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Is Goodluck Jonathan A Flip-Flopper? By Max Gbanite
On Sunday, December 5, 2010, page 109, Thisday newspaper, carried an advertorial that got me thinking seriously who Nigerians should consider and elect as President in 2011 election.
The advertorial showed two Presidential campaigns in action? On the right side is Atiku Abubakar articulating what he intends to do if elected President; like improving the power supply sector; improving education policy; infrastructure improvements of roads, railways, and clean up of Niger Delta; and finally reduction of company tax to ten percent (10%).
On the other hand, Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign promise was robustly articulating Goodluck to you; Goodluck to me; and Goodluck to everybody song, and with the dancers strutting fervently their dance steps.
Any reader, after reading both messages, will agreed with the conclusion, that truly, it is “Ideas that build nations and not luck”. Then I decided to look further into this ‘Luck theory’; and why being elected a president should be based on luck, and not on experience or capability.
On 2nd December, 2002, the then Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, while representing his boss, signed (as the 35th person) on behalf of his state of ratify section 7 (2) (C) of the PDP’s constitution, at an enlarged caucus meeting of the party to support zoning and rotation of the Presidential positions of the party between the North and South on the basis of eight (8) years each; and on 27th September, 2010 he said “PDP will only zone the position of the National Chairman of the party, Senate President, Speaker of the House….. etc, and not that of the President and his Vice”. Yet, he picked a vice from the North and not from the South-East, South-West or even South-South (his zone), why?
On May 6, 2007, GEJ’s political godfather and sponsor, former President Olusegun Obasanjo (OBJ) awarded N58.6 billion contract based on Public Private Partnership (PPP) concession arrangement for 30 years, for the second Niger Bridge to be built within 36 months; and, on June 17, 2010, GEJ while presiding over the Federal Executive Council meeting, cancelled the second Niger Bridge contracts for “several” undisclosed reasons; why?
On June 30th, 2010, he ordered the immediate withdrawal of Nigeria from all ‘FIFA’ related events, disbanding the Super Eagles, etc, due to their dismal world cup performance in South Africa; on July 5th, 2010, he reversed himself on the withdrawal and disbanding order, as though he or his adviser’s were unaware of the rules of FIFA concerning government interference as at the time of his earlier order.
On September 18, 2010, he cancelled his planned trip to the United Nations General Assembly in New York amidst “Political and security concerns”. Again, on September 20, 2010, he went ahead to New York with over 150 delegates, arrived late and missed the crucial high level summit on the ‘millennium development goals’ round-table-discussion.
On October 2, 2010, he exonerated Mend from that unfortunate Abuja bomb blast that claimed several lives. Is it because they are his ‘people’? He even claimed that he knew those behind the attacks, “they are terrorists outside Nigeria” he said. The question is, should he have waited for the conclusion of the investigations. Many people thought that much, however due to what Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, called ‘inexperience’, GEJ jumped the gun. Then, on October 12, 2010, he reversed himself, claiming that his earlier statement was “not to exonerate Mend but to ensure the investigation is concluded in a logical way”. Has it?
The late President Umar Yar’Adua, awarded the contract for the expansion of Enugu Airport sometime in 2008; and on 20 October, 2010, GEJ took credit for it by re-awarding the same contract at the sum of #10.3 billion; but has refused to take credit for ordering New Presidential Jets worth #21 billion, instead he puts the blame on his late boss. Is this a sign of ‘selective-continuity’?
Let the reader be mindful of the fact that in 2006, Obsanjo bought second hands (tokumbo) planes at the cost of New Presidential Jets. The media alerted the nation, but the journalists involved were quickly hauled to detention by the security agency for peddling false story. So who is fooling the people?
Central Bank of Nigeria, said that the country’s external reserves stood at $42.43 billion as at the end of 2009, having reached an all time high of $64,85 billion in August, 2008. At the end of the 3rd quarter of 2010, external reserves sustained its downward trajectory, declining to $34.58 billion, which represents a sharp decline of 14.9% and 7.5% from $40.68 billion and $37.42 billion recorded in the 1st and 2nd quarters of 2010, respectively. This portends dire consequences for the value of the naira.
The late President Umar Yar’Adua, introduced the amnesty program that brought relative peace to the troubled Niger Delta region. He also, with calculated brutality, quelled decisively, the Boko Haram uprising without being sympathetic or taking side with them, his “northern-people”. A week after the bomb-blast, some ex-militant generals visited Aso Villa, to meet with GEJ. One of the generals, Asari Dokubo, warned that some militants have begun assembling anew at the creeks, and called on the government to do “something”. Well, government did nothing, now, a new general has emerged and, pipeline vandalism, bunkering/theft and kidnappings are the order of the day because; GEJ said that these are his “people” and not criminals.
