Dangerous Campaign Tone Coming From President Jonathan, By Yusuf Ozi-Usman
For the lovers of peace and unity of this country, Nigeria, it was refreshing to hear our President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan instructed members of his Presidential Campaign Organisation which he inaugurated last week, Tuesday January 6, to stay clear of personal attack of his political opponents. He went for specific by asking not only members of the campaign organisation but the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in general to understand that “they have an obligation to consolidate the nation’s democracy, strengthen its institutions and project Nigeria positively by running a disciplined, issues-based and civilized campaign.”
President Jonathan who dismissed pessimists that Nigeria can get it right in this year’s elections asked members of his campaign organisation to ensure “that through your campaigns, and activities, this primary objective is not lost.”
The Presidential campaign inauguration speech, though, ensconced in what Political analysts and pundits termed in some kind of innuendos and veiled ‘yabbis’ of the same political opponents, brought some kind of relief. It signalled mature campaign: the campaign that would aim at addressing what his government has been able to achieve for the country in the last over five years (if the tenure of the late Umar Musa Yar’adua which he completed is added). We were expecting the campaign of how the government is going to do things differently, from May 2015 if he is re-elected, to defeat the lingering dangerous activities of Boko Haram: the campaign on how power is going to be steady and our dead industries and commercial activities revived; how prices of essential food commodities are going to come down to the reach of the increasing number of destitute and hungry Nigerians.
Hope rose, from his speech, espousing “issue-base” campaign that Nigerians would be treated to issues relating to the crashing prices of crude oil across the globe and how it would be tackled locally for the betterment of Nigerians.
Nigerians were waiting, as the campaign taxies to a start, to hear the Jonathan government and PDP as a party, tell them that an entirely new method will be adopted to wrestle the monster: Corruption to the ground and that, irrespective of what happened, the government would ignore the political music, supposedly being played by people in the opposition, even, forgetting for a while, that opposition in an ideal democracy, plays such music, either to provoke the ruling party or more importantly, to put the government on its toes.
But, just when the game is about to start, President Jonathan fell flat for sentiment or emotion. He got enraged with what he imagined to be personal attacks on him and then went personal.
While speaking as he received in audience at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Wednesday evening, Tanko Yakasai-led Northern Elders Council, he blew hot and terrible, saying: “Some people call themselves statesmen but they are not statesmen. They are just ordinary politicians.
“Some people are hiding under some clogs, some big names and creating a lot of problems in this country.
“Making provocative statements in this country; statements that will set this country ablaze and you tell me you are a senior citizen. You are not a senior citizen you can never be. You are ordinary motor park tout because if you are a senior citizen you will act like one.
“It is not because of the offices we occupy, it’s by divine grace and providence that some of us occupy these offices. But what role are you playing to build this country
“For you to be a statesman is not because you have occupied a big office before but the question is what are you bringing to bear? Are you building this country? Or are you a part of people who tell lie to destroy this country? To create enmity and make people who ordinarily would have been living together to fight themselves.
“Are you planning to set the country ablaze? Because you did not get that particular thing you want.
“At the appropriate time Nigerians will know all of us even though I know most of you know us but the younger ones do not know.”
God help this country that the President, the father of the nation and the chief security officer of the largest nation in Africa, would be going into his re-election campaign setting this dangerous tone, no matter the circumstance.
As a matter of fact, the President, and a few hours before him, his campaign organisation spokesman, Femi Fani Kayode, who promised to “expose General Buhari” very soon, have set the tone that would lead the nation into anarchy.
What the President and Fani-Kayode have done is to institute the politics of vendetta, politics of open insults in market place, politics of hatred towards opponents who dare to challenge them in the contest for the Presidential seat; politics of throwing tantrums in all directions without caring about the consequence and politics of exposition.
Why would President and PDP jump into the dirty waters to swim, so to speak, with those they perceive, rightly or wrongly, of trying to dirty them?
Honestly, from the tone of President Jonathan’s diatribe on Wednesday (implying that anybody merely challenging him at the February Presidential poll is out to destroy the country or to cause chaos in the country), the rest of us, Nigerians need to pray and ask God for His gracious intervention.
