The Presidency has slammed former President Olusegun Obasanjo for criticizing the N15.6 trillion spent on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal highway project.
Obasanjo, in chapter six of his new book, ‘Nigeria: Past and Future’ unveiled to mark his 88th birthday last week, described the highway project as wasteful, corrupt and a misplaced priority.
In response, the presidency through the Special Assistant on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, in a statement released via X on Thursday, described the former president as a man who is jealous of the achievements of President Bola Tinubu for doing what he failed to do as the leader of Nigeria.
The Presidency added that Obasanjo fancies himself as a self-righteous man who understands all the problems of Nigeria and knows the solution.
The presidency further accused the former Nigerian leader of failing to address the needs of the country when he had the opportunity to do so.
The presidential aide noted that the administration of President Tinubu would not be distracted, adding that Obasanjo must explain to Nigerians why he failed to transform Nigeria into a proper country during his time in power despite the abundance of resources at his disposal.
“While it is common for many elder statesmen to write books aimed at sanctifying their days as the leader of the country despite obvious flaws, another elder statesman, former President Olusegun Obasanjo has just published a memoir containing claims that would further relegate his integrity as the leader who opened Nigeria to the canker worms of corruption by neglecting important projects that could have changed the trajectory of this country if he had focused on what mattered in his days.
“By underplaying the importance of the Lagos-Calabar project in his latest book, President OBJ has not only affirmed to those who witnessed his administration’s several failures to address the needs of the country when he had the opportunity, but he has also put in written form, a position which generations to come will indeed question when the road that will end up as one of the most significant endeavours of any Federal government in the history of the country, finally becomes a reality.
“Despite spending 8 years in government and failing in his attempt to force himself on Nigerians for a further four years as President, Baba Obasanjo failed woefully in addressing the infrastructural needs of his state; indeed, it took former President Buhari just three years to deliver the first modern rail to pass through baba’s backyard in Abeokuta.
“The Lagos-Ibadan expressway was Southwest and indeed one of Nigeria’s most important road projects in recent times, both baba and the PDP spent 16 years without getting the project beyond 30% completion until Buhari happened.”