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South-South Governors Back Jonathan
From Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu, Benin
FIVE governors of the South-South states yesterday pledged their support to Acting President Goodluck Jonathan, as he steers the affairs of the nation.
The governors, however, lamented the exploitation of President Musa Yar'Adua's ill-health by some individuals and groups for the promotion of "personal, ethnic and regional interests."
The governors are Godswill Akpabio of Akwa-Ibom, Liyel Imoke (Cross River), Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta), Adams Oshiomhole (Edo) and Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State.
Absent from the meeting held in Benin City was the Governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva.
In a communiqu? issued at parley, which lasted from 9pm on Friday to 2.40am on Saturday, the governors stressed the need for them to be involved in the management of the post-amnesty programme in the Niger delta.
They also called on the National Assembly to expedite action on the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), which, they said, promised 10 per cent equity in Incorporated Joints Ventures to oil-producing communities.
In a communiqu? read by Imoke, the governors restated their loyalty to President Yar'Adua and called on Nigerians to "pray for his speedy recovery and his quick return to office."
The governors commended Acting President Jonathan "for showing leadership at this most difficult and challenging time and urge him to remain steadfast and focused in steering the affairs of state."
However, the governors expressed concern that "some individuals and groups are exploiting the situation (Yar'Adua's ailment) for the promotion of personal, ethnic and regional interest."
They condemned these actions and urged the Nigerian elite to avoid inflammatory and divisive statements and actions that potentially endanger the stability of the nation.
"The national unity of the country outweighs any personal, ethnic or regional interest," they said.
On the post-amnesty programme of the Federal Government, the governors voiced their concern about the pace of its implementation.
According to them: "It is vital that funds be released and properly managed for the implementation of the post-amnesty programme. The slow place of the post-amnesty programme has led to frustration.
"It is also important that the post-amnesty programme be reviewed and an implementation timeline and benchmarks set to ensure that this laudable programme is sustainably managed to a logical and mutually beneficial conclusion."
The governors suggested a clear, post-training job creation programme, which should be fully articulated and implemented "to fully integrate the former militants in the Niger Delta into productive endeavours in the country."
Nonetheless, they noted that the amnesty programme "has successfully brought the conflict in the Niger Delta to an end to the benefit of the whole nation."
"Oil industry operations, which is the mainstay of the nation's economy, has been stabilised by the success so far of that programme.
"Certainly, the amnesty programme shall remain a shining legacy of the Yar'Adua presidency," they said.
The South-South governors also deliberated on and accepted the report of their first Regional Economic Summit held in Calabar in April, 2009, where they agreed that a full-time Secretariat called 'BRACED Commission Secretariat' be set up "to co-ordinate the vision and integrated regional development agenda."
(BRACED is an acronym for Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo and Delta - the six states that make up the South-South geopolitical zone.)
While commending members of the Summit Committee headed by Prof. Pat Utomi "for a thorough job," the governors stressed their commitment to the economic integration of the region.
They accepted to set up a Business Council to co-ordinate the activities of the private sector, as a vital development organ for the regional economic development.
Meanwhile, the African Network for the Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ) through its executive director, Revd David Ugolor, yesterday lauded the position of the governors.
Ugolor said the setting up of the BRACED Secretariat would enable the governors to implement their master plan for the region.
"We welcome the statement issued by the governors particularly taking into cognisance what happened in Calabar in their meeting last year and with the setting up the secretariat.
"We, as a civil society group, would monitor their activities and it is a right signal to the Federal Government on the need to show commitment to the socio-economic growth of the country."
It would be recalled that South-South Economic Group, headed by Prof. Utomi, two weeks ago said there was need for the approval of a gas master plan for the region and the concessioning of its distribution plants in the region for investors.
The group said the decision would enable the various states' independent power projects (IPPs) to attain optimum production as well as support the development of industrial parks within the region.
It also called on the Federal Government to expedite action on the proposed Calabar-Lagos rail project estimated to cost $.5.7 billion and expected to create about 66,000 jobs.
Source: The Guardian, 28th Feb 2010.
Has Anybody Seen The President?
By Felix Oguejiofor-Abugu (abuguf@yahoo.com)
ON Wednesday this week, newspapers reported that President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua had
returned to the country after a 93-day medical trip to Saudi Arabia. Just like in August 2008 when he returned to the country from the same Saudi Arabia, where he had surreptitiously gone for medical treatment and spent three anxious weeks, under the guise of going for the lesser Hajj, his purported return in the early hours of Wednesday was shrouded in absolute secrecy. Nobody, save for members of the Yar'Adua immediate family and some diehard loyalists in the government, not even Acting President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federation Goodluck Jonathan, knew that the President was home-bound from Saudi Arabia. Moreover, the President's purported return came on the same day that a Federal Government delegation of six senior ministers were in Saudi Arabia to see the ailing president and ascertain the state of his health. They were also to thank the Saudi authorities, on behalf of the government and people of Nigeria, for their hospitality to, and care for, President Yar'Adua, said Foreign Affairs Minister Ojo Maduekwe.
Thisday graphically captured the drama surrounding the 'return'. "About 30 minutes to his arrival, the source of power supply to the airport was switched from public to generator," the newspaper reported on its front page under a banner headline Yar'Adua Arrives. "After the first, small aircraft arrived, another one, a bigger aircraft, landed a few minutes later. Both were unusually parked on the runway-virtually in the bush, instead of the parking area, for a very long time. It was not clear which of the two aircraft carried the president as the entire area was covered in darkness."
According to the newspaper, "an ambulance was seen moving towards the two aircraft shortly after the arrival of the second one. A bus also moved in a few minutes later...Soldiers were deployed on the route from the airport to the Presidential Villa. They all took strategic positions, fully armed. The trucks that conveyed them bore the sign of the brigade of guards..."
From the above report, it's obvious what the objective of those who smuggled President Yar'Adua into the country was: to shield the president from public glare, thereby sustaining the current uncertainty over his state of health, which they can then hide under to exercise power, albeit illegally, on his behalf. It is a carefully choreographed act of illegality, perpetrated these past three months plus by people, many of whose positions in government the constitution does not even recognize.
For me, this unfolding, bizarre drama raises one key question, namely, does the ill health of the president fall under national domestic/family concern? Or, better still, when does the president's ill health become a national concern and when a domestic/family concern? Of course, the answer is obvious: for as long as the president remains the president, whatever happens to him is our concern, not just that of his family. In fact, the truth is that a president seizes to be a family property once he is sworn in as one-he becomes more of a public property. He is the father of the nation, the embodiment of its strengths and weaknesses, its ills and virtues. The assumption is that when the president is physically ill, the nation is literally ill. Stock markets rise and or fall at the news of the health status of a president. Therefore, the health of any president is not something that his family can, or should be allowed, to manipulate public opinion about. It should be an open book from which every one should be able to glean all the necessary information about the state of health of a nation's number one.
From the very beginning to the last-from Novemver 23, last year, when he left the country on a medical trip to Saudi Arabia, to his reported return last Wednesday, information about President Yar'Adua's ill health has been grossly, even deliberately, mismanaged by those who, it is obvious now, stood (and still stand) to gain from such mismanagement. These people shut the rest of us out of everything happening around the president, pitted the family against the nation, their tactic an endless game of subterfuges, and then sat back bemused to watch a needless crisis sprout and engulf the nation. The climax of this nauseating game came on Wednesday with the reported return of the President.
