Comparing Buhari With Jonathan: Iroko Versus Rotten Wood, By Dele Sobowale

December 15, 2014

Generally, you can assess the quality of a man, especially a politician by observing those who rise up against him. General Buhari (rtd) is a shinning example of such a person. Expectedly, his declaration for the Presidency, more than that of any other possible opponent of President Jonathan, had thrown a lot of people into a manic frenzy. Some of them are my co-columnists in the Lagos/Ibadan axis – as papers like PUNCH, THISDAY, GUARDIAN and VANGUARD are called.
For the purpose of this series of articles, I want to single out the Professors writing for PUNCH and VANGUARD, who, are usually erudite, futuristic, well-informed and reasonably objective; but who have joined the illogical, and the ill-informed in the pack attack on Buhari.
When an Area Boy finds himself confronting several adversaries, at once, he steels himself for battle by announcing to his opponents, “Ee ti po to [you are too few for me]”. So, to Professors Abidde, Adelakun, Akinnaso, Olukotun, of the PUNCH, and our own Femi Aribisala, I declare “you are too few” for this battle.
Comparing Buhari with Jonathan is like comparing solid “Iroko” with rotten wood. For starters, every carver knows that nobody can make a masterpiece out of rotten wood. And Jonathan’s government is rotten from the head down. So anybody canvassing for a continuation of this government should be regarded as an accessory to the grand larceny going on now in the name of governance.
For the readers, I said they are too few because, when reading their articles, one can notice that they are virtually writing out of the same set of notes – packed full with their opinions, half truths, some falsehood and some venom. The bile belongs to Femi Aribisala, the VANGUARD columnist, who, like Doyin Okupe, must be operating with a dictionary compiled by the devil – when writing about Buhari, Tinubu and APC. Let me assure Femi that we also have a dictionary at UniJankara, full of hotter words. So nobody should be under the impression that he owns a monopoly of such words.
First, the readers of this defence of Buhari might want to observe that all those mentioned above, pretending to reflect “the views of Nigerians” are Southerners, Christians, mostly Yoruba, employed and well-paid, well- or over-educated, and they probably have not stepped into Kano, Sokoto, Bauchi, Nassarawa or Kogi States in the last five years – if at all. Buhari who they all love to “hate” or “hate to love”, however is a Muslim, Northerner, Fulani, and has spent most of his time in the north since retirement.
The ethnic and religious prejudices, obvious to me, might be a mere coincidence to them but, there is no denying the fact that none of that group can sustain the illusion that they speak for the average Northerner, ill-educated, unemployed, lacking all the basic amenities and clinging to life made more tenuous by Boko Haram insurgency which had escalated during Jonathan’s tenure of office. None can because none knows where the shoe pinches; they write in the comfort of their offices and homes, proclaiming how millions, who they have not met will vote in the North especially. This is rotten scholarship. In fact, nobody among them knows how most Northerners will vote.
Among their often-repeated fallacies, based on prejudice, is the charge that Nigerians will not vote for Buhari because he is a “religious fanatic”. Even if true, two observations will dispel this rumour peddled as truth. One, no Muslim in the entire country had ever mentioned to me that he considers Buhari a fanatic and none will vote against him for that reason. The hang-up about Buhari’s perceived fanaticism belongs to some Christians. Second, one person’s fanatic is another person’s staunch believer in his faith. So, “fanaticism” might actually work in his favour.
Speaking strictly for myself, a Muslim fanatic is preferable to a wishy-washy Christian. Everybody knows where the first stands on issues affecting morality; nobody can trust the second. At any rate, my own reading of the two Holy Books – Bible and Quran – has convinced me that there is very little the Bible abhors which the Quran supports; and vice versa. Our “Christian” columnists are only raising false alarm.
Having disposed of that, at least for now, let me turn, briefly, to the issues of Jonathan’s performance and corruption. Kindly let me quote verbatim what Adelakun and Aribisala wrote in defence of Jonathan and to run down Buhari’s bid for the Presidency.
First Adelakun, in PUNCH, October 23, 2014. “Even though many Nigerians are probably weary of Jonathan’s government by now, they are still practical enough to understand that another four years of Jonathan’s government will not kill them. It might bring Nigeria to her knees but at the same time, it is a pain that can be endured.” (italics mine). Despite the use of “probably”, when the word to use is “certainly,” nobody reading that sentence can fail to shed tears for Nigeria. When the brightest and the best expect us to re-elect a President who will not alleviate their suffering, but deepen them till 2019, then all is lost.
Let me close this first part by drawing attention to Aribisala’s statement, undoubtedly made proudly about “his country”, not mine. “In Nigeria, nobody gets elected as President on the platform that he is going to be an anti-corruption crusader when he gets into office.” Apparently, Femi approves of that situation and will like it to continue – as long as Jonathan gets re-elected. This is a Professor? I thought professors are supposed to be engaged in advancing positive original ideas, not in telling us to continue to go to hell, as we are doing now.

