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Why President Jonathan Should Handover To Senator David Mark By Oga Tom Uhia
30th July, 2014
His Excellency, The President and Commander-in-Chief, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, Nigeria.
Your Excellency, Mr. President,
WHY PRESIDENT JONATHAN SHOULD HANDOVER TO SENATOR DAVID MARK
Nothing gives me the audacity to write this letter to you the President of my beloved country other than the fact that I am a Christian, full of faith, a bona fide citizen of Nigeria on one hand and the Freedom of expression granted me under the Nigerian Constitution 1999 as amended, chapter iv, section 38, 1 and 2 on the other hand. I enjoy all of this liberty and even more as a member of the fourth estate, and I will not misuse nor abuse the privilege.
The other confidence that I have for doing this is the fact that Dr. Goodluck Jonathan with due respect and all sense of modesty is a very humble man with listening ears and will not despise the wise counsel of even the smallest man in his country. And knowing that as a child of the Almighty God that he is and whom I serve, President Jonathan has the spirit of God in him and will definitely be led aright by Him (the Holy Spirit) to do the needful at the appropriate time.
My Dear President Jonathan, Your profile is a perfect example of an accidental leader; unprepared, bewildered, overwhelmed and flabbergasted. Your background is typical of the Bible King David brought to the throne of Israel from the grazing field; far away from the splendours of the palaces of the Kings and without the blue blood flowing through your veins, you were made a President, innocent and naïve, of a great black African nation. Your enthronement exemplifies the Bible verse from the book of Eccl. 9 vs 11 that says; “The race is not to the swift, or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favour to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.” (New International Version).
Your story is the wish and the envy of every upcoming young man, which shows that ‘vain is the help of man’. Psalm 60:11 (KJV) Your humility and humble background of going to school without school shoes and bags typifies the person of our Lord Jesus Christ, who even though a son of God, was born in a manger, grew up to be a carpenter of all the trades and humbled himself even unto the cross, where he was crucified like a common criminal between two criminals but for lack of worldly things rode on a borrowed donkey’s back to glory. And today God himself and not the votes of mere Nigerians have exalted you beyond your wildest imagination over and above your contemporaries to the prestigious position of the President of the world’s largest black African nation – Nigeria.
Your emergence five years ago as the accidental president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was definitely for a purpose. It defy the calculations and permutations of Nigeria politics and surpassed the strength of mere men. It was to demystify the political strength and maneuvers of the northern Nigeria political bloc to balance the imbalance, settle the inequality and injustices of the past meted to those considered as ‘never do well, and can never amount to nothing’. It was to sooth and healed the open wounds of the ethno-religious resentment created by our past leaders. And we all are glad that the Lord Himself made it so, and not by strength of any man, who have asked. “Could any good thing ever have come out of Otuoke” (Bethlehem)?
You have become the successful fore-runner of the marginalized minority Ijaw tribe in Nigeria, and we your fellow minorities elsewhere in Nigeria share in your joy even as we had shared in the past the pains, agonies and sorrows of marginalization and the oppression of the Hausa/Fulani hegemony. Isaac Adaka Boro’s dream has come to reality, while Ken Saro Wiwa’s soul can now rest in perfect peace. What they lived and died for has finally come to pass. We rejoice and glory today at your enthronement as hitherto-neglected minority tribes and trust that the liberty offered by this singular opportunity will not be in vain but be sustained by your help. The sympathy of those who backed you made your election in 2011 a great success. You were massively voted for in 2011 mostly for the empathy many people have for the minority and their desire to see one of us make it to the place of leadership.
Now you have been here for six years, despite all the threats by the strongholds of the northern oligarchy. They had threatened to make this country, Nigeria ungovernable for you if you get elected in 2011. While, still some threatened the breakaway of the North from the South. Basking and reechoing the boastful claims of the late Sir Ahmadu Bello never to allow any other than his lineage lead this great country which he referred to as his ancestral estate. Behold, count your blessings, name them one by one and you will be amazed how gracious God has been to you and to us. Almost four years after your re-election, Nigeria is still one sovereign country under your leadership. Surprising!