As could be seen from the Thisday report, everything possible was done by the Yar'Adua clan to deny access to any one outside the circle of the 'chosen' few to see the President-whether in Saudi Arabia or, now, here in Nigeria. Not even the Acting President, Yar'Adua's deputy, would be allowed to see him. And you ask, how could any group of people, be they members of the First Family or their very close associates, be allowed so much room for cant and chicanery in handling such sensitive matter as the health of Nigerian President.
What is evident from the rather benumbing secrecy surrounding the state of health of our President, right from Saudi Arabia back to the country, is simply that the power mongers in Aso Rock have, indeed, something to hide, which is that President Yar'Adua's state of health is so precarious that letting people see him would lead to increased pressure on the relevant authorities to dump him and swear in Acting President Goodluck Jonathan as President, a development the power mongers appear loath to contemplate. What is happening now-the lack of access to a 'recuperating' president, even by his deputy-is a clear indication that the National Assembly was right in adopting a resolution making Jonathan the Acting President. Unable to persuade the Yar'Adua crowd to get the President to transmit a letter as provided for in Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution, the national anchoring its decision on the 'doctrine of necessity' and using Yar'Adua's BBC interview as a 'sufficient' and 'necessary' substitute for a written letter from the President, adopted a resolution conferring the executive powers of the President on Dr. Jonathan in acting capacity. It is obvious now that, in reality, President Yar'Adua could never have written that letter-if he must write it by himself. And, going by current happenings, the President's minders would probably not have liked to carry out that constitutional requirement on his behalf, because it would not have been in their interest to do so!
As it is now, there is no other law under which any one may carry out the functions of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria except that by which the National Assembly made Jonathan Acting President. It still subsists; it has not been quashed by any court of law in Nigeria, which is the only authority that can throw out the window what the National Assembly has done. So, Aso Rock can't just ignore it. In fact, that law or, well, resolution provided that whenever the President returned from his medical trip, he could reclaim his position only after he had communicated to the National Assembly that he was back and fit to carry out his responsibilities as president. There is as yet no indication that the President has so communicated to the National Assembly since he 'returned' to the country on Wednesday or that he can actually make such communication.
It means, therefore, that any action taken, or any statement issued, on behalf of the President by any person or group of persons is illegal, a brazen violation of a valid law of the national assembly and, by extension, the constitution of the Federal Republic and should be punished. Thus, the reference to the Acting President as Vice President in a recent statement 'by Yar'Adua' appears to me a deliberate act of impunity designed to show contempt for the National Assembly and the constitution and should be investigated and appropriate punitive action taken. Similarly, no one else in Nigeria at the moment, except Acting President Goodluck Jonathan, has power to order the movement of soldiers within or outside of the country. Therefore, whoever ordered the drafting of soldiers from the Brigade of Guards (according to the Thisday report, which has not been denied) to provide cover at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, for President Yar'Adua's surreptitious entry into the country in the wee hours of last Wednesday, without the authority of Acting President Goodluck Jonathan has committed a treasonable offence and should go in for that.
One of the major problems of our country is that every so often, people in high places act in total disregard of the law but hardly ever get punished. So, over time, we have come to assume, consciously or unconsciously that the law, indeed, has room for sacred cows and that those in high positions in government, their relations and associates are automatic members of that privileged group, who can act as they please. What has happened in Nigeria since last Wednesday is but a clear affirmation of that despicable syndrome: there are people who just think they own Nigeria, the born-to-rulers who have carried on over time as though every one else but members of their clan, is bound by the law.
But, nobody is above the law-any society that tolerates any group with such hang-up is doomed. We are all bound by the law, so we must obey the law at all times, irrespective of whether or not the law is on our side at any one point in time. The country has moved on since the National Assembly adopted a resolution making Goodluck Jonathan the Acting President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federation. Nobody, not even the First Family and or the so-called diehard Yar'Adua loyalists, must be allowed to draw us back. We-and, to be sure, Yar'Adua himself-can do without this rancorous, destabilizing politics over the President's health.
Source: The Guardian, 27th Feb 2010.
Back
'A Cabal Has Hijacked The Reins Of Power In Nigeria'
From Hendrix Oliomogbe, Asaba
THE absence and return of the President to the country made no difference to the masses.
Nigerians have been living with problems since. We have mastered the hardship of living with that problem, so whether Yar'Adua survives Saudi Arabia or did not survive, Nigeria goes on.
Corruption as a cultural base should be eradicated. Every Nigerian should go back to his culture and check what his highest cultural systems are.
Every Nigerian should go back in the essence of what we are as Africans; articulate that spirituality. It is not a case of going to the church and shouting hallelujah while busy stealing. The spirituality of Africanity that makes the essence of Africans what we are should be sought back.
Civics should be thought in our schools. We should show the decorum of family. There is no family love or relationship as before, but economic expediency is the highest value now.
This is happening because we are not honest to ourselves. Why do we think that one section of the country must always rule? If we truly believe in democracy, it is not a question of whether you are from the North, South, East or West; it is the principles. Why can't we trust one another?
A lame President is a lame nation; it is a planned work to keep Nigeria in darkness and make Jonathan Acting President and sneaks Yar'Adua back in two weeks. We don't even know what they sneaked back, whether it is a functioning or a semi-functioning Yar'Adua, but we heard that something was sneaked into this country. There was no television coverage. If it is in a civilised country, the first thing is to call in the journalists and brief them.
This is what I chose to call timocracy; we are intimidated. How can the President sneak out for three months and sneak back in without addressing a press conference to tell Nigerians what is going on?
He should not be impeached. Whatever he did, he didn't do it unilaterally; it was a grandiose plan: sneak him into Saudi Arabia because of the religious trust that emphasises the oath of secrecy. Before now, former military President Ibrahim Babangida travelled to France for treatment. Why was it necessary to hide his health condition?
Supposed Yar'Adua is still lying down on a life support and can only manage to talk because of scientific devices, which can keep almost dead person alive, what kind of mental attitude will he be sustaining to run a country like Nigeria?
We have accepted democracy and so let us keep playing cat and mouse game. If channels of policies are not well defined, many things could go wrong. Things that are not done elsewhere are being done here.
Yar'Adua cannot write; I doubt if he has the mental capacity. We want to hear from him, because he is our President.
Politically ambitious people are going to create tension, but men like us cannot be tensed. We will find a way to sweep everything to where it should be.
My only worry is that the situation does not play into the hands of some foolish people, because the mistake has already been made. The ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is part of the collusion.
Is Yar'Adua functioning? Surrogates are working for Yar'Adua. We didn't elect surrogates as our President, but Yar'Adua. He must make a broadcast to the nation; he has to come out and speak.
A cabal is running the country and keeping Nigerians in the dark. This is no democracy; this is a government of intimidated people. Nigerians are suffering and smiling, as Fela Anikulapo-Kuti sang, but it is not clear what we are suffering for.
-Chike Onwuachi, former Director General of the Nigerian Institute for International Affairs (NIIA) 'Enough Is Enough'
From Gordi Udeajah, Umuahia
WE are watching a theatre of the absurd; the audience are Nigerians, and the actors unseen spirits. The resolution is wholly unknown. God save us all!
The geographical location of the President was not the basis of the resolution of the National Assembly; the void arising from his incapacity is what is material. Accordingly, the crucial issue is not whether he is back, but if he has the requisite mental and physical capacity to discharge his duties as President and Commander-in-Chief.
