Ifeanyi Izeze
Goodluck Jonathan first became Nigeria’s President in May, 2010 by happenstance when he assumed office after the death of his boss, President Umaru Yar’Adua. Then he was "freed and faired" into power as substantive president in the 2011 general elections and was sworn-in for his "first term" of office on 29, May, 2011.
Three months after, what is most pressing in his mind is extension of tenure of the office of the president and governors. There is treachery in the set up and this may just be the beginning of things to come.
Is it not surprising that all the controversies and the heat thereof was generated by ‘mere speculation’ of a ghost Bill which is yet to be prepared and tendered before the National Assembly? Now, nobody is talking about the manifested sedentary disposition of this government especially in tackling the plethora of socio-economic problems starring everybody at the face.
One clear observation in many of the reports about this controversy is the omniscient ‘presidency sources’ who remained forever nameless and unknown but very authoritative on the affairs of the State House. Bros I hail una o!
Most Nigerians think they are smart and others are fools when in actual sense, it’s the perceived fools who are the real brains and the wise of the country. Look at the stand of the Presidency: Jonathan won’t contest in the proposed six year single term if excluded by the attendant amendment of the constitution. So if not excluded in the new conspiracy (which obviously would be the case), he can or rather will contest.
Also, if the six-year tenure game plan does not sail through, Jonathan can (or will) contest since constitutionally, he is entitled to run for a second term. But if the Bill sails through, he either runs for two extra years or six outright years in the new dispensation.
Is the scenario becoming clearer? Cunny man die wayo man buryaam!
So from all political angles, Nigerians face a determined onslaught by individuals with sinister ambition to push their personal agenda down our throats and this may not actually be President Jonathan’s game alone as he rightly told the nation at the Wadata House.
Hear the President:"This single tenure issue was not by me. It came from the committee I chaired." Smart Presido!
Whosever generated this controversy knew what he was doing. It was a well-calculated diversionary tact to test the waters and also steer Nigerians away from complaining about his clueless handling of seriously pressing national issues.
For a Government that is yet to show any creative approach to governance in terms of what it tends to do and how it’s going to achieve them to come up with this extended tenure controversy as the first major project of the administration is an obvious insult on the sensibility of the real Nigerians that brought the President to power.
This is the same Jonathan that came without shoes, now he has Italian and other shoes and rather than work to put even Aba-made shoes on the feet of Nigerians by addressing the prevailing unprecedented crises of unemployment/under-employment, poverty, ethnic division, insecurity and complete collapsed of infrastructures in all sectors of the economy, he is already thinking of his fate beyond 2015.
As rightly captured by Prince Dickson, "With shoes, the Jonathan’s administration has stirred more controversies, too many conspiracy theories and a seeming lack of how to handle the issues be-devilling the country. A whole lot of these problems started when Jonathan had no shoes, not his fault but now that he has shoes because of his insistence of being the man that the shoe fits. The question is: where are we going?"
This government seems not to know that Nigerians are yet not fully persuaded that it has a vision, a blueprint for this country. In so many areas, nobody knows where the President and his team are heading. The administration has been characterised by outrightly blurred policy pronouncements and programmes which could best be taken as political jives.
How is the issue of a six-year single tenure more important than taking measures to grow our moribund economy; or to ensure that millions of our jobless youths are gainfully employed? How does this check the widespread insecurity of lives and property in the land?
How are the so-called merits of the proposal, which its promoters said include checking the acrimony that accompanies re-election campaign, more important than making kerosene, petrol and diesel readily available and affordable?
How does this project turn around the appalling state of our infrastructure? And how does it check the escalating exchange rate of the Naira to the major currencies of developed economies, with its bandwagon effects on the prices and costing of almost all goods and services?
How will the envisaged six-year single term bring about rapid economic and infrastructure development? How will it impact positively on the well-being of Nigerians who are yearning for an improved life? What is the link between the promised transformation and this amendment that will usher in a single term of six years?
Whether tenure is two years, six years, or more, is actually immaterial to the real Nigerians.
What matters to them is the zeal and sincerity with which leaders are committed to the transformation of the people’s lives and this is completely lacking in Jonathan’s attitude to governance. Nigeria having just come out of an election, its citizens have huge expectations that this peculiar government would deliver on its mandate to better their lives.
Is commitment and patriotism of leaders to deliver good governance not more important than the lengthy years they spend in office?
The controversy of the Bill to elongate the tenure of the president and state governors from all indication is not only in bad faith, but has exposed the treachery of the Jonathan regime and we are watching to see the next line of action.
Ifeanyi Izeze is an Abuja-based consultant on strategy and communication.
Subscribe to this comment's feed
