Head examination for critics of Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan

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.”