“Why many Nigerians need to see a psychiatrist”

Are you one of those who think President Goodluck Jonathan’s government is clueless? If you are, the president’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs, Doyin Okupe, says you need to see a psychiatrist. 

According to PUNCH, Okupe fired that “rocket” on Tuesday while reacting to the statement by a former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, in which the ex-VP raised the alarm over the activities of the members of the violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram, in the North-East.

Atiku had berated the federal government for seemingly being at loss in stopping the activities of Boko Haram. According to him, the insurgents could overrun the entire north east if the sect’s activities were not quickly curtailed.

But Okupe who thinks the statements were not expected of someone like Atiku who had been part of the system in the past.

His words: “Those people saying that this government is clueless need psychiatric test. From now on, anybody who says this government is clueless should be referred to a psychiatrist.

“It is obvious that people are also trying to make mileage of insurgency. On Monday, a very notable member of the Nigerian leadership institution, in particular Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, took a swipe at the Federal Government and at the President.

“You know, it’s difficult to comment publicly about people who have held very important and highly dignified position in our polity, but when people go to the extent of trying to make political gains out of national tragedy, it is difficult not to say something because this is part of the misinformation which the Nigerian public has been subjected to.

“Atiku said that we have problems with leadership, both political leadership and military leadership. For a former Vice President, I believe the comments passed by Atiku Abubakar, I don’t want to use the word ‘irresponsible’, but I will say it is a little bit out of place.

“It is not something you expect from an elder statesman, somebody who has been in the system and who understands how government works.”

Okupe insisted that the government was doing everything possible to contain insurgency, adding that there was hardly any country not currently battling with insurgency.

He added: “We have capable people who have made name running this economy; people like (Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Olusegun) Aganga; (Minster of Finance, Ngozi) Okonjo-Iweala and others and people are saying this government is clueless.

“How can these capable people be running an economy where the government is clueless. Is this possible?

“But I want to say here that Jonathan administration is the most successful since 1960.”