Former Nigeria’s President Dr Goodluck Jonathan has released his book which he titled “My Transition Hours”; as expected the book is generating a lot of reactions from stakeholders across the country. The book which costs N10,500 per copy has so many facts and claims as can be expected from a book written by a former president.
The fact check team at Nigeriandefender.com brings to you some disputed claims ever since the contents of Jonathan’s book were made public. Kindly note that we at Nigeriandefender.com are not making any conclusion based on what others say about some claims in the book, we are only drawing a list of stakeholders who disagree with some claims.
JONATHAN’S BOOK COVERSome of the top shots who did not agree with certain aspects of the book include politicians, ex-ministers who served under Jonathan, state governors, ex-governors and other stakeholders who are in the know of the events highlighted in the book.
Some of the disputed facts are listed below:
Ex-ministers who served under Jonathan says he Lied about Concession Speech
According to a report published by thecable.ng, some ex-ministers who served under Goodluck Jonathan has reacted angrily to some of the claims by him in his book, ‘My Transition Hours’, released on Tuesday.
While Commenting on his acclaimed concession call to President Muhammadu Buhari while the final results of the 2015 presidential election were yet to be announced, Jonathan said he rebuffed advice from ministers and an aide not to concede.
Let him enjoy the euphoria of his book launch first, but those he has defamed will surely respond in due course,” the former minister said, adding that Jonathan, by his latest claims, may finally demystify himself over the concession speech “which had elevated his status internationally”.
Another former minster who spoke with the TheCable but also refused to be identified described Jonathan’s version of events as “most unfair and petty”.
“The impression the former president is trying to create is that the people came to tell him not to concede. In truth, Jonathan was being persuaded by a former south-south governor not to concede, so some ministers were quickly invited to come and counter the plot,” the former minister said.
“What would Okonjo-Iweala, Adoke and Chidoka be doing at the villa at that time if not that something was going wrong? Is Jonathan trying to say he was not involved in Elder Godsday Orubebe’s attempt to disrupt the announcement of the results? Is Jonathan trying to claim innocence of a plot to secure a court injunction to stop INEC from further announcing the results? Jonathan needs to be a man of honour.”
Borno State governor, Ibrahim Shetima called the book An Elementary Book of Fiction
The governor who is in the center of the insurgence in the North-East completely disagreed with the whole book which he described as “An Elementary Book of Fiction”. He said the book, ‘My Transition Hours,’ by the former president was a clever attempt to sweep incontrovertible facts on the abduction of Chibok schoolgirls under the carpet.
He also tongue-lashed the former president, who in the book among other allegations, says Shettima and the rest of the All Progressives Congress conspired in the kidnapping of the Chibok schoolgirls.
Shettima said it was clear to him after reading the former president’s book, that “he still lives with poor understanding of issues under his presidency.” You can read more about this story on a story published by the punch titled “Jonathan’s My Transition Hours an elementary book of fiction –Borno gov”.
Jonathan’s book omitted probe panel report on Chibok abduction – Shettima
Again Borno State governor, Kashim Shettima, more specifically accused former President Goodluck Jonathan of cleverly omitting in his book, an investigative report on the April 14, 2014, Chibok abduction submitted to him in June by the presidential facts-finding committee constituted in May.
According to him, this is a clever way, by the former President, to sweep under the carpet incontrovertible facts surrounding the abduction.
Shettima spoke in reaction to allegations contained in chapter four, titled “The Chibok school girls affair” in the book, My Transition Hours, authored by Jonathan and launched on Tuesday in Abuja.
The former President had indicated that the schoolgirls’ abduction was a product of conspiracy by the then opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, in connivance with Borno State government.
He also accused the Borno government and then President Barack Obama’s administration in the United States of undermining efforts to rescue the Chibok girls in 2014.
However, Governor Shettima, in a statement released by his Special Adviser on Communications and Strategy, Malam Isa Gusau, yesterday, said while the truth was that Jonathan never believed there was an abduction until rescue efforts were late, the former President’s book fell short of the courage required of him to publish findings by his own panel in chapter four of his book.
Yoruba group disagrees with Jonathan on state of economy
A Yoruba group, “The Yoruba Ronu Leadership Forum” disagreed with former President Goodluck Jonathan on his assessment of the current state of the nation’s economy in his book ‘My Transition Hours’. The forum says the economy is better under President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
The Yoruba Socio-Cultural group expressed its reservation to Jonathan’s allegation in a statement signed by Akin Malaolu, its Secretary-General on Wednesday.
According to Mr Malaolu, such claims should be completely ignored.
“Ex-President Jonathan’s claim that the present leadership of the country under Buhari has worsened the condition of things for Nigeria and Nigerians should be ignored completely because they are false and inaccurate.
“During the last administration, our foreign reserve stood at 22 billion dollars when the price of a barrel of crude oil was above 100 dollars per barrel.
“That is a clear indicator that Ex-President Jonathan was present but wholly absentminded in savings.
“Today, our foreign reserve stands at almost 50 billion dollars even at a time the price of crude oil was below 50 dollars per barrel.
“As crude oil recently appreciated in price, there is positive desire on the part of Buhari government to make the nation better and steady by bringing back investors who fled the country,” he said. You can read the rest of the story as published by premium times with the caption “Book Launch: Yoruba group disagrees with Jonathan on state of economy”
The Arewa Consultative Forum says Jonathan’s claims on 2015 election odd
The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) described as odd the statement credited to former President Goodluck Jonathan that northern leaders and socio-political groups worked against his ambition in 2015.
The national publicity secretary of the forum, Muhammad Ibrahim Biu, in a statement on Wednesday said it’s on record that Jonathan contested the 2011 and 2015 against the zoning arrangement of his party that zoned the presidential slot to the North.
The ACF spokesman said Jonathan’s assertions that Northern leaders and socio-political groups in the North worked against his presidency is rather odd, considering the circumstances at that time.
“Yet he won the Presidency in 2011 and the ruling party also secured 25% in some states of the North in the 2015 presidential elections.
“It may interest you to know that his party has since admitted the oversight in the party’s 2015 winning game plan. This clearly means that leaders should always honour their words with deeds if they want to earn the respect of their followers,” he stated. This is published on Daily Trust with the caption “ACF reacts to Jonathan’s book launch, says comment on 2015 odd”
Nigeriandefender.com will be monitoring the reactions as more claims come in.
