Former President Olusegun
Obasanjo on Monday hosted
President Goodluck Jonathan at his
Hilltop residence in Abeokuta,
Ogun State.
It was gathered that the meeting
which started around 7pm and
ended at about 9.15pm centered
on Jonathan’s re-election bid and
the need to resolve the
disagreement between the two.
Sources in the former President’s
residence said the General
Overseer of the Redeemed
Christian Church of God, Pastor
Enoch Adeboye and the founder,
Living Faith Ministry(Winners
chapel), Bishop David Oyedepo,
were also at the meeting.
Our correspondent however could
not confirm the presence of the
clerics as journalists were not
allowed into the Hilltop premises.
As of 10.19pm, there was no official
comment on the outcome of the
meeting.
Earlier, the social media had been
awash with reports that Obasanjo,
who stayed away from the Peoples
Democratic Party presidential
campaign at the MKO International
Stadium in Abeokuta , shunned
Jonathan.
Jonathan and the Peoples
Democratic Party leaders were in
the Ogun State capital to seek
support for the President’s re-
election bid.
The former President had made a
surprise appearance at the
wedding of Jonathan daughter on
Saturday, thus raising hopes that
their sour relationship was over.
Obasanjo, our correspondent
gathered,, had left Hilltop at 2.59pm
and did not return till Jonathan and
his entourage retreated to the
Presidential Lodge in the city
around 5.30pm, after their
campaign.
The President arrived at the
stadium at exactly 3. 50pm and had
headed straight for the state box
from where he later moved out to
acknowledge cheers from the
crowd .
Operatives of the Department of
State Security, who had earlier
besieged the Hilltop as early as
6am in anticipation of Jonathan’s
arrival left the place at exactly
3.36pm.
Their departure fuelled the
reports that Obasanjo was not
willing to receive the President.
Before then, Vice- President
Namadi Sambo, who was also in
Abeokuta visited the Alake and
Paramount ruler of Egbaland, Oba
Adedotun Gbadebo, in his palace at
Ake, without going to the former
President’s home.
While addressing party supporters
at the stadium, Jonathan said his
administration would create eight
million jobs if re-elected.
Giving the breakdown of how he
would this, he said that at least two
million jobs would be created each
year in collaboration with the
private sector.
He said, “We are out to create jobs.
Our target is to create at least two
million jobs every year. We are
working with the private sector,
including Tony Elumelu. When you
hear Elumelu, you know we are
talking about a serious investor.”
Jonathan, who noted that Ogun
State had produced great Nigerian
leaders like the late Obafemi
Awolowo, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti
and MKO Abiola, said through his
government’s vibrant industrial
policy, about 56 industries had
been attracted to Ogun State.
He also stated that his
administration would embark on
the construction of silos and other
produce storage facilities across
the country, including Ogun state,
to enhance storage and
preservation of agric produce.
The Minister of Agriculture, Dr.
Akinwunmi Adesina, had said that
the PDP had been able to reduce
annual expenses on food imports
from N1.1tn to N697bn through a
vibrant agricultural programme.
by ROTMANLUV 2023-07-08, 17:34
