Insecurity: Jonathan, Obasanjo meet

President Goodluck Jonathan and former President Olusegun Obasanjo met behind closed doors yesterday to seek a way out of the worsening security.

Top on the agenda was the insurgency in the Northeast.

Chief Obasanjo told reporters at his Presidential Hilltop home in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, on his return from Abuja that he travelled to Abuja for the meeting as a “mark of respect for the office of the President”.

The former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said: “Yes, I can confirm that I met with Mr. President on his invitation. In fact, he had wanted to come to Abeokuta, but as a sign of respect to the Office of the President, I had to go. We had discussion on the country’s security issues and that is all.”

Obasanjo, who said he appreciated the invitation, said he would continue to make himself available for service on national issues and in the interest of peace and progress.

The relationship between the Obasanjo and President Jonathan is believed to be frosty. It is not known whether there was also an attempt at reconciliation during the meeting.

Last week, Obasanjo lauded the efforts of the Federal Government and the Lagos State government to curb the spread of the Ebola Virus Disease(EVD).

But he said if the same energy put into tackling EVD was applied in handling the abducted Chibok school girls issue the story would probably have been different today.

The former President this week criticised Jonathan’s style of running the country’s economy, likening it to the era of the late Gen. Sani Abacha, whose military regime did not only inflict hardship on Nigerians but also wiped out the middle – class.

On the Eggon/Fulani crisis in Nasarawa State, Obasanjo charged Benue and Nasarawa states to work together for the restoration of peace to the warring communities.

According to him, the two ethnic groups,  Eggon (who are farmers) and the Fulani, who are herders, must understand each other and sort  out their differences.

He said: “there is no way, such will not happen, but the two state governments should come up with a lasting solution. The farmers would want their crops to be protected, while the cattle men will also want their cattle to feed. So, the government should fashion out peaceful means to end the crisis.”