He spoke on the heels ongoing political crisis in Rivers State which culminated in the declaration of a state of emergency.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday accused key actors across in the Executive, Legislature, and Judiciary of abusing power in Nigeria.
Speaking at the annual colloquium of the Haske Satumari Foundation in Abuja, Jonathan said that those in power know the right thing to do but are deliberately ignoring it.
President Tinubu, had in a nationwide broadcast, suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his Deputy, Prof. Ngozi Nma Odu, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for six months, appointing Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd) as Administrator.
Jonathan, who didn’t mention President Bola Tinubu directly, accused government officials of “clear abuse of offices, clear abuse of power, and clear abuse of privileges” across all three arms of government.
He also warned that the compromised state of Nigeria’s judiciary was scaring away investors and damaging the country’s international reputation.
Jonathan said, “As a former President and someone from the Niger Delta, when the issue of suspending the governor arose, people called on me. I heard, “Oh, President Jonathan, oh, President Obasanjo, you should say something”, People expected us to comment.
“But traditionally, all over the world, former Presidents rarely make statements about what the current President is doing, because of the tension it could create in the country. Look at America, look at other countries—it is hardly common for former presidents to intervene in such matters.
“The situation in Rivers State reminds me of an Indian proverb: If somebody is truly asleep, you can wake them up easily. But if they are only pretending to sleep, waking them up becomes impossible.
“The key actors in Nigeria—the executives, the legislature and the judiciary—know the right thing to do, but they are refusing to do it. They are pretending to sleep. Waking such people is extremely difficult, but they know the right thing.
“There is a clear abuse of office, power, and privileges across the three arms of government—the executive, the parliament, and the judiciary. And I always plead with our people to understand that whatever we do affects everybody. Sometimes, we make decisions thinking they do not impact us directly.
“I have been a President before, and even after leaving office, people approach me with concerns. They ask: “Why is our passport not valued as much?”
“Why are Nigerians not given the kind of treatment we deserve at international airports?”