[myad]

ECOWAS Re-Admits Burkina Faso, Jonathan Says It Deepens Political Security

Greenbarge Reporters

December 15, 2014

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), today, re-admitted troubled Burkina Faso, even as President Goodluck Jonathan said that the collective action of members countries to nib in the but military incursion in any African will deepen political security in the sub region.
As ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State its began its 46th Ordinary Session in Abuja today, the interim President of Burkina Faso, Michel Kafando, took his seat.
In his welcome address, the host, President Jonathan said that the appointment of Michel Kafando as the interim leader of Burkina Faso is a reflection of his high standing with his people.
“It is also an affirmation of ECOWAS commitment to Democracy and Good Governance as well as its zero tolerance for unconstitutional change of Government. We are pleased that we have remain engaged with the situation in the country and that we were able to find a common voice in seeking to resolve it.
“We see the presence of H.E. Mr. Michel Kafando at this Summit, as strengthening and deepening political security in our sub region. We wish him every success in the enormous task ahead of him and his compatriots.
President Jonathan commended the ECOWAS chairman and President of the Republic of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama for the able and statesman-like manner in which he has managed the affairs of the Community since he assumed office.
He said that like the success story that is unfolding in Burkina Faso, “we are pleased that our exertions to stabilize the polity in other member states, particularly Guinea-Bissau and Mali have also yielded results. Our Organization has worked assiduously for the return to normalcy and stability of these countries through various interventions.”
Jonathan assured that Nigeria remained steadfastly committed to supporting peace and stability in the West African Region, in the belief that a politically stable West Africa will safeguard the vital interests of all its peoples and be a viable partner in the search for global peace.
Acknowledging that much achievements may have been recorded in the area of democracy and economic growth in the member-nations, President Jonathan admitted that the sub-region has continued to face many serious challenges.
Prominent among these challenges, he explained, is the ravaging Ebola epidemic, adding that the last six (6) months have witnessed the negative impact of the Ebola Virus Disease(EVD) on the region.
He said that since its outbreak in March, this year, the disease has resulted in over seven thousand (7,000) deaths apart from negatively impacting the economies.
“I, therefore, call on member-states as well as our development partners and the international community, at large, to contribute generously to the ECOWAS Regional Solidarity funds to fight the Ebola Virus Disease.”
President Jonathan said that another worrisome situation is the rising scourge of terrorism which is now threatening the peace and security of the sub-region.
He said that the Sahel Region has witnessed the increasing proliferation of small arms and light weapons as a result of which countries in the region are today threatened by insurgents and terrorists.
“Their actions have dire consequences for the continuing peace, stability and prosperity of the region.”
The Nigerian leader said that in the Gulf of Guinea, the increasing incidence of piracy has reached a worrisome dimension, and is compounded by drug trafficking, oil bunkering and human trafficking.
“All of these require urgent and concerted actions from all of us. Nigeria calls for stronger and more effective regional, continental and global alliance to rid our region of terrorism, piracy and violent extremism.”
He advised that ECOWAS prepares to mark its 40th anniversary, member countries must not forget that beyond politics, the economic development and integration of the region must remain the fundamental objective of the Organization.
He called on his colleagues to, as a matter of must, accelerate their efforts toward monetary union by striving to meet the convergence criteria and achieving the harmonization of tariff regimes.
He said that within the Community Institutions, there is an urgent need for structural reforms in order to enhance capacity and improve transparency.
“Activities of our Organization must conform to global best practices to strengthen confidence and assure growth. More importantly, we must diversify our revenue base and reduce our imports in the face of rapid changes in the global arena.
“It cannot continue to be business as usual, if our Organization is to fulfill the vision of our founding fathers.”
President Jonathan acknowledged that the Organization has been universally acclaimed as a model in regional integration and hoped that they would sustain this standard and continue to demonstrate their cohesiveness.
He urged members to act and continue to speak with one voice as a region, noting that out of the five regions of Africa, West Africa has the highest number of Member-States of the continental organization which is the African Union.
This, he added, is an important leverage for members who should utilize and exploit it to advance the overall interest of the region.

