President Goodluck Jonathan said on Monday he would prove
critics of his administration wrong by 2013 when the dividends of new policies
introduced begin to manifest.

Jonathan said this while declaring open the 52nd Annual
General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Abuja.

He said he was the most criticised president in the world at
the moment because his critics failed to understand that the country’s current
challenges predated his administration.

He assured that his critics would have the cause to praise
him at the end of the life of his administration when his Transformation Agenda
would have yielded the expected dividends.

“I think I am the most criticised president in the whole
world, but I tell this noble audience that before I leave, I will also be the
most praised president.

“I have experienced that before, in my governor journey in
Bayelsa State. In fact, people who were close to me will tell you that even after
the election, I told them that in my first 12 months, please cover your ears
because you will hear all kinds of things. But as we progress, you will see
(changes).

“We are working very hard to stabilise power. We are working
very hard to resurface our roads. We have security challenges, which we are
also working very hard to bring to reasonable control.

“It is not easy; we don’t have the magic wand, except the
miracle worker that with the wave of the hand, probably will help to throw all
these challenges away and prosperity will appear. But in pure governance
issues, it takes time.

“Sometimes, even people who have held offices in government
criticise me to the extent of personal abuses. Sometimes I ask, were there
roads across in the country and Jonathan brought flood to wipe out these roads?
or we had power and I brought hurricane to break down the entire
infrastructure?

“If they say Boko Haram is because of poverty; were there
massive irrigation projects in the North where agriculture can thrive and massive
farms, and Jonathan brought drought to wipe out these farms? under two years is
it possible?

“Well, time will tell. What I can tell Nigerians is that let
those who criticise continue to criticise.

“We will do our best and as we progress, Nigerians will know
the truth and we’ll see that we are committed and will surely transform this
country,’’ he said

The President said that he promised to deliver free, fair
and credible elections before the conduct of the 2011 general elections and the
assessment of the polls by local and international observers was a testimony
that he kept his promise.

He said his administration had initiated policies that would
ensure the political, social and economic transformation of the country.

Jonathan said the Federal Government had proposed a new
Anti-terrorism Bill 2012 to address the current security challenges in the
country.

The President said he disagreed with the position of the NBA
on the urgent need to create State Police to address the security challenges in
the country.