Nigeria is corrupt. Yes it is and so how is that your fault? Corruption in Nigeria existed before you were born and so predates your tenure. Corruption in our country is as old as the country itself, if not older. But today in Nigeria polity, corruption has developed to a very dynamic and powerful major national issue. It has become a norm rather than aberration where both the Christians and Muslims share common interests, without recourse to the Holy Books and tolerate these despicable acts inspite of their religiosity.
Nepotism was at the foundation of our country, the British had in the early years of our existence deliberately preferred the Hausa/Fulanis to the rest of the people. Sir Ahmadu Bello and Tafawa Balewa relished it, Chief Obafemi Awolowo took advantage of that, while Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe rode on the crest of that statement to glories. We have always differentiated the North from the South by our rights to certain positions and privileges, tongues, tribal marks, dresses, colours and even our physique. Religion has always been an underlying reason for most our actions and motives. It has always been our most valuable stock in trade. It is the magic mantra for political victories in our days and a wand for stirring up ethno-religious crisis. The height of religious politics is today the emergence of Boko Haram, an instrument of religious fundamentalism, destabilization and mass destruction to subjugate the rest of us. A lesson and course left behind by the great Othman Danfodio for life. Boko Haram which predates your ascendance to that prestigious position as the President, Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2009 has given you sleepless nights no doubt. You have even been accused of sponsoring it as a pleasurable thing to watch innocent people die, so where is your fault in all of these? I adjudge you as an innocent and accidental leader who happened to be at a right or wrong place at a right or wrong time.
And now you are saddled with the burden of leading this corruption riddled country; a country where ethnic and religious diversity thrives and breeds violence, inequality and injustice. A country where some claim to be more equal than the others.
A country where the strength of leaders are measured by their level of corruption and or the numbers of corrupt friends around them. The most unfortunate thing that has happened to Nigeria during this period of your leadership is that of hypocrites, sycophants and empty praise singers, that have high-jacked your genuine desire and right agenda to transform our country and today they are hell-bent on amassing more wealth and destroy this country which is why they need you to stay for another four years to enable them steal more. That place of leadership is safe and comfortable but so lonely. A comfort zone that people can hardly resist and forget that it is transient. But SAY NO TO THE URGE to remain in power beyond May, 2015. Remember that, it is more blessed to give than to receive. If you get reelected in 2015 you would have spent ten good years by 2019 which would mean you overstayed by two years. But if you leave after 2014, you will be sacrificing two years which is more blessed to you. Remember that all your life you have never gotten to any position by your own effort but by the special and divine intervention and special grace of God who has always helped to effortlessly get you to places of leadership. Remember as a young boy how you became a head boy by being an assistant head boy. You became a Senior Prefect by becoming an assistant senior prefect. You also acted as a Local Government Care-Taker Chairman when the Chairmen in the state were removed. When you became the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa state, little did you know that you were going to be the substantive governor. But God gave it to you effortlessly. Then suddenly afterwards you were moved from Bayelsa State Government House to run as a Vice President to late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. In your wildest dream, you never would have imagined yourself being the President of Nigeria in such a short space of time, but God Himself also gave it to you effortlessly on a platter of gold. You were neither endorsed by men nor by party members or TAN. This time around why do you want to get there by all means? Where did your communication-link with your God break that you now struggle flesh and blood; physically, emotionally, judicially and mentally to be adopted by mere men? Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) was neither consulted nor invited to launder your good image to get you there.
This burden of leadership on you is therefore so enormous and the task a herculean one. It may not be possible to change or transform all of this overnight but it is very important and possible to make one lasting change that will make all the difference forever; a permanent antidote to the North and Southern dichotomy, reverting and retracting of late Sardauna’s boastful claim to the ownership of a country you created and cherished.
That change which I and many other Nigerians like me ask of you is a personal sacrifice. A change that must happen now or never as the opportunity would elude us forever. Offering yourself; all available opportunities and chances of personal aggrandizement on the altar of selflessness is what we need. Refuse to be pushed or driven by personal aggrandizement while the Lord is speaking to you. Refuse to re-contest.