[myad]

Political Corruption In Adamawa, By Emmanuel Yawe

Yawe Emmanuel

December 15, 2014

Almost all the national dailies in the first week of this month carried the incredible story of how members of the Election Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party mandated by the National Headquarters of the party to conduct House of Assembly primary elections in Adamawa State were “kidnapped.”
The story read like a script from a Nollywood drama. It was in reality sourced from a petition signed by the Chairman and Secretary of the committee, Ambassador Tim Ihemadu and Mrs. Victoria Nyam-Isha respectively.
Captioned: “Forceful Abduction, Assault, Threat and Confiscation of Election Materials by Agents of the Adamawa State Government,” the petition gave an account of the traumatic experiences of the committee members in Yola in their bid to conduct the primaries. From their account, it would appear as if the governor, Bala James Ngilari collaborated with some chieftains of the party in the state viz Chief Joel Madaki and Mr A. T. Shehu in this criminal act. The petition did not spare even the Police Commissioner and Director of State Security Services in the state.
The Committee members complained that while they were held hostage, party thugs with the help of government officials freely rigged the elections and gave them the results which they announced to the media under duress. The panel disowned the results, and urged the party to do same. The Peoples Democratic Party subsequently ordered all Adamawa State primaries including state assembly, governorship and those of the national assembly moved to Abuja without giving any reason.
This has since been done and the results of such primaries held in Abuja announced. Unfortunately this has not restored harmony in the fractured status of the party in the state which has been the case for some years now.
All the governorship, senatorial and House of Representatives candidates of the party in the state with the exception of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu attended a press conference addressed by their spokesman Professor Andrawus Sawa last week.
They lamented that without due recourse to the party’s constitution of a 7 days notice, the purported Governorship primaries was said to have taken place at Abuja instead of Adamawa.
“More to that, the purported election was conducted in contravention
of a court order restraining the PDP and INEC from using any delegates list other than the one recognized by all the party executive at all
levels,” they added.
The situation in the Adamawa branch of the party where primaries are held, far away from the local constituents raises a number of fundamental issues. Primaries for such offices as state houses of assembly and governorship offices are supposed to be held in the locale of such offices. To take them far way in distant lands denies the local folks the sense of participation and political education which are all essential ingredients of democracy. And if the PDP, the ruling party cannot hold their primaries in a state they control, what is the guarantee that they can hold general elections in the state.
This abnormal practice has the potential of becoming the norm and all state primaries even for the local councils will be moved to Abuja. This will certainly raise questions about the federal system of government we are running. I raise this issue because following fast on the Adamawa example, the Yobe State gubernatorial primaries were held at the Legacy House in Abuja on the 9th December. This attracted an immediate response from three out of the four gubernatorial contestants. In a Newspaper advertisement, the three politicians, Dr Yerima Ngama, Malam Ibrahim Talbe and Alhaji Hassan Kafayos argued that the act contravened section 50 of the PDP Constitution and the 2014 electoral guidelines of the party.
At the personal level, I feel taken aback. Late In 1982, I took a flight from Kaduna to cover the NPN gubernatorial primaries in Yol, then the Gongola State capital. The major contestants were Alhji Bamanga Tukur and Edward Aliyedeno. On the flight, a rumour started making the rounds that Edward had stepped down for Bamanga. I drove straight from the Yola Airport to Lamido Cinema, the venue of the primaries. Initially it looked to me as if the flight rumour was true. It was yellow, yellow everywhere. Yellow was the colour allocated to Bamanga. But it turned out that Edward was still very much in the race.
Accreditation and voting soon began. It was an endless and boring but transparent process. At the end of the day, Bamanga won with a landslide. The loser Edward stood up and made a stammering but moving speech conceding defeat. Then Bamanga stood up to give his acceptance speech. It was all very moving. As a young graduate of political science and a reporter, I went to bed contented that I had just witnessed a practical example of what I had read in the books. Tragically, thirty two years after that demonstration of political maturity, Adamawa, which should have moved from there to the next level and be more civilized, has instead, degenerated into political rascality and suffocating corruption today.
The feeling in Adamawa is that Abuja is trying to impose a governor on the state. Reference is frequently made of how Murtala Nyako who was imposed on the state as a result of the Atiku/Obasanjo shootout in Abuja turned out to be a curse and a comprehensive disaster on the state.
Maybe the current happenings in Adamawa would not have been so significant if Nuhu Ribadu were not involved. As the founding Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nuhu made global impact as a frightening thief catcher. Daily he railed the nation against corruption at every opportunity. It does appear to me now that his definition of corruption was rather limited to bribe taking, contract inflation and similar such acts of financial sleaze.
It is rather disheartening to hear that Nuhu is not only part of the conspiracy to deny the ordinary citizens of Adamawa the right to choose who should be their governor but is the chief beneficiary of the political heist in his home state. Bribe taking and contract inflation are corrupt acts and those involved in it should be despised by decent human beings. Politicians involved in swindling their less fortunate citizens of their rights are also corrupt and should be hanged in the market square in full view of the people. The ultimate consequences of their criminal acts on society are more devastating than “direct stealing,” if I may use Nuhu Ribadu’s words at his 2006 appearance in the Senate.

