The Federal Government has told former President Olusegun Obasanjo that President Muhammadu Buhari is busy tackling problems inherited from past administrations.
Obasanjo had in a statement on Tuesday called on 75-year-old Buhari not to seek a second term, accusing him of incompetence, nepotism and weakness.
He argued that some of the conditions that made Nigerians vote out immediate past President Goodluck Jonathan were worse under the current administration.
Responding through a statement by Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, on Wednesday, the Federal Government thanked Obasanjo for acknowledging the progress made in fighting corruption and tackling insurgency.
In the area of the economy, for which it says Obasanjo “believes that the administration does not deserve a pass mark”, the government said it has availed itself creditably.
“We believe that Chief Obasanjo, because of his very busy schedule, may not have been fully availed of developments in the government’s efforts to revamp the economy, which was battered by the consequences of over-dependence on a commodity as well as unprecedented pillaging of the treasury,” the statement said.
It went on to point out areas which the government believes it has done creditably well, including rise in foreign reserves, implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA), elimination of ghost workers, ease of doing business, investment in infrastructure and growth in agriculture.
“This administration is not unaware of the enormity of the challenges facing the nation, but we are up to the task. We have taken the bull by the horns, and long-suffering Nigerians will begin to experience a new lease of life as our efforts yield fruits. We will not go into a state of funk for whatever reason,” the statement continued.
On the herders/farmers’ clashes, the government said it is determined to end the crisis once and for all, “not minding the fact that the clashes predate us”.
Dismissing Obasanjo’s call on Buhari not to seek a second term, the Federal Government said such talks are a distraction “because Mr. President spends every waking hour tackling the enormous challenges facing the nation, most of which were bequeathed to his administration by successive past administrations.”
Obasanjo, 80, Obasanjo, headed a military government in the 1970s and was Nigeria’s first President when civilian rule was restored in 1999.
He left power in 2017 after his attempt at amending the Constitution to give a third term failed.
