But I am not a “hear-no-evil; see-no-evil; speak-no-evil GEJite”. I have been critical of the President when occasion warranted it. He is human and it is inevitable that he would make mistakes. It is a disservice to him when his supporters applaud him even when he errs. That is a recipe for failure. Those who love a leader must never shy from speaking truth to him. Indeed, a wise leader cherishes those whom he knows are loyal to him yet are not afraid to tell him the truth. Yet, in our African context, the Kabiyesi complex makes it ever so hard for a leader to draw courageous counsellors to himself. Our monarchical heritage makes it all too easy to be surrounded mostly by Yes-men.
I have written several articles arguing for the return of President Goodluck Jonathan to Aso Rock Villa on 29th May, 2015. I have made the President’s superiority over Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, his only real rival in the upcoming Presidential Election, in terms of academic and democratic credentials. I have written about the President’s humaneness, humility, patience, tolerance, kindness, empathy, calmness and sincerity. I have highlighted the remarkable progress we have made as a nation in the areas of agriculture, railways, power sector reforms, development and maintenance of our roads infrastructure, foreign direct investments and foreign portfolio investments, improvements in our airports, women and youth empowerment, and access to credit of our micro, small and medium enterprises.
Many Nigerians have a tendency to generalise negatively and dismiss any talk about what good government has done. You hear people say things like “Nothing is working”; “It is only in Nigeria that…..”, then they go on to list the bad occurrences which they proclaim to be peculiar to Nigeria: kidnappings, rape, stampede leading to deaths, floods, power outages, corruption etc. Our kith and kin who are based abroad are often more guilty of this negativity. If you engage on social media like I do, you would be familiar with how much bile is spewed by these our countrymen in rants against the government. Their anger is understandable: they would like their fatherland to be like the countries they live in Europe and America. They want a quantum leap for Nigeria. I do too. But I know that it is from little acorns that oaks grow. And I know that it was little by little that the LORD gave the Israelites the land of Canaan which He had promised them. True progress comes in degrees. We have made remarkable progress as a country under the leadership of President Jonathan despite the many challenges and great obstacles in his way. Had Dr. Jonathan been Nigeria’s President in a pre-Boko Haram era, I have no doubt that there would be no debate about his deserving a second term.
One area in which the President himself has acknowledged failure is in the fight against corruption. His decision to give it priority during his second term is proof that he knows he has done poorly in that regard. Unlike the Nuhu Ribadu Days, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) no longer strikes fear in anyone’s heart, least those public officials feeding fat on our patrimony. Its Chairman, Ibrahim Lamorde, whose outstanding performance as the Head of Operations of the Commission under Ribadu recommended him to the high office has since gone to sleep. He has even put on weight…..obviously from idleness! If President Jonathan’s renewed commitment to the Anti-Corruption War is to be taken seriously, a change of guard at the EFCC is urgent.
Despite the empirical factors which make the case for a Jonathan Second Term strong as I have argued, I believe the most compelling reason (and which will definitely prove the most controversial) is the mere fact of his being a President from the Niger Delta region. Yes, I am Esan from Edo State which is in the South South geopolitical zone. But this has nothing to do with where I am from. One if the great things I took away from my alma mater, King’s College, Lagos, is the following truth which is part of our School Song: “…..Though of many nations, we all are brothers with a common debt; let us pay by giving, as we forge ahead, service to the living, honour to our dead”.
As Nigerians, we all are really brothers even though our tongues and tribes differ. We are of One Blood. God made all humanity of One Blood. There is no Ijaw Blood, Fulani Blood, Igbo Blood, Yoruba Blood, Kanuri Blood, Jukun Blood, Igbirra Blood, Esan Blood…..etc. If you are in an emergency and need a Blood Transfusion, all the doctors need to know is your Blood Group not your tribe or even race. You could be Idoma with Type “O” Blood; your body will not reject similar Blood Type donated by a Tiv person despite your ethno-political differences.
If that be the case, then why is President Jonathan’s geo-political zone of any relevance as we contemplate the 2015 Presidential Election? Have I not unwittingly just made a case for its insignificance?
President Goodluck Jonathan
Some day, I believe where a Nigerian comes from in Nigeria will not count in our choice of leaders. Some day, I believe all that would matter would be a person’s qualifications, experience, competence and vision.