[myad]

Oil Workers Ground Vehicles As They Embark On Nation-Wide Strike Tomorrow

Greenbarge Reporters

December 14, 2014

Nigeria’s two main oil workers’ unions are set to embark on what they called indefinite nation-wide strike tomorrow, Monday, the action that threatens to ground many vehicles across the country. The strike will also hurt the output of the country, wich is the Africa’s largest oil producer.
In a joint statement today, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association (PENGASSA) and the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) said the action is aimed at forcing the passage of a new law and meeting several other longstanding demands.
These include the adoption of the long-awaited Petroleum Industry Bill aimed at overhauling the inefficient and corrupt sector and tackling unfair labour practises by both oil companies and government agencies.
The unions said the strike call was also a reaction to “the inability of the government to carry out turnaround maintenance of the refineries” and its failure to reduce petrol prices at the pump to reflect the fall in global oil prices.
They said workers had been mobilised and that the action would “not be suspended” until the government and operators showed “a strong commitment” to resolve the issues.

The strike will affect all operations in the upstream, midstream and downstream sectors of the oil and gas industry, as members will be withdrawn from all oil and gas installations.

[myad]

Nigeria To Establish National Hall Of Fame In Hour Of Authors

Greenbarge Reporters

December 14, 2014

Nigerian authors — Some Nigerian Popular Authors

President Goodluck Jonathan has announced that he has directed the ministry of Culture and Tourism to establish a National Hall of Fame in honour of the Nigerian authors.
The President, who spoke on Friday at the opening ceremony of the 33rd International Annual Convention of the Association of Nigerian Authors at the University of Ibadan, Oyo State said that he has also directed the ministry to work with the leadership of ANA to see how government can partner with the private sector to give added fillip to its Literary Prizes to further enhance its prestige.
“I am therefore directing the Ministry of Culture and Tourism to establish in our nation’s capital, a National Hall of Fame, in honour of those, who out of their creative genius, had contributed to the growth and development of our country, and the advancement of human civilization.
“I have also directed the Minister of Culture to work with ANA leadership to see how government can partner with the private sector to give added fillip to your ANA Literary Prizes to further enhance their prestige. The prizes over the years have showcased budding talents who are now masters in different literary fields. You have to sustain that enviable tradition.”
Jonathan said that he has always felt a particular closeness to the literary community, as indispensable partners in his government’s quest to build a better society.
President Jonathan recalled that it has been 33 years since the master story teller, Chinua Achebe, called fellow writers to Nsukka to float an association to promote and protect the interest of creative writers in Nigeria
“Our writers have written the country’s name in lights all over the world. Some of the best-known Nigerians are writers; and they have won every international award going, including the Caine Prize for African Writing, the Orange Prize for Women’s Fiction and the most coveted, the Nobel Prize for Literature – won in 1986 by Professor Wole Soyinka.
“The late Professor Chinua Achebe, winner of the prestigious International Booker, gifted the world a book that will last for all time, when he published Things Fall Apart in 1958. It has been translated into over 50 languages, and is regularly voted one of the greatest novels ever written.”