-Ukpai Ukairo, lawyer and politician
THE scenario over the arrival of the President shows that there is little or no hope left in his survival. Why the shady protection in keeping away numerous and anxious Nigerians who have been praying for his quick recovery? How can and how many times will we be deceived?
The irony in the entire thing is that some people are interested in enriching themselves from the entire episode. Imagine how many delegations that have been dispatched to Saudi Arabia without success in seeing the President. Thanks to the National Assembly and the courage of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) in moving the nation forward by elevating the Vice President to Acting President, who on assumption showed that he can pilot the affairs of the nation.
To my mind, the best is for the President to retire to his Katsina country home till he is healthy enough to come back to his seat.
-Ifeanyi Onwueme, chairman of the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) in Abia State
THE issue is not the location of President Yar'Adua, but strictly his ill health and incapacitation. We thank God that the Saudi Arabian government saw the wisdom of releasing our President to us, perhaps to forestall any diplomatic row with the Nigerian government.
If the President has fully recovered and capable of running the affairs of this country, his home coming, like a typical politician, would have been with great celebration and fanfare, with we his people lining the streets of Abuja to welcome him. But what happened? Our President was wheeled into the country in the wee hours of the night.
Nigerians have been taken for a ride for too long by a few self-seeking cabal and now is the time for us to rise and put a stop to this madness. Who would ever believe that this sad melodrama is taking place in Nigeria?
The National Assembly and the FEC should act swiftly to save the country from disintegrating. What should be paramount to any sane Nigerian is the rule of law and good governance in Nigeria, which ironically is espoused by this same President and his cronies, who are now subverting the constitution of the country for their selfish agenda.
We have been pushed to the wall and our reaction may be very unpredictable. Where is the party leadership? Where are our elders? This madness must stop now or we forget Nigeria, as predicted by the United States (US) intelligence.
Yar'Adua should go and quietly nurse his ailment and allow the Acting President steer the ship of state. It is crystal clear that he is not in a healthy state to run the affairs of this country, which is in dire need of a very strong, healthy and a hands-on leader, especially at this crucial stage of global economic and political challenges.
Any right-thinking patriot would decipher that a cabal of self-seeking aides and associates of the President wish to hold both the President and the entire country captives for their selfish and personal interests.
But justice and Nigerians have news for them, for as long as they try to hold the country ransom, so also will their punishment and the case against them be long and tortuous. They have inflicted upon this fragile country, unnecessary pain and humiliation, both at the domestic and at international levels.
These are very desperate people, who wish to cling unto power by all means, not for any altruistic value that they can add to the growth and development of Nigeria, but only concerned with satisfying their kleptomania tendencies.
These men and women are toying with the lack of understanding of some of the masses of Nigerians, and trying to play the ethnic game. But it is unfortunate that their underbellies are exposed. They do not mean well for any section of Nigeria, be it the North or the South; all they are concerned about is their selfish ambitions and self-aggrandisement.
When all this is over, the arm of justice must try all those behind this madness and this sorry part of our history. This whole saga is more than enough to break this country and the fragile peace, which we are currently experiencing.
Have Nigerians paused to ask, that for all the years that we have had Northern or Southern Presidents, can any of them tell us why we are still grappling with 2000 mega watts of electricity? Which Nigerian President can boast of food sufficiency in our land, or is it the dwindling standard of education and health care system in our country?
Which past Nigerian President can proudly say that he improved our income per capita to any meaningful level, compared to some of the emerging tiger nations, which were at the same level with Nigeria in the 1960s?
All that our past Presidents, either Northern or Southern, have bequeathed to Nigeria are area boys and almajiris, lack of electricity, leading to closure of factories and laying off of workers, Niger Delta crisis, massive corruption in public and private sectors, unemployment, inflation and extremely high misery index, domestic and international fraudsters, bad national image, religious intolerance, and lately, terrorism.
Which right-thinking patriotic Nigerian will be proud of the very sorry state of Nigeria today in the 21st century? A President, who for all intents are purposes, may be unconscious is having statements issued on his behalf and for over three months has not been able to address his country men and women.
Nigerians, this is not right. Yar'Adua's handlers have done great harm and injury to this country and its citizens. And it is time for we, the people, to rise up, take our destiny in our hands and say, enough is enough!
-Sonny Iroche, Coordinator of Movement for Change in Nigeria
'Method Of The President's Return Very Strange'
From Isa Abdulsalami, Jos
THE method of the President's return to the country was very strange. This is something that Nigerians should study and understand, because the matter is quite complex and has to do with the power play by factions of the Nigerian ruling class, which is interested in continuing with the current pattern of governance, where President Yar'Adua was leading.
This is a group that is interested in retaining power at all costs, even when the constitution is very clear on certain aspects. They are still bent on bringing someone who has been very sick to come and lead this country.
The power play again shows clearly that there is also a faction of the governing class that wants things to be followed properly, whether the constitution has a problem or not. They think that Nigeria should continue to be run in a manner that will benefit her own citizens.
The unfortunate development people have seen is the sneaking into this country of the President in the midnight and we think that is not the correct thing to do. It shows clearly that the President is yet to recover. The story of the ambulances and how the airport became very dark shows clearly that the President is not healthy enough to rule this country.
And that his media aide said Jonathan should continue to rule shows that the President is not yet healthy to continue with the art of governance. This portrays Nigeria as an unserious country that does not really follow rules and regulations guiding political behaviour.
This shows that a certain section of this country and certain faction of the ruling class want to continue to maintain their grip on power, irrespective of the consequences this would have on citizens on this country.
I think Nigerians must rise up to the occasion and say the rules must be followed, and the institutions that have been put in place must act accordingly to see that Nigeria and all these political institutions operate smoothly, irrespective of class or religious interests.
We must need to maintain the cooperate existence of Nigeria, a country that provides for its citizens and not individuals, who continue to maintain their grip on power and increase poverty. We are not interested in Yar'Adua or his cohorts who want to maintain their grip on power.
-Pam Sha, Senior Lecturer, University of Jos
'This Governance By Proxy Must Stop'
From Charles Akpeji, Jalingo
WE don't know this secrecy surrounding our President, who was elected by Nigerians. We have been treated with disrespect by those who are very close to the President.
The President is no longer the property of his family from the day he took oat of office that he will defend the constitution of Nigeria. We are supposed to be informed expertly on what is happening. What kind of thing is that? Unannounced? Coming in secrecy like that? What game are some people trying to play?
I think that some people are trying to play a kind of dangerous game. Why return in the night? If the President has not recovered well, who is asking them to bring him back home and what did they think that they are going to achieve?
I think the President has not fully recovered, because if he has, definitely arrangements should have been made so that he arrived the country in a day time, where people will go to the airport to receive him and he will later make a nationwide broadcast to let the people know he is back hale and healthy.
I think some people are playing this game of secrecy too far, which is not good for the country.
I don't know what some people are afraid of, but I think that something is wrong somewhere. I think there is some terrible and sinister game being plan and penetrated somewhere.
As far as some of us are concern, Nigeria is too big a country for any individual. Nigeria is a country of over 140 million people and for some people to think that bringing back the President when he is yet to recover to create confusion in the system is unpatriotic.
Those responsible are suppose to be watched and warned, because they are trying to drag this country to the level where it will not be comfortable for all of us.