My dear Mr. President, with the highest sense of respect and humility, I urge you; NOT TO CONTEST THE 2015 ELECTION; but offer yourself as a ‘living sacrifice; pure and holy’ for the sake of peace and tranquility in our beloved country Nigeria. The bible says “therefore, I urge you brothers in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God.” ROMANS 12vs1. In EPHESIANS 5:1-2, PAUL says that Jesus was poured out as a “Fragrant offering” for our salvation. But in Philippians 2:17, Paul also says that he sees his own life poured out as a “drink offering.” Paul says that we are to pattern ourselves after Christ. Still in PHILIPPIANS 2:6-7, he says that Jesus emptied himself of his divine prerogatives in order to become one of us. He also emptied himself of his cosmic power and omnipresence. He poured out his thunderbolt – Jehovah-self to become both God and man. The emptying process resulted in his fullness, which is Jesus’ incarnation – he became flesh and blood for the purpose of redeeming us.
Kindly empty yourself of self comfort, self aggrandizement, self pride, self gain and interest so that Nigeria will be together. Do this to demystify the reign of terror by our fundamentalist Muslim brothers who see you as a threat and the usurper of their “God-given-position” as Nigerian leaders, based on the script written and read out by Sir Ahmadu Bello in his statement made in 1961 that they the Northerners should always resist any attempt by any other person other than they to lead this country. The sound is loud and the signs are clear.
You are aware that the current agitation for power to move back to the North is not so much about moving power back so that any northerner would lead. But so that a Muslim leader would emerge and take back what “belong to them as birth right.” It is not so that a Northern John, David or Moses could have the right access to power in the North. It is on record and a well known fact that after the Nigerian Civil War in 1970 (after Gen. Yakubu Gowon), moving power back to the North have always meant giving back power to the Northern Muslims, while to the South means to the Christians. To our Northern Muslim brothers, there are no Christians in the North worthy of being in power on their behalf as Nigerian President. And when such issues arise, the Christian Middle Belters are counted out, sidelined and surchanged. We have suffered this long enough, so kindly free use from the bondage of this laid down rule.
Therefore, I urge you dear brother Goodluck in view of God’s mercy upon your life, to please demystify this political permutation and grandstanding by mere men and offer yourself as a living sacrifice so that a marginalized minority Christian from the North who hitherto may not be able to make it to that position could now ascend to that exalted place of leadership.
If truly the people of Benue, Plateau, Kogi, Nasarawa, Taraba are regarded as Northerners in the scheme of things, shouldn’t a Christian from any of these states be allowed to succeed President Goodluck Jonathan on behalf of the North for once? This may not be possible through the help of our Northern Muslim brothers who have vowed never to allow any non-Muslim govern Nigeria by the facts contained in the Abuja Declaration of 1984.
You became the president of Nigeria by the special grace of God, not of your own strength, less you boast of it. You were picked among so many eligible Nigerians. But the current situation in the country requires re-examination, re-consideration and re-alignment. Can you see that Nigeria’s security situation under your leadership is progressively taking a new, worrisome and dangerous dimension? It is beginning to appear as if President Goodluck Jonathan re-contests in 2015 to rule for another four years plus the already spent 6 years Nigerians will know no peace. The prevailing pattern of politics and governance in Nigeria today is awkward, very irresponsible, heartless and treacherous. It is a semblance of falsehood, deceit and confusion. These add up to the question of TERRORISM which has totally overwhelmed this country and the world at large. The ongoing politics of this country is perilous and portend eminent danger and destruction. Only you can offer us the answer to these problems.
You took over this country as one, even though it is currently very sick and ailing. But you can now begin the process of healing and offer lasting reconciliation that would stand the test of time. Kindly bequeath to Nigerians a lasting legacy that you will forever be remembered for, just like the former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo did as a military Head of State in 1979 when he consciously handed over power to President Shehu Shagari even when he could still continue. General Abdulsalami Abubakar, the architect of the present date democracy did the same in 1997 which you have also benefitted from. Those acts of selflessness of these great men more than anything else have earned them great respect both at home and abroad today. Dear brother, make no mistake of waiting for 2019 to hand over power to a northern Muslim, but consider giving power to a Northern Christian brother now for posterity sake.