But that day has not yet come. Unfortunately, by reason of our chequered history, tribe and religion still play a significant role in our national politics. This is our reality. All our political parties have a zoning policy for this reason. As can be seen from the press release of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) regarding the Presidential Candidates for the Election of 14th February, 2015, all political parties which are fielding candidates have one person from either the North or the South and the running-mate from the opposite end of the compass. And no party is fielding either a Christian-Christian or Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket. To deny the reality of tribal, geo-political regional and religious balancing in our politics is sheer playing the ostrich.
In our 54 year history as a sovereign state, the following were Nigeria’s Executive Presidents/Prime Minister and Heads of State:
* Alhaji Sir Tafawa Balewa, KBE…..Bageri Muslim; North East Zone: 1st October, 1960 – 15th January, 1966 (5 years, 3 months+);
* Gen. Johnson Aguiyi Ironsi……Igbo Christian; South East: 16th January, 1966 – 19th July, 1966 (6 months);
* Gen. Yakubu Gowon….Ngas Christian; North Central: 1st August, 1966 – 29th July, 1975 (9 years);
*Gen. Murtala Mohammed…..Controversy about his true tribe (Berom or Hausa?), Muslim; North Central or North West?: 30th July, 1975 – 13th February, 1976 (6 months+);
* Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo….Yoruba Christian; South West: 13th February, 1976 – 1st October, 1979 (3 years, 7 months+);
* Alhaji Shehu Shagari…..Fulani Muslim; North West: 1st October, 1979 – 31st December, 1983(4 years 3 months);
* Major Gen. Muhammadu Buhari…..Fulani Muslim; North West: 31st December, 1983 – 27th August, 1985 (1 year, 8 months);
* Gen. Ibrahim Babangida…..Gwari Muslim; North Central: 27th August, 1985 – 27th August, 1993 (8 years);
* Chief Ernest Shonekan……Yoruba Christian; South West: 27th August, 1993 – 17th November, 1993 (2 months+);
* Gen. Sani Abacha……Kanuri Muslim; North East: 17th November, 1993 – 8th June, 1998 (4 years, 6 months+);
* Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar……Gwari Muslim; North Central: 9th June, 1998 – 29th May, 1999(11 months+);
* Chief Olusegun Obasanjo…..Yoruba Christian; South West: 29th May, 1999 – 29th May, 2007(8 years);
*Alhaji Umaru Yar’adua….Fulani Muslim; North West: 29th May, 2007 – 5th May, 2010 (2 years, 11 months+);
* Dr. Goodluck Jonathan…..Ijaw Christian; South South: 5th May, 2010 – Date (4 years, 7 months+).
Obviously, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan is the first person from the South South geo-political zone to lead Nigeria; and he has effectively been in office for only one term. Since Providence has made it possible for him to vie for a second term, without prejudice to the right of other Nigerians to seek the office and without discounting the good performance of the President as I have already highlighted which really suffices to earn him another tenure, it is my well-considered opinion that a Jonathan Second Term would go a long way to strengthen our nation’s unity and engender the much needed sense of belonging of Southern “Minority Tribes”, especially those of the Niger Delta who have been oppressed and violated by the Nigerian state for decades.
While a Jonathan Presidency alone cannot resolve the Niger Delta Question, it is evident that the mere presence of an Ijaw man in Aso Rock as Head of the Nigerian Government has had very salutary effect in stopping militancy in the region. Some may argue that it was the Amnesty granted to the Niger Delta Militants by late President Yar’adua that has brought about the peace now prevalent in the area. But that is not the entire story. President Jonathan has been the Stabiliser. While we must not blackmailed and intimidated by the threats emanating from some ex-militants that they would resume their insurgency should Dr. Jonathan not be elected as Nigeria’s President, it would be a grave mistake not to be mindful of the sensibilities of the people of the region. The sentiment that a Niger Deltan is not good enough to lead Nigeria and be given a two-term tenure as Obasanjo had and as Yar’adua would no doubt have had but for the cold hands of death must not be allowed to take root. Nigeria can ill-afford a return to Niger Delta militancy while we yet grapple with Boko Haram.
A Jonathan Second Term will not cure Nigerians of tribalism, ethnicity and religious bigotry, but it will help give our country a New Lease of Life as we continue to work at building a truly united nation where peace, equity and justice reign.
God bless Nigeria.
•Mr. Eyienyien, political analyst, wrote from Abuja.
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/01/imperative-jonathan-2nd-term/#sthash.04zPfWHa.dpuf
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