Those trying to play this game are doing so for their own selfish reasons; I don't think it is for the good governance of this country. We love Mr. President. If we did not love the President in the first place, we would not have been elected him. Those around him want to subvert democracy through all these secrecy. We have to speak out now because if don't speak, posterity will not for give all of us.
But why is it that some people seized this opportunity and continue to issue out instructions to say it was coming from the President. They wanted to achieve something by that and it is only God that has intervened in the case of Nigeria to keep us, so that we can allow our fledging democracy to grow.
We should demand from the representatives of the people in the National Assembly to raise a medical team, as provided for in the constitution, now that the President is said to be back in the country, since nobody has seen him. If he is in Aso Rock, let them go and see him and tell Nigerians what is happening, because this governance by proxy must stop.
All patriotic Nigerians should condemn this game of secrecy. The provision of the constitution should be followed to the letter. it is time for all patriotic Nigerians to stand up and condemned those trying to hold the President or the country to ransom by not telling us exactly what is happening to our President.
-Jonah Katap, chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Taraba State
'Power Is Transient, Because Power Belongs To God'
From Inem Akpan-Nsoh, Uyo
IT is very sad indeed, the manner with which he returned into the country.
You know Nigerians are very accommodating and loving; they are good at acting as their brother's keeper. But the way the family of Yar'Adua and some people have handled it makes it look as if they are riding on the intelligence of Nigerians, as if we do not know our left from our right.
We have been underestimated by the family and by so doing, the international community is looking at Nigeria as a nation where there is no leadership or focus.
The statement by his media aide that the President is yet to fully recuperate, although I don't know where the President stayed to give him directive to issue the statement, because I doubt whether he is alert enough mentally to be able to give such directive or whether it is the wife that has directed him to issue the statement, means that the man is not fit to rule and should better be allowed to rest.
Power is transient, because power belongs to God. So, if the man is not well enough, they should allow him to rest; he will be the President of Nigeria until death. Even after death, his name will still be there and a lot of benefits will still accrue to him and his family. They should not be selfish and should allow the man to rest, while the Acting President continues.
If Yar'Adua cannot resign, he should be impeached, so that he can have enough rest. I don't want him to die in the name of power.
Since the National Assembly has been courageous in declaring Jonathan as the Acting President, they should also be courageous to look at the health of the President and remove him from office if they found him incapable to continue in office.
The National Assembly should look at the interest of Nigeria and do the right thing at this juncture, so that Nigeria can move forward, because people are suffering, as the economy is stagnated.
'Those Handling Yar'Adua's Should Be More Open About Everything Surrounding Him'
From Adamu Abuh, Kano
AS a professional, I am really not too concerned about how he came back and at what time of
the day he came back, though one would have wished that everything is done in full glare.
I don't want to speculate about the condition of his health.
It is not easy to say whether it is a sudden return or a scheduled return. I can understand the public concern that there is not much information coming out from those who manage the situation. Maybe his return was scheduled or sudden, but I am not opposed as to the manner of his sudden return.
Well, again going by the little press statement that has been put out by Segun Adeniyi that he has not fully recovered and that he is still recuperating, the Vice President can continue to take charge of affairs.
The man travelled out on medical grounds; we don't know how he went out and he has come back and we don't know how he came back. but all I would say is I wish someone would be a bit more sensitive to be very open with Nigerians about what is happening, so that we don't speculate.
There are many things that need to be done. First and foremost, if I were handling Yar'Adua's affair, I would be more open about everything surrounding him as much as the public would need to know. Of course, we don't have to be too inquisitive about his private life. But I think the Nigerian public is entitled to know his condition, because his health condition is a matter for public interest.
Secondly, there is concern about the vacuum. We have a situation where there is an Acting President, also the President himself, all habiting the same area. There is a need to clarify that. If the President agrees with the National Assembly that he has transmitted a declaration for the Vice to act on his behalf and he want to resume his mandate, all he needs to do is to follow what Section 145 has stipulated, because the constitution says unless he writes in the contrary, the Acting President would continue to act.
For now, to my understanding, assuming the Vice President is acting on the basis of the transmission of a statement from the President, now there would be a need for the President to write to inform the National Assembly that he has come back and perhaps give a date when he would resume duties.
Obviously, it is very problematic to construe and understand and impute the kind of deliberate action the National Assembly has done, using the BBC interview the President granted.
Perhaps now that he is back, they might want to take it as a notification that he is back.
In that case, Jonathan reverts to his position as Vice President.
I would want those who handle the Presidency to be more open and clear with Nigerians, so that we know what is happening, because Nigerians would have to ask question and naturally their imaginations would go wide.
What has happened has afforded us an opportunity in the system to find its level. Nobody ever thought about the full implication and the ramification of some relevant section of the constitution.
-Auwalu Yadudu, constitutional lawyer and former legal aide to the late Gen. Sani Abacha 'Yar'Adua's Return Is A Comic Relief'
YOU can call the President's return a comic relief. Personally and I believe many other Nigerians would want to have their President back in good health. And if from all indications, the man had to be flown out of Saudi Arabia in an air ambulance, then it simply means he is still not in good health and technically,
We are not out of the woods yet, because he is in no position to exercise his function conferred on him by several sections of the Nigerian constitution.
Let me pre-empt the argument of those who say, what if he turns up at the cabinet meeting that is neither here nor there, because he has returned to the country and nobody is willing to spend his kobo that he is in good health.
The moment Yar'Adua sets his foot on Nigeria's soil, whether it is in some sort of island in the Atlantic or somewhere in the desert, the acting position of Goodluck Jonathan has evaporated; he is no more the Acting President, because we can only have one President at a time, the powers of Jonathan as Acting President has automatically lapsed and lapsed completely.
The powers exercisable by the President are not to be exercised so that people can see. It is not a pre-condition for the man that is the President to be seen in everything he does, because a lot of the powers that are exercisable by the President in accordance with the constitution are not meant to be exercisable publicly.
So, the public component is out of the question."
The constitution must be respected and it has to be done properly. First of all, the National Assembly would have to pass another concurrent resolution, asking the federal cabinet to give them a status report on the health of the President and having done that, the cabinet would have to put five doctors together and examine this man's state of health and from there on, follow the relevant Sections of 144 and 145 of the constitution.
-Junaid Mohammed, National Chairman of Peoples Salvation Party (PSP)
'Let People Be Fair And Respect Our Constitution'
From Saxone Akhaine, Kaduna
Nigerians have been praying that Yar'Adua should get well. And if that is the case and he is well to take over the mantle of leadership again, then it is a good thing for the country.
But from report and what we have gathered, it seems Yar'Adua was brought back in an air ambulance and was taken with an ambulance to Aso Rock in the middle of the night. That too is full of suspicion, because if he is not full well and he is brought to the country, that means some people are just trying to cause problem for this country.
What is the rational behind bringing him in the middle of the night, so that nobody can see him? Yar'Adua is a national property, a public property and for the people who brought him into the country suddenly, shrouding everything in secrecy, is not good for the image of this country.
With Yar'Adua in the country today, I foresee some crisis ahead, because, definitely there will crisis of interests among the people who claimed to be the kitchen cabinet of Yar'Adua, who have an agenda. Nigerians who have the rights to also know what is exactly the problem of the President. Under normal circumstances, if Yar'Adua had been shown on television and he is capable of handling the mantle of leadership, then of course, the situation would be different and everything will be reverted.
