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 We have power and I brought hurricanes to bring down all infrastructure 

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"I'm the most criticised president in the whole world. I can tell this noble audience that before I leave, I will also be the most praised president," Jonathan told a meeting of the Nigerian Bar Association.

The president, who has faced cricitism over what has been characterised as a complacent approach to the job in the face of a deadly Islamist insurgency and other issues, said his critics were unfairly blaming him for Nigeria's woes.

He touched on problems such as a lack of adequate electricity supply and other infrastructure issues which pre-date his tenure in the continent's largest oil producer.

"Sometimes I ask, 'were there roads across this country and Jonathan brought floods to wipe out these roads?'" said the president, who took charge of Africa's most populous country in 2010 following the death of his predecessor and won 2011 elections.

"Or, we have power and I brought hurricanes to bring down all infrastructure?"

Nigeria's Muslim-dominated north is grappling with the insurgent Islamist group Boko Haram, blamed for more than 1,400 deaths since 2010. Some say unemployment and poverty in the north have fuelled the crisis.

"So, were there massive irrigation projects in the north where agriculture can thrive and massive farms, and Jonathan brought drought to wipe out these farms (in) under two years?" he said.

The president's comments come amid an apparent effort by his office to hit back at critics.

In a column published in several national newspapers on Sunday, Jonathan's spokesman Reuben Abati said the president was "not clueless", calling him "grossly misunderstood".

Responding to unnamed critics who have suggested that "Mr. President drinks", Abati wrote, "alcohol is not served during official duties", adding "nobody gets drunk around here".

Comments

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Mon May 20 13:47:27 SAST 2013 ::

Aug 28, 2012

MommaC

"I'm the most criticised president in the whole world."

Haven't met our JZ yet, Goodluck?
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Aug 28, 2012

RobinH

MommaC: Great minds........ Was just goiong to say almost exactly that. Our very own spear-warrior is giving him stiff competition for the honour.
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Aug 28, 2012

MommaC

RobinH

LOL
"Stiff" competition indeed
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Aug 28, 2012

RobinH

MommaC: Sharp. Unintended but quite amusing. Thanks.
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Aug 28, 2012

LERATOLANNA

You fatherless puppets, stop critisisin the President as if your illigitimate fatjers are holly, bloody agent.
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Aug 28, 2012

MommaC

LERATOLANNA

Fatherless means without fathers (presumably a 'fatjer'?)
how would a 'fatherless' anything have fathers that were holly (or even holy - or did you actually mean the plant? In which case I am totally confused).
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Aug 29, 2012

RobinH

Lerato: Wow. For an illiterate you have a lot to say. Silent night. Holly night.
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Aug 29, 2012

9janavy

MommaC & RobinH - Trust me when i say he does receive more critism than JZ ,you just need to visit the Nigerian forums to see the amount of venom Nigerians are spitting at him.

From my own perspective he is doing a slightly better job than JZ but due to years of bad governance in Nigeria,Nigerians have have now grown extremely impatient and want things done in seconds.The record 10 years corruption free governance and visible economic growth in neighboring Ghana has also brought more heat on Nigerian leaders.

That does not mean he is a saint,he is also corrupt but his ministers are at least educated and know how to run their ministries to a certain extent.He has also improved power generation and distribution in Nigeria.Out of 100 i will give him a 10 and that is quite high as per current african standards.
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Aug 29, 2012

RobinH

janavy: In case you didn't realise, MommaC and I were really just "taking the p!ss".
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Aug 29, 2012

THANDY

lerato, TRY COMMENTING IN YR OWN LAGUAGE
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