Former president Olusegun Obasanjo has accused President Goodluck Jonathan of squandering crude oil savings left behind by his administration.

Former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has again hit out at President Goodluck Jonathan, saying if his administration desires to bring change to the country, then it must start with itself at the top.

Obasanjo, who made this statement yesterday when he received the leadership of women in the South West, led by the Iyalode of Yorubaland, Mrs Alaba Lawson, at his hilltop residence in Abeokuta, also noted that under the present administration, funds in the external reserves and excess crude accounts had been depleted from the $35 billion that his administration left behind after his tenure.

The former president has consistently scored Jonathan's administration low, especially in the fight against corruption and impunity.

Stressing that he has no personal grouse with President Jonathan, he urged Nigerians to vote for somebody who is ready to bring change to the country for the better, one who is experienced in leadership and not based on where the person comes from.

Obasanjo said: "I don't have personal grudge against President Jonathan, and I do not think that he also has any personal grudge against me, but all what I am after is to see that a good leader emerges.

"No matter where such a leader comes from or who is that leader, the most important thing is to have good leader that has the experience and not mere words of mouth, and I can follow anybody that is ready to bring that change, because there is serious corruption and impunity in the land."

He, however, made a veiled allusion to the failure of the present leadership in the nation and urged the electorate to use their votes wisely.

According to him, "If this country is going to change for the better, it would start from the top and if it would be otherwise, it would also start from the top. Find out the track records of achievements of those you want to vote for. What have they achieved in the past and not what they have said.

"Good governance comes from voting, from selection of leaders. It is now left to you to decide who you cast your vote for because once you throw away your votes, you have lost out."

The former president added that Nigeria does not deserve its present level of poverty and economic woes.

He continued: "Our nation bleeds in poverty, economic downturn, sheer impunity and insecurity. When I was leaving office about eight years ago, I left a very huge reserve after we had paid all our debts: about $25billion was kept in what they called excess crude account and we were saving the excess from the budget for the rainy days. It was raised to $35billion when we left office in May.

"But today, that reserve has been depleted. That is why the naira has been falling against the dollar. I learnt that if you want to buy a dollar now, it's about N192 or N195. Our inability to have reserves has brought us into this economic quagmire.

"I know what I'm saying. Whoever wants should listen to me and whoever feels otherwise may turn a deaf ear.But when I'm talking, I'm talking with my understanding and I'm drawing from my experience, from what I have learnt with others and from other countries and fellow eminent citizens of the world that I relate with."

In her speech, Iyalode Lawson raised a number of problems faced by women in the country, including corruption, poor economy, inadequate girl-child education, women empowerment and how women can get into positions of authority in the country.

She further stated that the percentage of Nigerians yet to collect their permanent voter cards in the country was too large, and called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that all eligible voters obtain their cards if the commission is serious about conducting free and fair elections.

The women group asked Obasanjo, whom they described as father of the nation, to show direction to the present leaders so as to bring the country out of the present predicament.

Presidency keeps mum

For the umpteenth time, the presidency has refused to respond to the allegations raised by former President Obasanjo against President Jonathan.

While effort to reach presidential spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati proved abortive, as calls made to his telephone lines did not go through, the senior special assistant to the president on public affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe could also not be reached as at the time of filing this report.

Text messages sent by this paper to them, seeking for their reaction were not replied. It was the same situation the last time Obasanjo launched a verbal attack on Jonathan.