But, anything beyond that, we have to be very careful and cautious over this issue. The question is if the President is capable of giving any instructions under the present situation he is? If he has not fully recovered and then he still has this problem, then of course, he cannot think straight for Nigeria, and even instructions, there is no how he can do that. He cannot dish out instructions at this point in time.
From what we have gathered from some of the experienced doctors, they are say judging from the ailment of the President, even with the drugs that he is taking alone, there is no how that the man can think straight. If that is the case, I cannot see how Yar'Adua can be giving instructions to the Acting President.
And coming to the issue of Yar'Adua's wife and the man's aides meddling with the affairs of the nation, it is unconstitutional. Nigerians did not vote for them to oversee the affairs of the nation or rule by proxy on behalf of the President. So, Nigerians will not tolerate any directives from these people.
When such a thing is mentioned...the interest of the North, it is ridiculous. Let us be honest. Who is actually afraid of what? The North had had enough time to rule this country without any progress. Other people should be given the opportunity, because if we must remain united as a nation, then of course the interest of other people should be taken care of.
It is not only the North that has the birth right to rule. The North does not have the exclusive preserve to govern this nation. So, Yar'Adua has had his time, and unfortunately, the sickness comes in. If he has not fully recovered, power can go to anywhere. And at other time, it can come to the North again. Let people be fair and respect our constitution.
The zoning system can be good in a given situation, and it can also be bad and counter-productive. In a united nation like our country, one has to be very careful about this zoning system. If it has the capability to a least remove the fear of others who feel that it is only the strongest regions controlling power, let there be a sharing formula. I think that was what informed the decision of the PDP, which is of course good.
But, if we want a Nigeria, the problem today is that people are not that I am a Nigerian. They say I am a Northerner or Southerner or Westerner and so on. That is the problem of this country. We should be able to kill this thing in the psyche of Nigerians. A Nigerian should be a Nigerian.
The best materials should be brought in to develop Nigeria. We have in this country today people who are capable to take us to greater heights and prosperity of the nation, but because of this zoning system, the nation is denied to have them in leadership position.
If Yar'Adua is fit enough to take the mantle of leadership, then there is no problem for him to take back his position and Jonathan continues as Vice. But, if he is not capable, some people must not sit down somewhere and say that the President says this and that. I think this is what Nigerians will resist, because it will be wrong for them to use that to bring this country into crisis.
If he is not capable of coming out to rule they should take the bull by the horn and say that he is not capable and not to take Nigerians for granted. Let the man go and find good medical treatment, when he comes back, he can still take his position.
The National Assembly should immediately set up a medical team to ascertain the health status of Yar'Adua now that he is back to the country. They should investigate thoroughly his health situation and not for some people to start telling Nigerians that he is recovering. If he is not, let them just swear in Jonathan as substantive President and then get a Vice President until 2011 elections.
-Secretary General of Northern states and Abuja chapter of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN)
Source: The Guardian, 27th Feb 2010.
Back
Most Nigerian laws are against the poor,
says Rep
From Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu, Benin
A MEMBER of the House of Representatives, Mr. Ehioge West-Idahosa, has accused the political elite of making laws that are targeted at depriving the ordinary Nigerian citizens of their rights.
He also said that relentless clamour for the filling of the vacuum in the Presidency and posers raised by Nigerians on the absence of President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua were instrumental to the National Assembly's resolve to making Goodluck Jonathan the Acting President.
West-Idahosa stated this in Benin City, Edo State capital, at the weekend during a seminar on the "State of the Nation" organised by the Benin City branch of National Association of Seadogs (Pirate Confraternity).
He said the criticisms by Nigerians that the National Assembly failed to act promptly on the matter was because those who did not want the status quo to change even when it was obvious that change was inevitable, were more in number and, therefore, defeated initial attempts to raise the issue in the floor of the House.
"Those who said they didn't want us to discuss it were in the majority. So we have to strategise, some people were ready to pull down the roof to please their masters...what eventually passed out was the agitations of the people".
West-Idahosa also criticised the ideological dearth in political parties in the country, which he said, had also contributed to the weak state of opposition parties.
"Most of the political parties (if not all) are bereft of any ideology upon which its membership is built. In the end, strange bedfellows together with their supporters and cronies gather in the name of one party or the other. In their kind of conventions, they gather at one square or the other merely to re-assure themselves about who is loyal and deserves what or which godfather has the right to sponsor who? Such is our clime".
He posited that the country's political leaders required more education to effectively compete with the one other, adding: "Some of them are barely literate and have no capacity to study".
According to him, Nigeria has failed to respect the dictum of equality before the law as public officials accused of embezzlement are free citizens. "The irony of it all is that there are many ordinary people languishing in various prisons in the country for allegations of offences such as wandering. The law entraps the weak in Nigeria and sets the strong free", he added.
The lawmaker also lamented that the current crop of political leaders "lacked the discipline, know-how, patriotism and intellectual flair to succeed as leaders" and that the few knowledgeable ones lacked the political will to make a difference.
He said Nigeria's electoral system was also weak and called for reduction in the number of political parties to five.
National leader of the group, Emmanuel Bassey, charged the political class to be accountable to the people. He said the association banned students' membership of the group since 1984 when it became obvious that the original intention of its founders were being abused.
Source: The Guardian, 15th Feb 2010.
U.S Congratulates Goodluck Jonathan
, Abuja
The United States (U.S. A) Government has congratulated Acting President Goodluck Jonathan, even as it pledges to support Nigerian Government in actualizing its developmental goals.
The U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Robin Sanders in a statement issued in Abuja yesterday on this week's political developments in Nigeria, said, "We believe that the principle of democracy have been served well in Nigeria through the leadership shown by the National Assembly, the Governors' Forum, several Ministers, and the courts in finding a way out of the political impasse".
According to Sanders, the commitment of all elements of Nigerian society to constitutional process and the rule of law are commendable. "The best interests of the country and the future of Nigeria have been well served by this action."
The U.S. Ambassador also offered assurances "that the United States stands ready to support the Government and the people of Nigeria to achieve many important goals in its immediate future, including free and fair national elections in 2011.
For example, providing for an accurate, credible and transparent national voter registry would be a good first step. The successful visit of Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Ambassador Johnnie Carson, clearly demonstrates the strong relationship between the U.S. and Nigeria and hopes that we share for Nigeria's democratic, peaceful and prosperous future."
The Ambassador concluded that the U.S. Government looks forward to working with the Government and people of this great nation." added U.S Envoy.
Source: Vanguard, 13th Feb 2010.
Goodluck...There Is Everything In A Name
By Godwin Ijediogor
Nigerians' anxiety over the country's rudderlessness in the past 78 days may have thawed with the empowering of Vice President Goodluck Jonathan by both chambers of the National Assembly to assume the responsibility of Acting President and Commander-in-Chief of the country's armed forces in the absence of ailing President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, but it may also have opened a new vista of controversy as to the legality or otherwise of the lawmakers' action, considering the express provisions of Sections 144 and 145 of the 1999 Constitution.
AN ending, perhaps not exactly the end itself, appears in the horizon in the long-drawn controversy and debate regarding the true state of health and administrative capabilities of Nigeria's ailing President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua to continue to assume that office after over two months Absence Without Official Leave (AWOL), with Tuesday's empowering of Vice President Goodluck Jonathan by the National Assembly to take charge as Acting President, so that at least the country can move on.
Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution regarding the matter, reads: "Whenever the President transmits to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives a written declaration that he is proceeding on vacation or that he is otherwise unable to discharge the functions of his office, until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary such functions shall be discharged by the Vice-President as Acting President."