The President said that it was in recognition of Professor Achebe’s monumental contribution to world literature that he was physically present at the literary giant’s funeral in his birthplace of Ogidi, Anambra State, last year.
It was also necessary, he said, to identify with the Nigerian literary community, which had suffered a great loss.
“As a demonstration of our commitment to Achebe’s indestructible legacy, we also supported the International Colloquium on Arrow of God at 50 earlier this year.”
He recalled that a few days ago, the Nigerian National Order of Merit Award, the highest and the most prestigious honour this nation bestows, went to no less a persona than Professor Niyi Osundare, whom he described as the great poet, scholar and survivor of Hurricane Katrina that had continued to paint his country’s name in gold.
He said that the admission of Professor Osundare as the 71st member of the body of the Nigerian National Order of Merit Laureates demonstrates that as a nation, “we promote and celebrate excellence.
“We value you, our writers. You elevate our thinking and worldview, you liven up our days with your creative imaginings, and you provide succour and catharsis in difficult times, such as the one our country is going through at this period. I salute the creative spirit that has propelled our writers to excel in the midst of their peers worldwide.”
President Jonathan noted that writers serve as the nation’s conscience and raise critical questions which promote good governance and accountability.
According to him, such disposition paves the way to a just and equitable society, adding: “many episodes of our history including the civil war have been examined in your works; you give us a perspective on the past while helping to map a way to the future.”

[myad]

Photo: APC Presidential Candidate, Muhammadu Buhari Visits Atiku In Abuja

Greenbarge Reporters

December 14, 2014

[myad]

West African Leaders Converge In Abuja For ECOWAS Summit Tomorrow

Greenbarge Reporters

December 14, 2014

West Africa Presidents and Heads of Government have arrived Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory for the 46th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government for tomorrow, Monday.
A statement from Dr. Reuben Abati, special adviser on media and publicity to President Goodluck Jonathan said that the Summot will, among other things, deliberate on the current political and security situation in the sub-region.
He said that President Jonathan and other participating Heads of State and Government of the regional body will also receive a briefing on recent developments in Burkina Faso and review the report of the 33rd Meeting of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council.
Abati said that the agenda of the summit would also include the consideration and adoption of the 2014 annual report of the President of the ECOWAS Commission, the consideration and adoption of the report of the 73rd Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers and the election of the Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government for next year.
“President Jonathan, the current Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, President John Mahama of Ghana, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma and the United Nations Secretary General’s Special Representative for West Africa, Mr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas will present statements to the one-day summit before it goes into a closed-door session.”
Abati said that some of the participating Heads of State and Government have already arrived in Abuja ahead of the opening of the summit tomorrow.
A communiqué on the summit’s decisions, he added, is expected at the conclusion of their deliberations tomorrow.

[myad]

