When our president promised to investigate the fuel subsidy imbroglio
and prosecute those involved after the revelations of titanic
corruption that bedevils the oil sector, I wasn’t too impressed. When I
stated my beliefs on why I wasn’t impressed, some labeled me a
pessimist; most especially, those of the Niger Delta extraction.
Sadly however, I have been proven right time and time again. Just
like I told all who cared to listen last year that voting on the basis
of ethnic sentiments rather than by proven track record and strong
antecedents would lead to another vicious circle of poor leadership.
Today, not a few Nigerians who chanted all sorts of slogans and even
sang songs to boost the popularity of this previously unknown man from
Otuoke, Bayelsa State to enthrone him in Aso Rock are biting their nails
in regret.
A look at the remarkable ascension of our
previously-much-loved-number-one-citizen-turned-public-enemy-number-one
to the top office in Nigeria shows a completely unremarkable political
career that often makes me wonder how he ascended to that top spot. Not
many who fought tooth and nail to attain that top spot despite strings
of political accomplishments actually arrived there. In Goodluck
Jonathan, we found the epitome of political good luck and he will go
down in history as one of the luckiest politicians in Nigeria ever to
have held that top spot . You all know his story (especially the no
shoes part) and his subsequent elevation to the highly coveted post of
C-in-C. Nigerians thought the good luck that he was named after would
transfer to the nation. How wrong they were!
I do not claim to be overly informed on the many happenings in our
political terrain but I remember distinctly that after the Alamiesiegha
saga and his subsequent impeachment, his deputy took over. I stand
corrected but I do not think there was anything worthy of note in his
administration as governor but by miracle, he appeared as running mate
to the immediate past president, the late Musa Yar’Adua (God rest his
soul). But again, I wasn’t surprised. The political events that occur in
Nigeria defy all common sense and logic.
My first danger sign of the kind of man he was came to the fore when
he initially refused to declare his assets even when his boss did so. If
a man’s hands are clean and all he has acquired in life are via honest
means, then he has nothing to fear, right? Well, after much pressure and
a specific instruction from “oga” himself, he finally complied. This
was a sign; a testament to how he probably illegally enriched himself as
governor of Bayelsa State but nobody thought seriously about it.
The second sign, was when he came out to blatantly deny the PDP
zoning arrangement that brought him in as Vice President. It was at this
point that my opinion of the man was cemented; that he was not to be
trusted. After a taste of power as Acting-President, like Oliver Twist,
he wanted more. Even if it meant denying the existence of an unwritten
zoning arrangement of which he was a beneficiary. He played it sharp and
swerved everybody. But I wasn’t bothered much as there is no honor
amongst thieves.
The third sign and the deal breaker; first few months after being
sworn as president, he sent a bill to the National Assembly for an
amendment of the constitutional provision on the tenure of the president
to six years single tenure rather than the usual four year double
tenure. My danger bells chimed as loud as Big Ben! This was the priority
of a president whose election was marred by a wake of massive
post-election violence that destroyed the lives of many serving corpers
and other innocent victims!
Fourth sign: Mind-boggling corruption. We all have to admit that this
current administration despite its propaganda to engage corruption
head-on, has redefined corruption and has taken it to new heights. The
spate of embezzlements, the brazeness of public officials in stealing
hefty sums and the frequency of tales of theft these days leaves my mind
in constant daze. How can a permanent secretary steal N2b cash
belonging to others and pile it up in his apartment?! How can people
heartlessly loot the pension, the hope of earnest and hard working
Nigerians?! How can the proceeds of oil which is the birth-right of
every Nigerian be shared amongst the so called “CABALS”?! Yet, the
president saw it fit to heap the burden of corruption and the
inefficiency of its agencies on the impoverished masses by removing
subsidy on PMS; the only thing enjoyed by the masses with failure in
every sector of infrastructure, notably power.
Finally, sign number five. Security. Over a thousand people have lost
their lives in the most gruesome fashion to attacks by the radical
islamic sect, Boko Haram since the advent of this administration a year
ago. Attacks have become so rampant that there’s almost a bomb blast
every sunday. And after each devastation, yours truly comes on to
“condemn the attacks”, “promise to fish out the perpetrators”, declare
that “we are winning the war against terrorism” and even more recently,
threaten to expose Boko Haram sponsors in his administration. In YOUR
administration?! Why haven’t you exposed them already? The lackadaisical
attitude of the president to the continuous loss of life by this clear
and present danger of Boko Haram leaves me speechless! Perhaps, if his
beloved Dame was a casualty, wouldn’t he be spurred into action to deal
with this threat decisively? Our lives are not worth much in his sight
obviously. The list of woes goes on and on.
What is most baffling, amazing and annoying at the same time is Mr
President’s abject lack of finesse; his dictatorial style of government.
The way he dishes out policies as if in a whim. The way he makes empty
and unrealistic promises; breath of fresh air while he chokes the living
day light out of Nigerians…
This current subsidy probe is to me, the greatest hoax of all. It was
just another scripted plot to pacify Nigerians after the fuel subsidy
removal. It is well known that the culprits of the subsidy sham were and
are still the most generous donors to the president’s campaign coffers
even as he eyes a second tenure. Little wonder why he refused to suspend
Madam Dieziani, Minister of Petroleum and chairman of NNPC and PPRA;
agencies that have been indicted as strange bedfellows in this water bed
of corruption in the oil industry. It is a trite principle of equity
that no man should be a judge in his own case. How an unbiased report is
supposed to be arrived at while Madam continually sits pretty in
glittering gold with the power to hamper a proper investigation remains
to be seen.
More disturbing is the recent allegations of bribery that have rocked
the legislature; the people saddled with the duty of all investigations
into such allegations of
corruption. From Herman Hembe to Farouk Lawan.
The next thing will be for Jonathan to disregard the recommendation of
the legislative committee investigating the fuel subsidy scam as
“lacking merit” or as having been “compromised” and the “Squealer” of
this Animal Farm plot, Reuben Abati will bring one obnoxious explanation
or the other to defend his liege. Come to think of it, George Orwell
was a visionary. The question is whether he had a vision of Nigeria
today when he wrote Animal Farm many years ago.
Nigerians are a great people. Its such a shame, a travesty that the
corrupt minority dictates what our image is to be before the
international community. But what do we expect when we allow mediocrity
to become the elephant in the room? Edmund Burke in his memoirs once
wrote;
“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for a few good men to do nothing.”
Recently, I read an American article that chronologically tabulated
the failures of Jonathan as a president. It is no longer a secret. The
world knows that Jonathan has failed. It now behooves us all, the
masses, the commoners, the poverty-stricken, the downtrodden, the
mourners, the jobless youths, the few good men to rise up and ensure
that come 2015, we redefine the meaning of a landslide victory. Victory
over an oppressive government; victory over corruption. The time is now!
Malcolm O. Ifi.
Follow Malcolm on twitter @saymalcolm
First published on June 11, 2012; 11:45pm at http://t.co/VCr46ERY
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