That is for those of us who love peace and unity of this country, Nigeria.
[myad]
Politics Of The Father, The Son And Holy Spirit In Ajaokuta, Kogi, By Tenimu Umar
The emergence of godfatherism in the politics of Ajaokuta local government council of Kogi state, Nigeria’s North Central dates back to the time in 1991 when new local governments were created. The founding fathers of the newly created Ajaokuta council influenced and controlled political activities of the area. Such power brokers that emerged after the creation of the council included late M.J Bello, late Abdulaziz Abu and Hon. Baba Ali and many others. They were the political and district leaders in their spheres of influence. These were the selfless leaders whose common objectives was to present the best candidates for any election; the candidates who understood and believed in their party’s ideology and who were also capable of executing programmes that would improve the welfare of the local populace and provide caring leadership.
But what we have today is the crude form of godfatherism who thrive on greed. In fact, greed has reached an epidemic proportion in the Ajaokuta political scene.
Some so-called godfathers have now instituted all kinds of bribery, corruption, nepotism, tribalism, and fraud, indoctrinating, surprisingly, some people who are in the poverty bracket.
In fact, godfatherism has been metamorphosed into political dynasty or what could be referred to as “familtocracy” which is family politics.
To be sure, familitocracy is all about a succession of people belonging to the same family who, through various means and forms in power and influence over other people.
Available evidence shows that a former commissioner in Kogi state, Moses Okino is guilty of nepotism in as much as most of the juicy positions that came through him were being held by members of his family.
For instance, Moses Okino, the so-called godfather is currently the Managing Director of Kogi Investment & Properties Ltd while his son, Aloysius Okino was a local government chairman even as his two nephews served as vice chairman and SIEC respectively. Other positions such as local government treasurer, council leader, special assist, Head of Department of Education Department, supervisor for health and council clerk were also held by his cousins.
All these positions were held concurrently by members of the Moses Okino’s family.
From the foregoing points, it is logical to say that the immediate past administration of the local government exhibited a perverted and monstrous form of political dynasty cum political trinity i.e politics of the god, the father (Moses Okino), the son (Aloysius Okino) and the holy spirit (family members).
This system appears to pose a big threat to grassroot development as it prevent the people from participating unfettered in the political process. It is also on record that between 2008 and 2014, Moses Okino had consistently installed or imposed this son, Aloysius Okino as vice chairman, liaison office (LO) and substantive chairman of Ajaokuta local government.
He is so desperate to maintain the status quo that he anointed the ex-council boss, Aloysius as the
current PDP flagbearer for the House of Representatives election.
He has also been exhibiting the politics of divide and rule mentality in the political landscape of Ajaokuta by polarizing the diverse ethnic groups in the local government for selfish reason.
The question that continues to agitate the minds of people is that, if actually Moses Okino is fighting for the interest of Ebira nation,why did he fail to field a neutral son or daughter of Ebira extraction for the House of Representstives’ slot instead of his heir?
The answer which is not far-fetched is that Moses Okino is only trying to sow the seed of discord for his political gain or ulterior motive.The battle line for supremacy has been drawn between the erstwhile chairman, Aloysius Okino and Alhaji Lawal Idirisu who has thrown his hat into the ring of political contest for the House of Representatives seat under the platform of the All
Progressive Congress,APC.
The business mogul turned politician who is seen as a messiah by the youths and sacked workers of the local government, has all it takes to slog it out with his rival, especially now that the former ALGON chairman has been ousted from office and government machinery is no
longer in his possession to manipulate the electoral process.
If the axiom that says: “the evil that men do lives with them” is applied to the politics of Ajaokuta local government, then Aloysius has a very huge mountain to climb.
He will meet his waterloo at the polls in the February elections. AlhAji lawal needs to strategize and should beware of sycophants and praise singers, because such people are faulty barometers feeling the pulse of society. Hence, to stumble twice on the same stone will be a proverbial disgrace. And the only way to stop the phobia or the fear of being harassed, victimized and marginalized is to vote for a CHANGE so that our local governemnt will be to cleanse off the mess. Alhaji Lawal is coming with a new broom that will sweep clean our environment. [myad]