Atiku Misunderstood

Greenbarge Reporters

December 13, 2014

The results of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential primary on Thursday which placed former Vice President Atiku Abubakar third, trailing behind General Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Musa Kwankwaso of Kano state, have raised some questions in the Nigeria’s political circle. What really is working against Alhaji Atiku, seeing that his Thursday outing was one defeat too many? Why would he appear larger than life in the Nigeria political platform but seems to be worth far less when it comes to the nitty gritty of election? Why is he so misunderstood by Nigerians? What is the root cause of such misunderstanding of his intention for Nigeria?
If the love of the country and commitment not only to the flourishing of democracy but to the wellbeing of the citizens of the country are anything to go by, Atiku certainly towers over and above many people who are leading this country at many levels today.
It is on record that he has invested in many socio-economic sectors, including education that provides employments to many Nigerians, especially the youths.
Of course, the image that seems to have been unconsciously embedded in the minds of Atiku haters is the one of corruption, but this has been without basis. Another one is the fact that he is inconsistent in his quest for power: that he changes party like a lady changes her undies.
On the issue of corruption, where are the evidences, except the ones cooked up by those who simply hate his guts?
In any case, whichever way he made his wealth, and still making it, does not really bury the reality that he shows, in all respects, his total belief in Nigeria and the Nigerian project. That he is committed to such ideals.
In other words, while many wealthy Nigerians, most of who acquired such wealth evidently through questionable means, would prefer to stash the major parts of their financial accumulation in Swiss accounts or other accounts in foreign lands: they neither assist the growth of Nigerian economy nor the growing number of unemployed youths to enjoy life, Atiku has been doing the direct opposite. It calls for repeating that, within the same polity where somebody like Atiku has shown a lot of patriotism, others like him or more than him are running down the nation’s economy in the guise of foreign investment.
On the issue of his inconsistency regarding the political platform, Atiku appears to always want to be where he can properly place himself to get the leadership so that he would move fast to right all the wrongs in the nation’s body politics and other socio-economic malaises. We in Greenbarge Reporters don’t see anything wrong in that. We believe strongly that the notion about his inconsistency has been floated by those who fear he would overshadow them in political calculations or has actually done so. Those are they who have resorted to giving him a bad name so they can hang him.
It is baffling but not totally surprising that Nigerians, in search of change for the better, are not keen in letting him to get the power to enable him translate his tall dream into reality.
It is baffling that a man, like Atiku, who has been working very hard to ensure that the institutions of democracy work in tandem with international best practices; a man who oozes with ideas of how to make Nigeria work and, indeed, a man who has invested so much in human and capital development of the country from his individual efforts, has been so rejected by the same people he is working for, or is it the system? Who are responsible for shooting Atiku down politically each time he wants to “fly”? [myad]

Government Panics Over Mass Failures In Last Year’s WAEC

Greenbarge Reporters

December 13, 2014

The Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, has said that the government has been worrying over the mass failures in the last West African Examination Council (WAEC) across the country and that the government would work out modalities for the training and re-training of teachers.

Shekarau who spoke at the 22nd convocation ceremony of the Federal Polytechnic, Auchi, Edo, said: “Government is worried by the poor results recorded in the last Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination conducted by the West Africa Examination Council.

“To ramify this situation, government has taken steps to improve on the capability of the quality of teaching and facilities available in our secondary schools.

“In addition, government is working out modalities for the regular training and re-training of teachers through various short-term courses, workshops and seminars,’’ he said.

Shekarau said the government is very particular about the development of vocational and technology education and believed that strengthening them would reduce the high rate of unemployment and create wealth.

“It is for this reason that government, through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), provides financial support for the development of tertiary institutions.

“There is no gainsaying the fact that our educational system has its peculiar challenges, especially in the area of funding, where it competes with other sectors of the economy for allocation of financial resources.

“Nevertheless, the challenges have not been allowed to overwhelm us.

“This is clear evidence in the prudent manner with which available resources have been deployed for optimum results.”

The Minister urged managers of higher institutions to ensure available resources are deployed for maximum benefit and result.

He commended the rector of the polytechnic for its infrastructure development, done with the view to widening access to education in line with the ministry’s six point strategic plans.

“The Auchi Polytechnic has shown good example in this regard, which is commendable.

“The achievement recorded by the polytechnic in the last 50 years calls for celebration.

“And it is at the backdrop of this that I recognise and acknowledge the great and positive development of the institution, especially as they fall in line with the Transformation Agenda of Mr President,’’ he said.

Earlier, the Rector, Dr. Philipa Idogho said that the institution graduated students 3,748 with Higher National Diploma and 4,987 with National Diploma.

Idogho urged the graduating students to be good ambassadors of the institution wherever they find themselves.

“I urge you to remember always that you have this polytechnic as your ambassador.

“Those who graduated before you held afloat the worthy banner of this school. You can do no less,’’ she said.

