I was about to write
this piece detailing the positive effects of the Transformation Agenda when I
was confronted with a hypocrisy which could possibly pass for the mother of all
hypocrisies.
On the 18th of
December 2013 several newspapers carried the statement from the All Progressive
Congress, APC. While the different papers gave their own slant to the story, I
particularly liked the headline from a major newspaper which said
"Jonathan Must Respond to Obasanjo - APC".
Now, imagine my
surprise that after President Goodluck Jonathan did exactly what the APC
recommended, they changed their tune and on the 26th of December 2013 the
headline changed to "APC berates Jonathan’s response to Obasanjo’s
letter".
The
story in fact was more telling with the Vanguard Newspapers writing that
"The All Progressives Congress (APC) says the presidency has been greatly
diminished by its decision to throw decorum to the wind and engage former
President Olusegun Obasanjo".
With
the above, it should now be obvious to objective citizen that the APC stands
for nothing and is only against anything President Goodluck Jonathan
does.
For
instance, Senator Bola Tinubu had been one of the most vociferous champions for
the convocation of a National Conference. He had championed this cause for
years and many had come to think of the idea as his pet project.
At
the first Anthony Enahoro Memorial Lecture in Benin City, Edo State which held
on the 24th of November 2011, Bola Tinubu had said “I submit to you today that
because of the multiple issues surrounding our skewed federalism and
constitutional flaws, the Nigerian nation is weak...The 21-member Presidential
Committee on the Review of Outstanding Constitutional Issues (PCROCI) recently
set up by President Goodluck Jonathan falls short. It is a backdoor
approach to the issue of national conference. In memory of Chief Enahoro we
must convoke a national conference.”
And
when on October 1st 2013, President Jonathan listened to the cries of Nigerians
and decided to convoke the very National Conference that Bola Tinubu advocated,
the Asiwaju made a characteristic 360 degree turn and went on attack mode
saying on October 6th 2013 “The national conference is by whom, for whom, and
at what stage? How many levels of deception? I see a contradiction. I see
diversion. I see deception, lack of honesty and integrity.”
If
you think this is a case of multiple personality syndrome, you may have a
point.
On
the 25th of March 2013 after a birthday party that was reported in the media to
have cost 1 billion Naira, Bola Tinubu gave an interview to The Sun Newspaper
and said "There are so many news items that are seriously more newsworthy
than to be looking for Obasanjo’s congratulatory messages in the newspaper. A
man who had great opportunity to put Nigeria on the right path and failed to do
so; failed to do even the Otta road, not Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. What am I
celebrating about him? That’s the truth. He deceptively dealt with the country
and he handed over to a man who knew he was ill. Obasanjo is a leader that
could not find another successor capable of driving through his vision for the
country”.
Imagine
my surprise when nine months later on December the 22nd of 2013 the same Bola
Tinubu was at former President Obasanjo's residence at Ota and told the
same man whom he had hitherto said "had great opportunity to put
Nigeria on the right path and failed to do so" that "We’re resolved
and determined to rescue Nigeria. We want you as navigator”.
How
can these two statements be reconciled?
It
is glaring to objective minds that the APC is a party without ideology, and a
vision for Nigeria cobbled together by people without scruples who would be
willing to work with anybody no matter how odious as long as that person has a
grudge against President Goodluck Jonathan.
This
is why they cannot argue with facts and figures against President Jonathan and
must therefore conjure up lies, innuendo and propaganda.
The
APC's attention is focused on the short term goal of securing political power
by whatever means necessary. They have no long term focus of transforming the
lives of Nigerians. Who has been to an APC rally, or heard an APC chief or
chieftain being interviewed and heard them talk about their plans for the
transformation of Nigeria?
Over
the past year, as if choreographed, APC leaders have talked about 2015 in terms
of doom, soaking people in blood, civil war, destruction and such militant
language. Politicians ought to think in terms of welfare for the people
not warfare for them. Talks of blood/war in 2015 are a result of poverty of
vision. They have no vision so they feel must use scare tactics.
What
makes these yesterday's men bitter enough to call for blood and gore? I posit
that it is the misuse of the opportunities God gave them and the refusal to
accept that it has shifted to others.
While
the President stays on point talking about his vision for the future, their
focus is on insulting and disparaging him. A persuasive leader is not weak
and a coercive leader is not strong. Anyone can compel obedience by force but
only the strong get it by non violent persuasion.
I
often encounter people on Social Media telling me that the President and his
team do not fight fire with fire and insults with insults. Insults are
available to everyone but they are overlooked by those who want to rise but
embraced by those who want to pull the risers down.
The
Jonathan presidency is run on ideas because at the helm is a PhD leader who has
voiced out severally that he believes in transforming lives rather than
conforming to the status quo. Ideas are the building blocks of the
Transformation Agenda. Ideas lead to cooperation thus expanding our sense of
what is possible. Insults leads to isolation thus limiting our sense of what's
possible. This is the basic difference between President Jonathan and the
current opposition.
They
have called the President a "clueless" leader who is running a
"kindergarten presidency", but do the facts support what they claim.
The
major leaders of the coalition of the desperate otherwise known as the APC have
at one time or the other governed the whole of Nigeria or a major part of
it, so they should be able to compare their record side by side the president
and establish by such facts whether or not their claims of a clueless leader
has any basis in fact.