According to CBN records, the excess crude account rose from $12.401 billion in December 2007 to $15.756 billion February 2008. It continued in that rising pattern throughout the Yar’Adua’s era. As at January 2010, the excess crude account shrunk to $6.7 billion and shrunk further to $4.6 billion and $3.2 billion in May and June, 2010, respectively. According to the Accountant General of the Federation, Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, the Federal Government “DIPPED’ into the account.
The Late President, Umar Yar’Adua, started an inquiry into the controversial award of oil blocks to ‘Loyal Friends’ of Obasanjo towards the last days of Obasanjo’s government. And, on 20 May, 2010, GEJ ordered the suspension of that investigation. Why? Could it be a ploy to avoid biting the fingers that fed him, and is currently, forcing him upon the country; furthering the ‘third-term-agenda’ as critics claim?
On 29 October, 2010, GEJ, against the principles of rule-of-law, allegedly ordered the removal of the Chairman of Governor’s Forum and purportedly replaced him with Gbenga Daniel; and on 2 November, 2010, he denied knowledge of the plot and also denied Gbenga Daniel, who was sacked thereafter.
On 31 August, 2010, GEJ approved an exclusive concession to Bayelsa State to receive extra derivation revenue for offshore oil wells located beyond the 200 metres isobaths provided in the original derivation. And, on 20 October, 2010, he denied granting such approval. But said he only recommended the case of Bayelsa State to the revenue mobilization and fiscal commission for action.
In September 2009, Late President Umar Yar’Adua flagged off the #36 billion contracts for the dredging of River Niger Farcados to Baro. While briefing newsmen on 23 February, 2010, Mr. Niboro, senior special adviser on media to the GEJ said, that the President has directed the Finance Ministry to transfer $9 billion from the dredging fund to the Ministry of Niger Delta for shoreline protection and land reclamation in the region. Then, on 1 March, 2010, the President again said he did not order such transfer of funds.
GEJ was alleged to have instructed the PDP National Chairman, Dr. Okwesili (headmaster) Nwodo, to dissolve some state chapters of the party to achieve his political goals. When the heat became too hot, he denied knowledge of such dissolutions.
On February 26, 2010, the then Acting President of Nigeria and the US Envoy to Nigeria, Robin Sanders, held a meeting at the Aguda residence of the Vice President, where he confided in her that he was not going to contest in the 2011 election because he knew “he was not qualified to even be a Vice President in the first place, that he was chosen to represent the Niger Delta.”
But against his better judgement and his promise to the US ambassador, on September 18, 2010, GEJ declared his interest to contest the 2011 Presidential election, saying that “he is the most qualified candidate for the office of the President because he has ‘Goodluck’ on his side.”
At the presidential stakeholders summit on education on the 4th and 5th October, 2010, he said the 6-3-3-4 system has failed in Nigeria and that he will replace it with another “better” system, while calling on the famous Professor Babs Fafunwa to apologies to Nigerians. Yet, on December 12, 2010, the Minister of Education, Professor Rukayyatu Ahmed, said the government has no plans to scrap the 6-3-3-4 system and colleges of education as earlier promised by the president.
On December 8, 2010 under the instigation by the president to achieve his political goals, the national chairman of the PDP, Dr. Okwesililieze Nwodo, promised “performing” legislators automatic return ticket to their respective house of legislation. This is clearly against the principles of internal democracy for political parties being canvassed for by Nigerians.
On December 10, 2010, the Media Aide to Dr. Nwodo signed a statement to deny that he has promised automatic tickets to legislators; and at the just concluded PDP-NEC meeting held on December 16, the president ate his vomit by giving the governors’ automatic return ticket, and in return, 20 governors’ endorsed him; which one do Nigerians believe?
Can Nigerian afford the luxury of electing a president whose cardinal objective is aligned to a song that simply says Goodluck to you, Goodluck to me and Goodluck to everybody?
Can Nigerians afford the comfort of electing or trusting a flip-flopping President for 2011, and beyond?
Can Nigerians afford to trust, and the luxury of electing a president, who as acting president (through the doctrine of necessity) had, abinitio, conveyed to the international community through Robin Sanders, a former United States ambassador to Nigeria, that he is not suited for the Job, that he lacks in experience and administrative skills to even be a Vice President, but has all of a sudden changed his mind and wants to contest in 2011.
GEJ’s posturing will embarrass the best psychologists in the world, if the case study is about flip-flopping. The reader of this essay, I hope, should be able to discern if indeed Goodluck Jonathan is a flip-flop President.
These are questions begging for answers that require immediate and considerable resolution before it becomes too late. As my friend and brother Dr. Mo Ene would say “it is about issues and not about individuals”. However, when both ‘issues and individuals’ constitute a clear and present danger to the unity of Nigeria, people must rise and defend the unity of our dear nation with their votes and, vote for a candidate with experience, integrity and proven track record. |