[myad]

Jonathan As Victim Of Good Luck, By Abiodun Komolafe

Greenbarge Reporters

December 13, 2014

President Goodluck Jonathan is a victim of good luck. Therefore, those who are accusing this poor man of classic incompetence, especially, in restoring Nigeria to the path of glory, are only being unfair to him. On the other hand, that Jonathan has not even the faintest idea of how to turn around the compelling tragedies that have become characteristic of this funny and contradictorily interesting country is no longer the issue. What remains to be addressed is how innocent Nigerians will not suffer unjustly from a president’s sheer visionlessness. Not that alone, that the president’s paladins of pleasure-seeking and crocodile tears-shedding lieutenants who, in their basically selfish nature, are repellently unpresidential in the discharge of their duties is no longer contestable. Little wonder their principal claims to be world’s “most criticized president.”

I am not a fan of President Jonathan and I don’t envy him either. But I honestly pity this president who has been condemned to searching – and, rightly, too – for solutions to problems he “did not create.” I pity him because, as a bloody zoologist whose professional destiny is tied to the kingdom of pests and rodents, dealing with human beings and their consciousness, especially, under “very sad and unusual circumstances”, is not as easy and as straightforward as one might conjecture. What more? Jonathan was obviously unprepared for higher responsibilities as at the time fate thrust on him the priceless opportunity of running the affairs of a country as diverse as Nigeria. Little wonder he continues to behave – and, truly, too – as if he has something to hide. From economic stagnation, to endemic corruption; from conditions of rancor, to cultures of violence; from acts of kidnapping, to out-and-out terrorism; and, certainly, with others still in their various stages of gestation, much as Jonathan may have to congratulate himself for providing first-rate government, especially, going by his being Nigeria’s first doctorate degree holder to occupy the office of the Nigerian president; and the first Niger Deltan to so do, that Nigeria under his firm grip is headed somewhere is no longer naysaying. Where dear country is headed or how soon this tension-soaked fifty something year-old infant is destined to access her fated destination is what now worries lovers of good governance.

But how did we get here in the first place? Why has Nigeria become one big racket where people opportunistically search for charades that only stagger their imagination? How come we are everywhere but nowhere in particular and why is it that what ordinarily get others into trouble elsewhere are things that sinisterly amuse our world? Why is our politics scanty? Why is it rich in crass class opportunism and puerile religiosity but bereft of the essentials of knowledge, leadership and togetherness? If politics is a product of “elite consensus which provides the framework for peace and stability”, why do we play politics only to spite the polity and why has our system become so bastardized that even those we look up to as leaders are now apostles of pettiness, artificialities and superficialities?

As earlier stated, I do not envy Jonathan because he is a poor student of history. As a Christian, he ought to have learnt some significant lessons from great kings like Herod the Great (37BC to 4BC), Ahaz the son of Jotham, Ahab the son of Omri; Rehoboam the son of Naamah; and Titus Flavius Caesar Vespasianus Augustus, the Roman emperor who actively partook of the Roma-Jewish war of AD66-70: how kingdoms under them fared and how history credited their era.

As an international figure, lives, times and travails of rulers who missed one-in-a-lifetime opportunities of having their names etched in gold ought to have helped him define not only the relationship between power and powder but also the transience of existence. Napoleon, for his insatiable lust for power; Joseph Stalin, in whose credit record has the largest death toll in war history; Pol Pot whose ‘Transformation’ transformed into disaster; Louis XIV who failed to lead France out of corruption and economic mess; the-sheep-in-wolf’s-clothing Chiang Kai-shek who embraced nationalism in the daytime but killed protesters in the nighttime; Franklin Pierce, for his ineffectiveness and indecisiveness; Richard Nixon, of Watergate fame; and John Norquist, that American Mayor who failed woefully in mayoral responsibilities, are some of the world leaders who, for reasons not far from personal, dared providence, jettisoned the very essence of purposeful leadership and paid dearly for it. Why did Robert Mugabe start as a “hero in the minds of many Africans” only to turn into a behemoth in the twilight of his sojourn on earth? Where is Laurent Desire Kabila and why did Muammar Gaddafi have to end that way?

As a student of contemporary Nigerian history, the crafty Yakubu Gowon, the erratic Ibrahim Babangida, the tormenter Sani Abacha, even the cocky Olusegun Obasanjo, Jonathan’s political lord and master, are examples of how not to be a hero. An informed Jonathan should have known that leadership is not only about those who dream dreams but also – and, in particular, too – those who are able to interpret dreams and actualize visions; that, but for fate which conferred heroism on Murtala Muhammad, Muhammadu Buhari and Abdusalami Abubakar, their sins would probably have remained unforgiven.