The crux of the matter here is the legality of the National Assembly's interpretation equating the less than one minute British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) interview with a man presumed to be Yar'Adua with a letter constitutionally required to transmit power from an incumbent President to a Vice President.
However, Senate President David Mark has assured that members were guided by patriotism, wisdom and collective national interest, as well as the spirit and letters of the constitution and the desire to sustain democracy in the country in arriving at the decision.
"The last 78 days (as at last Tuesday) have been very challenging to us as a nation. We have come under intense pressure, stress and pain," he said.
"However, we have examined all the options available to us and today rightly concluded that it is necessary to take the stand and allow the country to move forward."
The intendment and spirit of the constitution, as far as section 145 is concerned, is that the legislature should have foolproof and irrefutable evidence that Mr. President is going on vacation, or is otherwise incapable, in the interim, of discharging the functions of his office.
"A rigid and inflexible interpretation will not only stifle the spirit and intendment of the constitution, but will also affront the doctrine of necessity. The doctrine of necessity requires that we do what is necessary when faced with a situation that was not contemplated by the constitution. That is precisely what we have done today.
"In doing so, we have as well maintained the sanctity of our constitution as the ultimate law of the land.
"Viewed from the ordinary reading of section 145, the Senate came to the conclusion that the President, through his declaration, transmitted worldwide on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), has furnished the parliament with irrefutable proof that he is on medical vacation in Saudi Arabia and thereby complied with the provisions of the section."
He added that Yar'Adua would automatically resume office as President and Commander-in-Chief once he was well enough, returned to the country and informed the parliament, pursuant to section 145.
But the action and outcome of it of the National Assembly might as well not be the end of the saga, but a step towards a resolution of it. Having taking this action, the next steps would be either for the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to muster the courage to set up a Board of Medical Enquiry to ascertain the President's capability to continue in office or for Yar'Adua himself (if he is able) to tender a letter of resignation formally to the National Assembly before the maximum of 90 days, for which he could be on AWOL, or face impeachment from office from thence for violating the constitution.
Until it is certain that he is not returning, there cannot be another Vice President. Moreover, Mark has stated that Yar'Adua had not been removed as President. He told some state governors who visited him shortly after the Senate resolution: "We want to allay the fears of those who believe that President Yar'Adua has been removed. He has not been removed; he remains the President."
But several names are being touted as possible candidates for the post. While former President Olusegun Obasanjo is said to be rooting for Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido, his Bauchi State counterpart and in-law of the Yar'Aduas, Mallam Isa Yuguda appears to be the consensus candidate.
Indeed, who picks the Vice President spot is almost as important as the President, because it is assumed, at least within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), that whoever occupies that position might as well become the party's flag bearer for next year's election, going by its zoning arrangement for political offices.
So, Yuguda's candidacy is seen as a soft landing for the Yar'Aduas.
Meanwhile, in reaction to unending debate over the legality of their action, both chambers of the National Assembly continue to put up spirited defence of their decision.
Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu insisted during the week that the act of the chamber was constitutional, going by Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution.
In the same vein, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, said the House acted in response to the yawning of Nigerians.
Bankole said: "What we did was based on the wishes of the Nigerian people... to make sure that we gave a political solution to the problem of the Nigerian state.
"We never really believed that there was a vacuum. In any case, we needed to make sure that we reassured the people that there was no vacuum and we did that successfully."
According to him: "We believe that the step we took was within the confines of the constitution, which we all swore to defend. We did not go outside the constitution to find a solution. We believe that what we did was to apply current trends in science and technology in resolving a constitutional challenge.
"We believe that we are right and we did the correct thing, because Section 145, which we looked at, talked about transmission of a written notice to the Speaker and Senate President and we believe that in this age of technology, writing has taken a new dimension, because we have texts and we have e-mail and all amount to writing.
"What we simply did was that the President satisfied Section 145 when he spoke to the rest of the world, including all of us, and it was transcribed in BBC and contained in BBC website.
"So, as far as we are concerned, Section 145 has been fully complied with. We want to assure our party that we are law-abiding people; that we are lawmakers and we will never go outside our constitution, because we swore to defend that particular constitution."
On his part, National Chairman of PDP, which was all the while reluctant to have power transferred to the Vice President for whatever reason, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, has hailed the National Assembly "for the ingenious and patriotic manner you resolved the political logjam occasioned by the absence of President Yar'Adua."
He added that the action has successfully brought to an end the reign of needless speculations, anxiety and uncertainty.
He insisted that Yar'Adua's absence from the country on account of ill health does not amount to a vacuum in the Presidency.
It all started in November last year, when the President traveled to Saudi Arabia for medical attention. But unlike in the past, this particular trip has lasted far longer that necessary or anticipated and has equally brought to the fore the capacity of the President to continue in office, following the worsening condition of his health.
But after a long period of hide and seek, occasioned by personal and group interests, the ball has finally begun to roll for a man who has been living his name since entering active politics and indeed holding political offices.
As deputy to then governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, little was known of Jonathan beyond being a loyal deputy who would not rock the boat. And he was indeed recognised for that.
But the quiet and unassuming deputy governor found himself in the saddle in the wake of the turbulence that his master faced, which finally consumed his governorship, following his impeachment by the state House of Assembly for misdemeanor, after his arrest abroad on corruption charges and escape from custody.
As governor, Jonathan left no one in doubt as to who was really in charge, as he continued from where Alamieyeseigha stopped. He won the PDP ticket for a return to the Glory Land Government House in Yenagoa and was poised to win the election until he was again called to higher duty as running mate to the party's presidential candidate and fellow governor, Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar'Adua.
So, in political life, Goodluck has been living his name, and for the man from Ogbia in Bayelsa State, it is morning yet on creation day...
Source: The Guardian, 13th Feb 2010.
'I Think The Good Luck Is Following Him'
From Nkechi Onyedika, Abuja
Mr. Benson Sunday Agadaga, former Commissioner for Information in Bayelsa State, who has known the Acting President from childhood, speaks on the man Goodluck Jonathan and what to expect from him.
What is your relationship with Acting President Goodluck Jonathan?
The Acting President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, is my kinsman. He was my schoolmate, classmate, colleague and boss.
Specifically, we were schoolmates at St. Michael School, Olobiri in Ogbia Council of Bayelsa State, where crude oil was first discovered in West Africa.
We became classmates in 1971 at Mater Del High School, Imiringi, also in Ogbia from class one to five. In fact, he was our House Prefect for Masterson House. We passed out in 1975 after writing the May/June West African School Certificate (WASC) Examination.
By July the same year, we became colleagues again as Preventive Officers (POs) in the Department of Customs and Exercise, Port Harcourt, after which he resigned to pursue academic laurels at the University of Port Harcourt, while I left for the Rivers State College of Education, Port Harcourt.
When he came on board as the Deputy Governor under Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha, I was made the Information Commissioner. When he eventually became the governor of the state, he appointed me Executive Chairman of the Universal Basic Education Board.
How would you describe the man Goodluck Jonathan?
Jonathan hails from Otuoke, a small community in Ogbia Kingdom within the Ijaw ethnic nationality of Nigeria.
In a nutshell, Jonathan was a very brilliant student, hardworking, well behaved and law abiding. As a student, he was not ever seen serving any punishment for wrongdoing, apart from general punishments.
