Chidiogo Akunyili-Parr, the daughter of the late ex-Minister of Information and Communication, Dora Akunyili, said her mum foresaw that the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan would fail after he announced candidates for his cabinet.

She quoted her mother to have described Jonathan’s ministerial appointees as the cabinet of mismatched candidates, with square pegs put in round roles.

This is contained in a biography of the former director general of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control titled, ‘I am because we are.’

In the 382-page book published by Safari Books Limited, Akunyili’s sojourn as the NAFDAC DG, minister and senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance was presented in the first person narration as though she told the story herself.

The author, Akunyili-Parr, stated that upon Jonathan’s election as President, her mother expected that she would be appointed as Minister of Health given her experience and remarkable success at NAFDAC but was asked to remain the Information and Communication minister.

She wrote, “I was not the only square peg in a round hole. The announcement of his cabinet of mismatched candidates and portfolios was one of the first signs of the woes that would cripple Goodluck Jonathan’s government.

“The very talent for which he was chosen to be vice president to (former President Umar) Yar’Adua was marring his presidency. Nigeria needed a decisive leader who was willing to rock the boat as needed. Instead, we got a quiet, slow-moving man with distaste for speed and a preference for neutrality to the point of inaction.”

The author recalled that Akunyili, frustrated by Jonathan’s decision and sensing an ominous failure of the administration, stepped down from her position.

“I cited my official reason as being ready to begin a new chapter of my life. Unofficially though, I wanted to have more authorship on the direction of my journey, free from the whims of a seated president,” she added.


The book also chronicled a series of attacks on Akunyili and NAFDAC offices due to the war she waged against drug and food counterfeiting.

One of such was in March 2004, months after an assassination attempt on the late ex-DG, when the Lagos operational headquarters of the agency, described as the key artery of NAFDAC’s activities, was burnt down.

She said, “Everything was destroyed including office equipment and sensitive files with data on registered products. Someone wanted to cripple the agency and erase all its records.

“On March 10, 2004, barely 72 hours later, the laboratory complex in Kaduna, which was critical for testing large quantities of medicine and food, was set ablaze and also razed to ashes.

“The entire building, laboratory equipment, chemicals and reagents, furniture and office equipment were destroyed by the fire. The destruction was valued at about N228m, a colossal loss to NAFDAC and a setback to our operations.”

 
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She wrote, “I was not the only square peg in a round hole. The announcement of his cabinet of mismatched candidates and portfolios was one of the first signs of the woes that would cripple Goodluck Jonathan’s government.

“The very talent for which he was chosen to be vice president to (former President Umar) Yar’Adua was marring his presidency. Nigeria needed a decisive leader who was willing to rock the boat as needed. Instead, we got a quiet, slow-moving man with distaste for speed and a preference for neutrality to the point of inaction.”

The author recalled that Akunyili, frustrated by Jonathan’s decision and sensing an ominous failure of the administration, stepped down from her position.

Jonathan was a cancerous and cancerous failure. Worst president in history of Nigeria.

Very inactive and slow minded.

When Jonathan was president there was oil boom and budget was even below oil price yet he wasted everything and couldn't point one single project to his name.

He said he will go on exile if he didn't complete second Niger bridge which he didn't even pour sand there. Today he is still in Nigeria Meandering about

https://www.nairaland.com/1958797/go-exile-dont-build-2nd

Today someone dubbed as wicked is bringing the project to reality. Call a spade a spade.

Jonathan is a failure and an infrastructural liar.

She was the big deal back then in NAFDAC... Till now, no one speaks ill of her and that is the good name her children her enjoying. Something that can not be said about most of our politicians.

Igbo people killed this woman because of their dubious businesses

Ok

That's one of the reasons why this country is not working... Someone did well when she was in charge of NAFDAC.. Winning various awards for good job done.. And to compensate her the govt had to install her as the minister for information and communication who does that.. Whereas her area of expertise was health. The only time this country will rise is when we start giving government positions to those that merit the position and not because of favoritism. She still remains the best NAFDAC boss even in death. Rip Dora.

Baawaa:
Igbo people killed this woman because of their dubious businesses

Even her husband.

She obviously made them "unemployed".

Biafla will be very sweet. Everyone will be "gainfully employed".

Baawaa:
Igbo people killed this woman because of their dubious businesses

Stfu she died of cancer

Issokay

Jonathan was a disgrace, went on rampage building almajiri schools in the north, couldn’t use the opportunity to at least clean up the mess in Niger delta.

Very slow man

History555:


Stfu she died of cancer

Dont mind that tadpole

Megabig:
Dont mind that tadpole

History555:


Stfu she died of cancer

May that cancer that shortened her life kill you people

Jonathan wasn't ready and willing to be president.

