that that is unpatriotic and it is undignifying.”

Okupe emphasised that insurgency is a global phenomenon and the government was doing its best to restore normalcy to the troubled parts of the country.

“This government is doing everything possible to contain insurgency. Insurgency is a modern menace. I don’t know of any country or any part of the world that you will not hear of insurgency,” he said.

“Every day, every time. This is a new menace that is bedevilling the world, so why are people making it to look as if it is peculiar to Nigeria?

“Britain had to contend with insurgency for 32 years. China rebels went on for 27 years. The one in Morroco here has been going on for 14 years. Insurgency, by the nature of how it operates, is like guerilla warfare. In  Colombia, people have been in detention for 12 years.”