President Jonathan Blames Self Over Reps Speaker's Appointment

President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday regretted his inability to push through the appointment of a South West member as the Speaker of the House of Representatives. He said he is still haunted by his mistakes.

Speaking at a Yoruba Unity Summit organised by the Yoruba Unity Forum at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun State, the President blamed the failure of the zone to get the post on the individual interests of some politicians in the South West.

"I always say it, one of the problems I faced in the National Assembly is that I felt the right thing should be done because our party, the PDP has a formula," Jonathan said.

"We have six geo-political zone in the country and when the president emerges from one of the geo-political zones, the vice president emerges from another geo-political zone, the rest core offices, the senate president, the speaker, secretary to federal government, the chairman of the party must come from different geo-political zones.

"The idea is that, whenever we are distributing board positions and some of these appointments, these people sit to take decisions.

"Whenever we are appointing ministers, all these people sit to take decisions. In that case, we want all the geo-political zones to be in the inner caucus that take critical decisions.

"The last time, it was difficult for me because I insisted that the south west must get the speaker. Of course, I couldn’t go through with it because some of us within the south west didn’t want it based on some personal reasons.

"I am still suffering from that till today. That is one of the reasons that the leaders said, this time around, we must work collectively so that whatever position is zoned to the south west, we should get that position. People should not rob it from us."

The President stressed his belief in the unity of the country, appreciated the efforts of the Yoruba people alongside others, adding that government will continue to do more for the South West.

He noted that over 50 percent of the nation's wealth is in the South West, arguing that infrastructure such as airports, rail link and power must therefore be provided to enable the area to continue to provide opportunity for the people.

The president used the occasion as an opportunity for him to salute the collective spirit of the Yoruba people that has seen them play critical roles at every important junction in the history of our country.

Jonathan recalled that it was mainly the agitation of the South West that led to the convening of the National Conference and assured that the recommendations of the conference will be implemented.

"I have said it and I will say it again. We will implement the recommendations," Jonathan said.

"The political environment now is not too conducive for certain good things to be raised because of partisan interest. People are ready to even kill.

"I wouldn't want to play with that document that our great men and women, our egg heads took time to form. I believe the whole context will be taken by government. So, we will surely implement it."

The President called for the cooperation of not just the descendants of Oduduwa but Nigerians at all level. He, however, assured the South West that the federal government will never leave the region behind in development.

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