Since
they cannot do it, I will help them by bringing out facts about the Jonathan
administration vis a vis what existed before this administration came to
power.
They
have said that the Nigerian Economy Under President Jonathan has Retrogressed.
Is this true?
Here
are the Facts with web based evidence so that my readers may trust what I write
but verify for themselves:
Under
President Jonathan Nigeria's Economy Has Grown To Become The Largest Economy in
Africa. (tinyurl.com/pbbld8r)
In
2009 Nigeria's Per Capita Income Was $1091.Today it is $1721 and increase of
almost 70% (tinyurl.com/y5tfwwd)
In
2007 Average Life Expectancy in Nigeria Was 47 Years. Today it is 52 Years (tinyurl.com/yyl5xy2)
In
2010 Inflation in Nigeria Was 15.60%. Today it is 7.9% (tinyurl.com/6pyhylf)
In
2007 Maternal Mortality Rate Was 750 per 100,000 Births. Today It Is 580 (tinyurl.com/lfr4jjb)
They
have said that President Jonathan Does Not Fulfill His Promises. Is this true?
Here
are the Facts with web based evidence so that my readers may trust what I write
but verify for themselves:
On
August 26, 2010, President Jonathan Promised to Privatize Nigeria's Power
Sector After Heavily Investing in Improving It's Infrastructure. On November 1,
2013, That Promise Was Fulfilled After Successful Bidders Took Delivery
Nigeria's Power Generation and Distribution Companies.
Before
President Jonathan Ascended to Power The Southeast Had no International
Airport. He Promised The Southeast One in 2011. On the 24th of August 2013, The
First International Flight Operated by Ethiopian Airlines Landed at the New Akanu
Ibiam International Airport Enugu. (tinyurl.com/ovodpla)
In
2011 President Jonathan Promised to Revive the Railways. By 2012 The Nigerian
Railways Corporation Began Operating a Lagos to Kano Service at the Cost of
Just 1500 Naira. In 2013 Rail lines Were Revived From Lagos Port Direct to
Kaduna. (tinyurl.com/dytx484)
In
2010, President Jonathan promised to Build at Least One Federal University in
12 States of The Federation That Had No Federal Universities. These Include
Bayelsa State, Katsina State, Jigawa State, Taraba, Kogi State, Nasarawa, Ekiti
State, Ebony State, Gombe State, Kebbi State, Yobe State and Zamfara States.
Today, ALL of These States Have One Federal University Each.
In
2011 President Jonathan Promised to Build Schools for Itinerant Scholars in The
North Known as Almajiri. As at Today, 123 Almajiri Model Schools Equipped With
Malam's Quarters, Hostels, Qu'ranic Recitation Hall and Science Laboratories
Have Been Completed While 277 Are Awaited.
In
2011 President Jonathan Promised to Rebuild or Repair Nigeria's Roads. This
Advert From ABC Transport Company (a Private Company) Is Proof He Is Fulfilling
This Promise
In
2011 President Jonathan Promised to Revive Nigeria's Health Sector. By 2013 His
Administration Has Built 3389 Heath Centers Nationwide. This Administration
Built National Cancer Screening Centers nationwide, including at the Federal
Medical Centre, Gusau in Zamfara, The University of Port-Harcourt Teaching
Hospital and the National Obstetric Fistula Centre in Abakaliki. The Jonathan
Led FG By 2013 Has Modernized the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital,
the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) and the University College
Hospital (UCH), Ibadan and Built National Trauma Centers at the University of
Abuja and the National Hospital also in Abuja.
These
Investments in the Health Sector Led to the First Stem Cell Transplant Surgery
Ever in Nigeria at UBTH in 2012. By October 2013 UCH Performed the First Open
Heart Surgery in Nigeria.
In
2010 President Jonathan Promised to Overhaul Nigeria's Football and Sports
Administration for Better Service Delivery. In 2013 Nigeria are the African
Champions after Winning the 2013 African Cup of Nations in South Africa. We are
Also the World Under 17 Champions After winning The 2013 U-17 Tournament in The
UAE. Nigeria Also Became the First African Nation to Qualify for the 2014 World
Cup in Brazil.
In
2010 President Jonathan Promised That Agriculture Would Be Revived. In 2011
Nigeria Imported $11 Billion Worth of Food Especially Rice and Wheat. In 2013,
After the Introduction of Cassava Flour and The Duty on Imported Rice Which Led
to Massive Local Production, Nigeria's food Import Bill Has Been Reduced by
77%.
3
Million Jobs Have Been Created in the Agriculture Value Chain Since 2011.
And Nigeria is amongst only a handful of countries that improved over the
previous year I. The 2013 Global Hunger Index.
Fiction:
Educational Standards are Falling in Nigeria.
Fact:
In 2009 only 25.99 per cent of candidates had credits in English and
Mathematics in the WASSCE examinations. By 2013 70% of students had credits in
at least 5 subjects.
Conclusion:
Don't Judge President Goodluck Jonathan and This Administration on the Fiction
That Opposition Linked Propagandist Media Publish. Learn to Separate Facts From
Fiction.
Regards,
Reno
Omokri
No comments:
Post a Comment