YOU ARE A FAILURE, ABUBAKAR TELLS NIGERIAN POLITICIANS

After a critical appraisal of the Nigerian democracy so far former head of state Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar took a swipe at Nigerian politicians especially former elected Governors declaring them a bunch of disappointment.

Abubakar largely admired for his forthrightness and commitment to handing over to elected civilian leaders in May 1999.

Speaking on a personality interview program on Zuma FM 88.5 yesterday, Abubakar said very little has changed since he handed over the reigns of power on May 29, 1999, adding that the report cards of most former state chief executives leave much to be desired.

Also yesterday, the former Nigerian leader commented on the circumstances surrounding the death of the acclaimed winner of the June 12 presidential election, late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawole Abiola.

He lamented the irony of the Nigerian economy where mass poverty has prevailed in a supposedly oil-rich country.

He said, "It is a pity that some of the politicians who held high offices have disappointed the electorate one way or the other; they have shortchanged the electorate. They have been found wanting. So I think since 1999, we have been in a situation which could have been much better."

He urged the present crop of leaders to make judicious use of resources allocated to their states to ensure development, especially at the grassroots where basic infrastructures are lacking.

He attributed the problem in the last eight years to the attitude of politicians who, he said, "are not accommodating of other views."

"You find that some have the tendency of reverting to a position of winner-takes-all. In democracy, once you campaign and you elected, everybody is now yours regardless of whether he has elected you or not," he said.

He added: "You have a responsibility to carry everybody along. And whether an area has elected you or not, you develop that place as well as develop the area of the people who elected you.

"By going to develop an area where people have not elected you, you’ll certainly make friends and inadvertently, they’ll come over to you."

Asked what his major achievements as head of state were, Abubakar listed successful handing over to a democratically elected civilian government and the access he granted the United States delegation to the late MKO Abiola before his eventual demise as two most important decisions he took while in office.

"I am grateful to God to have given me the opportunity to take some decisions. One of them is that I allowed delegation from the United States access to the late MKO Abiola before he died.

"The US delegation had initially applied to the foreign ministry and security agencies for access to Abiola, which they were denied. But when the matter came to me, I promptly gave them access to the old man in which they ended up as witnesses to events that led to his death.

"If they did not see him before he died, it would have been a different story all together."