In the words of Henry Kissinger, “the task of the leader is to get his people from where they are to where they have not been.” In other words, a good leader need not pontificate about Transformation. Rather, he should be honest, efficient, excitingly futuristic and capable of creating confidence, especially in the area of developing the leadership qualities necessary for success. A leader worth his calling does not necessarily have to “follow where the path may lead.” Rather, he should strive to go “where there is no path and leave a trail.” In the eyes of a good leader, even “when nothing is sure, everything is possible.” Not one skilled in the jauntiness of leadership by permutations and combinations, if a leader once had “no shoes to wear”, now that he has, he need not limit his interventions to the protracted tantrums of once being in one’s shoes but must strive to teach others how to make their own shoes.

One fundamental feature of a weak leader is (his) woolliness. Another is bewilderment. A weak leader lives in fear and “always feels like the prey in the jungle”, with “a tendency to cry on other people’s shoulders about how overwhelmed and overloaded they are with work and responsibilities.” He always strives to avoid differences of opinion or potential conflicts. Contrariwise, good leaders “understand what is happening, size up the situation, put themselves in the right position to respond, prepare, and then act at the proper time.” Unlike weak leaders who “solve the wrong problems in the wrong way”, good leaders are “sure of their direction and they act boldly.” And herein lies my fears. So far, Jonathan has not demonstrated that he is in control or that he is on top of the myriad of avertible challenges ravaging our landscape. Since he is unsure of whom he is, he is at a loss on how to successfully steer the ship of the Nigerian state. Like Bernard Montgomery, we have a president who with displays outright timidity when aggressiveness is needed; and “too aggressive when caution would have been more advisable.” In fairness to him, Jonathan may not necessarily be a bad leader but, like Gunichi Mikawa, he is certainly one with bad timing. That is why he continues to rock the boat instead of rocking the road.

In his book, ‘Poem for Adults’, Adam Wazyk wrote: “When the vultures of abstraction pick out our brains, when students are enclosed in text-books without windows, when language is reduced to thirty incantations, when the lamp of imagination is extinguished, when good people from the moon deny us our taste, then truly oblivion is dangerously near.” Let us admit that President Jonathan didn’t create those problems Nigerians now want him to fix, he is no doubt part of Nigeria’s problems. This he surely knows! Do we need to say more on his achievements so far in office? Economic Indices, of course, speak volume. Between May 2011 and May 2012, Nigeria’s inflation figure rose from 11.3 to 12.9. Though Nigeria is Africa’s biggest nation and largest source market, she is now ranked 116th out of 156 countries on the Economic Freedom Index for 2012, a tragic decline from last year’s. Even, Rwanda, a country that is just smarting out of a genocidal war experience is freer than dear country. Conveniently, she is now world’s 14th Failed State, edging out countries like Burundi, East Timor and Democratic Republic of Congo. As we speak, oil accounts for more than 97% of Nigeria’s foreign exchange revenues. With over 50% of Nigerians living below poverty line and with over 70% of her population actually living on less than 1dollar per day, Jonathan presides over 75% illiterates. And, in the village of the blind, one-eyed is king! Little wonder Nigeria has become such fertile soil for “a few” who “wallow in unbelievable wealth and spend what should be for all of us so recklessly.”

Even as Jonathan continues to service the lifestyles of the principalities and powers that litter and loiter around the corridors of power, his indifference to the plight of the common man, the demonstrable wasteful attitude and uncommon hideousness remain unmatched. Unfortunately, one principal difference between Pharaoh’s Egypt and Jonathan’s Nigeria is that, in Egypt, Israelites were tortured by strangers – a different race; but, in our case, Nigerians are colonizing Nigerians. The saddest part is that, while the president still remains grossly clueless on how to successfully govern a country as diverse as Nigeria, efforts are already in top gear to represent this failing president for re-election, come 2015. And that is where the problem lies!

Let’s pray this good luck would not turn into a catastrophe we’ll all have to live with!

May God save us from ourselves!

Komolafe writes in from Ijebu-Jesa, Osun State (ijebujesa@yahoo.co.uk)

[myad]

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