Bequeath to the minority Christian of the North the right to lead this country in your place. You are already a president of the largest Black African country. After now you will forever remain the EX-PRESIDENT, while the full privileges of your office and status will still be maintained. If such a noble act is contemplated and perfected by you, you will forever be remembered for positive and great reference point.
Dear president Jonathan, in contemplation of these, have you considered my brother Senator David Mark to be your successor? How have you bothered to critically study the relationship in the Bible between David, the string instrument player and Jonathan, the prince (King Saul’s son)? Please spare me time to make a brief study of the relationship between these two young men that out-lasted and despised class barriers, cemented and veiled so much royal intricacies and cruelty from the King’s palace.
The love between these two Bible characters; David and Jonathan was love that ranks among the greatest in history. Although there are several such examples of great friendships in world literature. The Gilgamesh Epic, one of the first sagas ever written, is the story of two famous friends, Gilgamesh and Enkidu. Their journeys and struggles with life and death are legendary. But the Biblical tale of David and Jonathan surpassed all the other accounts of famous best friends. The story of their love is all the more remarkable because David and Jonathan’s friendship existed under the pall of King Saul’s erratic temper and furious jealousy. Saul, Jonathan’s father, suffered from periods of psychotic rage. During those times of rage, he often tried to kill David, but the Lord God with the help of Jonathan delivered David from the wicked plans of King Saul.
Consider the burden life’s circumstances had placed on the love and translate same to the prevailing life situation in Nigeria today, David’s worst enemy was his best friend’s father. The strongest testament of the strength of David and Jonathan’s love was exhibited when Jonathan whose position was being threatened by the presence of David, severally saved David from the hands of his father who was jealously protecting the future of his dear son, Jonathan. Still, Jonathan put David’s interest over and above his; preferred David to be King instead of him Jonathan.
On many occasion Jonathan supported David and saved him from Saul’s vendettas. And Jonathan, too, experienced the strength and support that comes from the unfailing love of a best friend. David and Jonathan really understood the wisdom of the proverb, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another (Proverbs 27:17) which is what we are asking you President Jonathan of our own time to do to David and for us.
Could this experience ever be replayed in our own life time? Why not. It is a matter of self determination and selflessness of someone willing to lay down his life on the altar of selfless service so that his country may be better. The way we make our lives effective is to say NO to our personal desire and appetites that do not benefit others. This may be a painful choice and a tall order but it is achievable if only you are determined.
When you have considered my brother David, then you will see in him a figure of a perfect officer and a gentleman, who is a perfect portrait of a patriot. Born on the 8th day of April 1948 in Otukpo in the then Idoma Native authority, now Otukpo LGA of Benue State. A retired military officer per excellent whose career spanned a total of about thirty-one years or there about and rose to the rank of one star General. Got into military leadership position at an early age. Once a Staff Captain ‘A’, a Brigade Sports Officer, Brigade Major, a Commander of the signal Corps, a Military Administrator for about four years, Minister, a member of the Armed Forces Ruling Council and now the Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; the highest ranked Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for almost sixteen years.
I believe strongly that with his very intimidating pedigree and wealth of experience, he will be able to surmount, crush and totally destroy the spades of insurgency that has ravaged this country in the shortest possible time. His knowledge and understanding of this country’s political geography and leadership intricacies will be an added advantage. He will surely put a quick end to the ongoing insurgency in our country by God’s Grace. While his origin as a Northerner will put to rest the agitation for power balance as it will demystify the existing equation in Nigeria Politics.
Who will deny that David Mark is not a Northerner? If anybody should, then we will know that of the truth the ongoing agitation to return power to the North has religious colouration.
Thanks in anticipation of your action Your humble subject
Oga Tom Uhia Publisher, PowerSteering Magazine |