Fashanu says Nigeria’s sports successes have earned Jonathan 2nd term

(Nigeria) John Fashanu, a former member of the Nigeria Football Association, NFA, board, on Tuesday in Abuja threw his weight behind President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election bid.

Fashanu, a United Nations, UN, Ambassador, said Jonathan deserved a second term in office in view of his achievements not only in sports but in the other sectors.

``President Jonathan has now created a conducive atmosphere where Nigerian sportsmen and women strive to do better because of the way he appreciates them when they come home. I have been a sportsman for over two decades and I know the importance of a President who likes sports and a President who doesn’t like sports.

``Jonathan has really taken Nigerian sports to a higher level. We have never seen in Nigerian history a time when the country qualified for almost every competition it entered,’’ he said.

The former England international who addressed newsmen to declare his support for Jonathan in the February 14 presidential election said he needed to publicly do so.

He said he had been so proud and impressed with Jonathan’s achievements in sports, reeling off Nigeria’s successes in sports in the past four years to buttress his contention.

Fashanu said Jonathan’s performance was also in the other sectors, especially ``his revolution in agriculture where he made available fertilisers to farmers who have been victims of fertiliser scam over the years until he came into office’’.

``The return of the railways should gladden the hearts of all well-meaning Nigerians, a transportation system that had become dead for decades. Many Nigerians have never enjoyed travelling by railways. I also praise Jonathan for so many successes in the area of roads rehabilitation and infrastructure development, revival of motor manufacturing plants, and youths empowerment,’’ he said.

Fashanu who said the APC presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, would not be able to stand the rigours of office in view of his age also spoke on the Buhari certificate issue.

``Anything that is lingering on for so long as this matter is not quite right. If it is in the UK, he (Buhari) would have been pushed out.

``He would have been told to step down honourably. It is quite absurd that we are still on the issue of a candidate’s certificate with just a few days to the elections,’’ he said.