He was leading his own stream out of a class of about 200 students, and resonated within the first 11 in overall assessment. He was calm, obedient and fully dedicated to studies.
As a student, he was above failure in any examination; his concern was more on what position to obtain in a highly competitive class of about 200 students. He was very neat and that explains why his hostel, Masterson House, was coming tops during inspections.
He was an introvert and would not like to be dragged into unnecessary controversies. He was humble, unassuming, selfless and unambitious. It took the teachers time to convince him to accept the post of a House Prefect, because he considered that as a distraction from his studies.
But when he eventually accepted, he was the best prefect in school, because his hostel was always coming tops. He moved smoothly while in school. That was how he became a lecturer, from there to Oil and Minerals Producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC), from there to Deputy Governor, from there to Governor, from there to Governor, then Vice President, and today the Acting President.
I think the good luck is following him.
What was it like growing up with him?
Goodluck Jonathan as a man is always exemplary in his behaviour; he cannot lead you into bad group. If you are with him, you have to be polished; otherwise he will not take you up as a friend.
In fact, he considers me a friend because all our thinking is to be civil in our behaviours, to be enterprising, exemplary, and of good conduct. If you don't work hard, he cannot associate with you, because he is a workaholic; he devotes his time to whatever he does.
How did you feel when you heard that the National Assembly had passed a resolution for him to become Acting President?
I feel that it is the hand of God at work. One wouldn't imagine a black man ruling America now, but that is exactly what is happening in Nigeria today. One never expected a minority man from small Ogbia Kingdom, in small Bayelsa State to come and rule Nigeria this time. It is the making of God and I think people are just listening to the handwriting on the wall.
I also consider that as one of those rewards of humility, because Goodluck himself is a man of humble pedigree. If he is the type that will cause problem in Nigeria, nobody will give it to him, but he has tried to work for the unity of the country.
I want to believe that it is to pay off for these qualities that he is having.
Does Jonathan, in your opinion, have the strength of character to successfully administer the affairs of the nation?
Some leaders are born, while others are made. As far as I know, Goodluck Jonathan is a born leader. From the beginning, like I told you, as a prefect up to this present time, his leadership quality is always coming out.
Goodluck Jonathan, by nature, has integrity; he is a man of justice. What we need in leaders of today is to be fair, just, honest and transparent. These are qualities that are endowed in Goodluck Jonathan, and I believe he is going to do well.
Don't forget that he is representing the minority areas of this country; places that have been agitating and crying for justice. So, his ascension to that position would, in a way, help to appease these areas, and as a minority man, he knows the problems of the minority areas. So, those people too will be happy.
But there is the perception that former President Olusegun Obasanjo might influence his decisions and actions?
Goodluck knows that what majority of Nigerians says is what he will follow. I accept the fact that former President Obasanjo contributed to his success, but he is somebody that can be able to weigh the scale and act appropriately for the betterment of the whole nation. He knows that the interest of Nigeria is greater than the interest of an individual.
As much as I know, as a loyal person, he will be loyal to Yar'Adua; he will be loyal to Obasanjo and the party hierarchy and Nigerians in general. That is not to say that he will sacrifice the interest of the country to one individual.
How can he succeed as Acting President?
Goodluck Jonathan was born a leader, as I said earlier, because he is bestowed with a lot of leadership qualities. As a senior citizen of Nigeria, endowed with a high sense of patriotism, honesty and uprightness, coupled with his wealth of experience in governance, Jonathan will definitely succeed, by the special grace of God.
Remember how he performed during his short stint as a governor of Bayelsa State. The school system, for instance, was turned around to its glorious days, as a result of which the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) gave him a national award as the 'Most Teacher-Friendly Governor in South-South Nigeria.'
We expect a rapid infrastructural development and maximum power generation under him, because crude oil production will rise to its peak and the economy would bounce back, since he is capable of sincerely executing the post-amnesty programme, as initiated by President Yar'Adua.
Don't forget that the most important achievement any leader can be reckoned with is peace and stability. Jonathan is a man of peace, and that is a necessary ingredient for the advancement of this nation and also its sustainability.
Jonathan is a product of the late Chief Melford Okilo, the elder statesman, who championed the bond between the North and the South. The bridges of unity built by Okilo formed the basis of the survival of our country Nigeria, and Jonathan will spare at nothing to consolidate on that and ensure that there is peace and stability in the country.
I expect that our Northern brothers to also reciprocate the goodwill of Okilo. When that happens, with the anticipated support of the South, Jonathan will be in a favourable position to put in his best to enhance the growth of the country.
As a man of integrity, he will transparently implement President Yar'Adua's Seven-point agenda and the PDP's manifesto to achieve the desired goals and objectives to the admiration of all Nigerians.
What should Nigerians expect from Jonathan?
Acting President Jonathan symbolises the minorities of this country, who have not been heard of from the beginning of this country. His position now will give sense of belonging to them, and he is going to work. His inherent quality of justice and fair play will enable him to take up actions that would assuage and sooth the nerves of tribal and regional agitators that are threatening the corporate existence of the country.
With the attainment of a united, peaceful and stable country, Nigeria will be proud of tapping from potentials and leadership qualities of this vibrant and youngest civilian President Nigeria ever had.
What does the Goodluck Jonathan Presidency mean to the people of the South-South?
South-South people have been clamouring for the Presidency of this country, where the minorities had no hope for becoming the number one citizen. Even though he is just acting, we feel that we will now have a sense of belonging in Nigeria, and I think the South-South, including the amnesty issue, will be addressed.
He is somebody who is sincere enough to pragmatically handle the amnesty programme to a conclusive end, and this is going to reflect positively on the stability of this country.
I want to believe that oil production will peak and we are going to have enough money to carry out the infrastructural development of the country, address the power problem, fix our roads and a lot of companies will pick up. The security will improve and the militancy in the Niger Delta would be tackled squarely, because everybody is worried about the militancy in the area.
The problem of the Niger Delta is due to insincerity and injustice. The ex-militants don't trust what government has been promising, especially within this short period that the President has been away. They have seen that nothing was happening, that was why they threatened to go back to the creeks again.
But as far as I know Goodluck Jonathan, he will sincerely execute those programmes to the satisfaction of everybody.
Since the rehabilitation, committee has been set up and budget has been prepared, the next thing is to ensure that this budget is implemented to the letter and there will be peace in the Niger Delta under him.
Source: The Guardian, 13th Feb 2010.
'Jonathan Has The Courage To Govern The Country'
From Willie Etim, Yenagoa
Nathan Egba, former Commissioner, Special Adviser and later Governor's Representative in Abuja during Acting President Goodluck Jonathan's era in Bayelsa State gives an insight on what to expect from the Jonathan Presidency and the kind of person he is.
Having worked in various capacities with Acting President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, when he was governor of Bayelsa State, what kind of a person is he?
First of all, we have to thank God for the turn of events for the country, which can now moved forward.
Having said that, I want to say that Dr. Goodluck Jonathan is a very meticulous person; he believes in prudence. In other words, he does not like people exploiting the system wrongly; he likes things to be followed according to laid down rules and regulations.
He is a very compassionate leader; a man who can easily bend to help in a situation where help is needed. As much as he believes in things being done properly, he is a very compassionate person.
I believe as the leader of this country, he is going to apply the rules the way they are and at the same time he is going to ensure that there is equity, as we have started seeing. The moment Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State was declared winner of the February 6 governorship election in the state, he was one of the first people to congratulate him. That is to show that he just believes in justice, equity and fairness. This is the kind of person that he is.
