Former President Goodluck Jonathan has defended his decision shunning entreaties to make his assets public while in office between 2011 and 2015.

Former President Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan at the State House in Abuja The former president, whose action is captured in the new book, ‘Against the Run of Play: How an incumbent president was defeated’ by Segun Adeniyi, argued that he did not believe that declaring his assets publicly could stem the tide of corruption or degrade the level of terrorism in the country.

Jonathan said: “It is not the President declaring his assets that will end Boko Haram and whether I am criticised from head to toe I will not declare my assets publicly; it is not right; I did not even want to declare my assets as VP but was forced by the then President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. “The law is clear. A public officer should declare his asset, and if there are issues, then the relevant agencies would have a basis to assess whether you have amassed wealth or not. Pressed further to make public his assets in the spirit of the anti-corruption war and moral basis, the book quotes Jonathan as saying, “I don’t give a damn about it. The law is clear about it and so, making it public is not issue and I will not play into the hands of people. I have nothing to hide. “I declared under Yar Ádua because he did it, but it is not proper; it is not the president declaring assets that will change the country,” he insisted.

The book noted, “By refusing to make public his assets declaration, Jonathan easily played into the hands of the opposition that had started to define him as a corrupt leader. “That characterisation hounded him throughout his tenure and would become a major campaign point in 2015. “But if there was any corruption scandal that did incalculable damage to the credibility of his government, it was the mismanagement of the fuel subsidy funds,” the book noted. It went further: “And with that, critical stakeholders, including organised labour unions and civil society groups-responded with anger and condemnation, vowing to challenge the Federal Government by calling for a nationwide strike.”

sarrki:
It's because stealing is not corruption

“It is not the President declaring his assets that will end Boko Haram and whether I am criticised from head to toe I will not declare my assets publicly; it is not right; I did not even want to declare my assets as VP but was forced by the then President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.

omenkaLives:
I remember the exact day he made this terrible and shameful statement. It was during one of his media chats and I was watching in a friend's, an Urhobo man(I believe they are the ones who bear Ogene).

I cannot forget the man's reaction when Oga Jo blurted those words out. The man is always hyperactive and sounds like he's angry even when having a normal convo.

Dude stood up from his seat pointing four fingers at the TV and thundered "NA WHICH KIND MUMU MAN BE THIS!! " while I sat speechless.

I think vanguard didn't even get the quote right. What Jo specifically said was "...if they like, they can insult me from head to toe..." and thought to myself, "how the hell did this man manage to write a thesis??" His diction is so poor and elementary.

GavelSlam:
On campaign ground: How much did Nwobodo stole?

When a president reduces the serious crimes of stealing/corruption to insignificance especially in public, you can only imagine how much of it he participates in.

The crook should actually be ostracised from society.

omenkaLives:
Simple english the man no even sabi speak. Just look at that.

KennedyIroh:


hahahahahahaha omenkalives dey see things

sarrki:


The thing enter am well well

gocac:
the thief has never meant well for this country,his penchant for corruption and looting Nigeria dry was stronger than developing the country!

obonujoker:


With the looting Nigerians lived a better life than the rubbish we are living under this accursed man.... why??

criminalmindz:
one day and very soon. power will return to the south south

Aufbauh:
"I don't give a damn about it". But Nigerians gave you a dose of the damn in the run of play.


'Against the run of play'. How a cluelessly corrupt incumbent government was ousted by the rugged Nigeria electorates- Book of the millennium.