Run away from a man whose motto in life is, "May God's will be done at his appointed time".
He may make a good follower but certainly not a great leader.

Baawaa:

May that cancer that shortened her life kill you people

Wtf! All these Tinubu's agberos.
It's too early to display your frustration here

Hmmm

Jonathan is a good man.

But Akunyili-Parr rightly captured his problem -

“he distastes speed and chooses neutrality to the point of inaction”.

Simply put, Jonathan is weak. His wife is swifter. And that’s why we seldom heard more from her while they were in power.

That’s the reason Jonathan should never be president again.

He will still be deceived.

He will still not be firm.

He will still not be able to stamp his foot on the ground and stand by a decision he is convinced about.

That’s how he allowed himself to be bullied by Tinubu and his Ojota urchins when he removed Fuel Subsidy in 2012. A decision that if he had stood by it, we wouldn’t be talking about subsidy today. Nigerians would have long adjusted.

Jonathan had his flaws no doubt but made some of the best appointments as far as round pegs in round holes is concerned.

Having late Dora as Minister of information may not be ideal but not totally out of place, what matters is commitment and dedication.

The description for Jonathan in the book is not far from the truth.....

Add it to the tribal bigot of bubu and the sick Chikago Lord they want to foist on us, then you will see why Nigeria is where it is

Osagyefo98:



Jonathan was a canterkerous failure. Worst president in history of Nigeria.

Very inactive and slow minded.

WHY ARE YOU SO OBSESSED WITH SOUTHERN NIGERIA WHEN BANDITS, ISWAP AND BOKO BOYS ARE SENDING YOUR PEOPLE TO CAMEROON AND NIGER REPUBLIC IDP CAMPS

Yeebos are damn hypocritical. Y'all can see how soft they've been on the said lady simply cos she's from the east. If she were to be from other place attacking their demigod like that, they would have insulted the daylight out of her.

These people are too crude. Emotion over logic, no wonder they lost 3m in the Civil War. They lack decorum in tackling real life issues. If you want to be in their good book, just sing their praises and watch them lick your ass.

Very disgusting cretins.

another ogogoro fellow

Megabig:
Jonathan was a disgrace, went on rampage building almajiri schools in the north, couldn’t use the opportunity to at least clean up the mess in Niger delta.

Very slow man

He is the real baba go slow

Pdp messed up Dora akunyili and eventually murdered her and her husband. In the end, it's the people she tried to serve that destroyed her

How did Jonathan's govt fail? Enough of that Bullocks ..that govt was the most progressive govt for Nigerians abeg ...

I love madam Akunyili bt truth b told,

If given d wrong appointment as a minister of Information and Communication, why c'nt u resign

Na y I like oyinbo people,

Dey value their reputation

habsydiamond:
That's one of the reasons why this country is not working... Someone did well when she was in charge of NAFDAC.. Winning various awards for good job done.. And to compensate her the govt had to install her as the minister for information and communication who does that.. Whereas her area of expertise was health. The only time this country will rise is when we start giving government positions to those that merit the position and not because of favoritism. She still remains the best NAFDAC boss even in death. Rip Dora.

This is why I don't think the age of the President is necessarily a primary factor. Jonathan was young, yet he was slow, clueless, and wasteful.

The emphasis must be on competence, good intention, the capacity to deploy capable hands to work with him.

Baawaa:
Igbo people killed this woman because of their dubious businesses

They weren't satisfied with that, they made sure her husband paid the ultimate price.

SarkinYarki:
How did Jonathan's govt fail? Enough of that Bullocks ..that govt was the most progressive govt for Nigerians abeg ...

As dem commot the yam wey you dey chop for that government you can never forget.

Banganaiba

Okoroawusa:
Jonathan wasn't ready and willing to be president.

Run away from a man whose motto in life is, "May God's will be done at his appointed time".
He may make a good follower but certainly not a great leader.

Shouldn't we put the blame on him who picked him as vice president when there better candidattes like Duke and even Dora?


Obasanjo was simply trying to compensate for the massacre he ordered in Odi, balyesa

Gbagura:
Yeebos are damn hypocritical. Y'all can see how soft they've been on the said lady simply cos she's from the east. If she were to be from other place attacking their demigod like that, they would have insulted the daylight out of her.

These people are too crude. Emotion over logic, no wonder they lost 3m in the Civil War. They lack decorum in tackling real life issues. If you want to be in their good book, just sing their praises and watch them lick your ass.

Very disgusting cretins.

mynd44 lalasticlala seun

Rule 2