Does he have the capacity to govern a country like Nigeria?
This is an interesting thing, because I have read a couple of things, where sometimes people called him a stooge of former President Olusegun Obasanjo. I also read somebody asking whether Jonathan has the courage to govern the country.
I can assure you, from my own experience with Jonathan, that he definitely has the courage and the heart to preside over the affairs of the country. He has never been a stooge to anybody and certainly not former President Obasanjo.
Besides, he has never worked with him, either directly or indirectly. Being loyal does not amount to being a stooge. So, it very wrong and insultive for people to assume that the Acting President will be controlled by one godfather somewhere. When the chips are down, Nigerians will get to know that the Acting President is a man of his own.
I am sure people that have worked with him at the federal level can say that he has what he it takes to be President of Nigeria. He is a man of courage, that much I know. One thing about him that people tend to misinterpret is that he is a very deliberate person, who likes to contemplate a situation in all its ramifications.
He not a man that is given to easy emotion to just jump into hasty decisions; the Acting President likes to look at all aspects of a problem before taking any decision, so that when he does, he will be able to stand by that decision and defend it.
So, one of the very characteristics that I know about Jonathan is that he is a very deliberate person that studies a situation carefully before taking decisions. He may be slow at the beginning, because he will be studying the new environment and the job and everything, but when he starts, the country itself will benefit.
He has a lot experience. Apart from the fact that he spent so many years in the civil service before coming into government, he has been a Deputy Governor, Governor and Vice President. I don't know of anybody who is more qualified. He has gone through the entire gamut of governance and today he is the Acting President of the country.
He has so much experience to fall back on, such that Nigerians will not have any cause to worry, because looking at the past leaders that we have had, I think that he is one of the most prepared for the leadership of this country.
How can he succeed?
Well, he will succeed and how he will succeed, in my thinking, is that he will draw from his strength as a unifier; he is a man that fits in virtually every shade of opinion. He never holds on to any hidden agenda in any situation and he is a very friendly person; he easily makes friend.
So, first as Vice President, he has made friends and his contact cut across the entire country. As a governor, he helped people from all parts of the country. I really don't see him having problems.
But let us not forget that he is acting as President, so at all times, he will be conscious of the fact that he is only filling the gap that is left open by the illness of the President. He will also proceed with caution, having that at the back of his mind in what he is doing.
So, I really don't have any fear as far as he is entrusted as Acting President.
What are those things Nigerians should expect from his Presidency?
When he was governor, which is within the period I worked with him closely, he used to have a philosophy that one should not play politics with development.
I believe that one of the things the country will see within the period that he will be Acting President will be fast-tracked development. Already, you heard his broadcast to the nation and can see the plank of his address. You can see that it is already geared towards setting his job on the fast lane.
I expect serious development within the period that he will be Acting President, because he never jokes with development.
So, the whole country will feel the impact of presence on that seat and again, he is a very modernistic person; he likes working with modern tools.
I see technology also benefiting, because again, he is scientist. I see science and technology really being put in the front burner of what he is doing to make the country as part of the developed nation.
What will be the general outlook of a Jonathan Presidency?
A Goodluck Jonathan Presidency, from my perception, will be one in which he will try to edify the country, because as I said, he is not a man that carries hidden agenda.
He will try to edify the country, as every shade of opinion will be taken into consideration. I also know that even the opposition parties will have a sense of belonging.
So, we can actually look at him as a unifier and a man who is set on developing the country.
Do you see his Presidency directly benefiting the people of the South-South region?
Absolutely it will. First of all, the people have benefited psychologically. As you know, it will be a moral booster for the Niger Delta people.
Then, of course, some ministers will want to impress him on the federal government projects in the region, even though he will not be an Acting President who will be breathing down the neck of his ministers.
What of the post-amnesty programme, what should we expect from him?
As you know, the Acting President was the chairman of the post-amnesty implementation programme, so he has a good grasp of the amnesty programme. Now that he has assume the leadership of the country and knowing that amnesty is one of the key programmes of this administration prior to this time and he being from the zone puts additional responsibility on his shoulder to ensure that the programme successfully gets to its destination.
So, I see him focusing on it and ensuring that all of the things lacking before this time due to the President absence is restored for the programme to actually succeed, so that there will be lasting peace in the region.
Source: The Guardian, 13th Feb 2010.
Why governors supported Jonathan for presidency
By John Ofikhenua
Indications yesterday emerged why the 36 states governors of the Federation under the auspice of the Governors Forum threw their weight behind Acting President Goodluck Jonathan.
It was revealed that the state chief executives decided to back Jonathan partly because he reportedly accepted to approve the sharing of fund from the excess crude account.
Jonathan has met their condition by approving the release of $2billion from the excess crude proceeds, which our correspondent learnt from a Commissioner of Finance that the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) ratified yesterday in Abuja.
According to the source, the governors had directed their Commissioners of Finance to turn down the agenda of the meeting if the sharing of the excess crude proceeds was not approved.
Meanwhile, the ratification was contrary to the earlier announcement by the Minister of State for Finance, Mr. Remi Babalola, who also chairs the FAAC meetings, that the nation would exit sharing of excess crude proceeds in 2010.
Besides, Babalola had early this week cried out that the global financial crisis had impacted negatively on the country's economy as the excess crude account has decreased from over $20billion, which this administration inherited, to about $6.2billion, due to the sharing by the three tiers of government.
But earlier yesterday, the minister said: "A stimulus package may be desirable in the short-term as a bailout for financial challenges, but of more importance is the need to incur expenditures that create jobs and drive productive economic growth in our various economies on a sustainable basis."
Source: The Nation, 13th Feb 2010.
We are determined to do what is right, says Jonathan
By Vincent Ikuomla
As part of the efforts to consolidate and hit the ground running, the Acting President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, has commenced consultations with former Heads of State and key national leaders across the nation.
Only yesterday, he met with former Heads of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon and Chief Ernest Shonekan, as well as former President Shehu Shagari, at the Presidential Villa.
Earlier, he had met with former President Olusegun Obasanjo and this weekend, he will be meeting with more key stakeholders in the Nigeria project.
The Acting President has also only on Thursday met separately with the leadership of the National Assembly. He first met the Senate President David Mark and key officers of the Senate. And later in the day, he also met with the Speaker of the House of Representatives and other key officers of the House.
This weekend, he is expected to meet with more key stakeholders.
According to the Mr. Ima Niboro, Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity to the Acting President, he (Dr. Jonathan) assured the former leaders of his commitment to doing what is right, as he steers the affairs of the country in the absence of President Umaru Yar'Adua.
"Let me sincerely welcome you and appreciate your kind gesture and advise on areas of critical needs and concerns of Nigerians. As a government, we are time-bound. We are looking at just a little over a year or so to round off. All of you that are here have one thing in common. You have all written your names in the positive side of history in this country. Even if I leave this job today or tomorrow, I want to be able to raise my head to say this and that is what we have done," he said.
The Acting President also noted the need to emphasise what can be done quickly to impact positively on the lives of Nigerians within the shortest possible time.
He said the administration will work towards stable power supply, ensure adequate security of Nigerians through the on-going reform of the Police and improve on the Force' s intelligence gathering capacity.
The Acting President assured that the suggestions by the elder statesmen will be presented as Council Note to the Federal Executive Council for consideration.
Source: The Nation, 13th Feb 2010.
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