Recently, Nigerians got a chance to vent their frustrations and ask their questions of former VP, Atiku Abubaker – who recently decamped to ANC – during an hour long session hosted by YNaija, on Twitter. Read some of the highlights after the click. 
Atiku – who was Vice President of Nigeria from 1999 to 2007 under Former Pres. Obasanjo – fielded questions on the microblogging platfrom, with topics ranging from the origins of his vast wealth to his challenges and accomplishments as VP of Nigeria. Highlights from the Punch:
On accusations of corrupt practices:
He notes that he is “not bothered” by what he describes as “rumours” that he corruptly enriched himself while in office to grow large investments.
He tweets, “We’ve been lucky to build the largest oil services company in Africa – active in Nigeria, Angola, Mozambique and now South Africa. That is how we have about 50,000 jobs on our books. Reports that I’m wanted in the USA for money laundering aren’t true.
“If it were true, I could have been arrested in UK, France, Switzerland, or Dubai, you know. I am not really bothered by rumours. If you research, you will find that the facts are there. I’ve attended interviews in the US Embassy recently.
“They could have arrested me there too. It’s US soil. USA has very good Freedom of Information. So you media people can go do your findings.”
On driving change (or failing to drive change) as a VP
He noted while he was Vice-President, he couldn’t “drive change” and effect fundamental changes in the economy during his eight-year stay in the Presidency.
He claims that he was able to achieve some feats during his first tenure as former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s deputy, but scored himself low in the second term, saying he was not given the needed support to perform optimally.
He adds, “The VP cannot drive change, honestly. A VP executes the President’s agenda as assigned by the President. Really, the VP can only do what the boss asks. I was put in charge of the economy in the first tenure for example.
On his term’s accomplishments
“Coming in after decades of military rule, Nigeria was in a very bad shape all round. Priorities were decided. My primary job was in the economy. We curbed inflation, sold off bad assets, fixed our debts and consolidated the banks.
“I oversaw the execution of the banking reforms by CBN and supervised the telecoms reforms which brought us GSM. In my second term, for example, at a point, all my staff were withdrawn. So a VP really has no powers except the President allows.”
On the insurgency in the North-East
He accused the Federal Government of not doing enough to quell the insurgency that has ravaged the North -Eastern part of the country.
“As a citizen from the North East, I get the feeling that the crisis is being treated as ’their’ problem. This may not be the case, but it’s important that the FG shows more commitment so that people will have hope for resolution,” he argues.
Read the entire article at The Punch, or scroll through Atiku’s tweets here.
What say you – what was your take on his responses? If you could have asked him one question – what would it have been?
