Buhari taking credit for Jonathan’s achievements – Rep

A ranking member of the House of Representatives, Linus Okorie, has decried President Muhammadu Buhari’s lack of acknowledgment of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s legacies and achievements while in office.

Mr. Okorie asked President Buhari to take note of the natural law that “what goes around comes around”, adding that if Mr. Buhari cannot be fair to his predecessor, he should expect the same treatment when he leaves office.

Mr. Okorie, who represents Ohaozara/Onicha/Ivo federal constituency in Ebonyi State, said he is worried with the pattern of appropriating achievements of the immediate past administration and called on President Buhari to acknowledge the contributions of former President Goodluck Jonathan to nation building.

He cited examples of projects that were either completed or close to completion before ex-President Jonathan’s exit, noting that it is unfair and unjust for the Buhari administration to take credit for the achievements without acknowledging the role of the initiator and executor.

“Just like the opposition that must be constructive in criticizing the government in power, the sitting government owes its predecessor, itself and the wider Nigerian public the moral and social duty of acknowledging the positive accomplishments of their predecessors,” said Mr. Okorie.

He enumerated some of former President Jonathan’s feats currently being credited to Mr. Buhari such as President Buhari’s acceptance in his recent visit to the United States of America that the U.S. denied Nigeria arms, technology and personnel to fight Boko Haram, which the ex-President had noted but was lampooned by Mr. Buhari’s political party, the APC.

Mr. Okorie also cited the recent launch of Kano-Port Harcourt intercity mixed rail service without acknowledging the Jonathan administration that reactivated the railway; the Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna refineries reactivation now refining up to 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day after successful turnaround maintenance initiated and completed by President Jonathan’s government.

Mr. Okorie also lamented that President Buhari has been all over the media celebrating Nigeria’s one year polio free anniversary without any reference to President Jonathan and his policy team that achieved the feat.

“The Jonathan administration introduced cutting edge anti-corruption technology based Public Finance management tools including IPPIS, GIFMIS and TSA, which the present government is now laying claim to for ghost workers elimination and funds accountability and transparency monitoring, without giving credit appropriately.

“The Federal Capital Territory Authority (FCTA) has also announced that the Abuja rail project, conceived and implemented by the Jonathan administration is 67 percent completed. This credit should also be formally attributed to the past government.

“I hold the view that the Buhari administration should imbibe the necessary humility and courage to give credit as necessary even as it continues to put the out-gone government to task in established areas of weakness or malfeasance. That is leadership. I also appeal to the media as social engineers to also encourage the Presidency in this onerous responsibility. We owe posterity that much,” said Mr. Okorie.