CONSEQUENCES : READ MY 2014 WRITE UP ON PRESIDENT JONATHAN

WHO WILL SAVE PRESIDENT  GOODLUCK JONATHAN FROM HIMSELF?

It is not the intention of this writer to delve into the unpredictable arena of partisan politics in Nigeria, but as a watcher and a law abiding citizen I sincerely wish to express these opinions that are personal and I feel entitled to them since they have  being bothering me fore sometime now because of the recent happening in our polity. Thus, I ask, who will save President Goodluck Jonathan from himself? The political forecasters galavanting the capital cities of Nigeria predicting who knows what are they telling him the truth? Where is the place of ethnic envy and jealousy in this whole drama? Are there political broods and novice claiming to be masters in center stage? There are definitely more questions that I can attempt answers. But definitely, An attempt I will do with all sincerity.

Ones upon a time in Nigeria we were our brothers brother as well as Sisters Sister. Particularly during military rule and the two years civilian interruption, Political leaders kept to their words. The political leaders felt they had one common enemy, the soldiers in power, their cohesion was solid and they pushed and pushed harder these men on uniform underrating their tactics.

The dices was cast in 1998, the transition to return to civilian rule midwifed by a General as a necessary evil actually worked, the military politicians sent for one of their own to metamorphosis in Agbada, this time in Aso Rock, not Dodan Barracks. Chief Olusagun Obasanjo, the General with nine life's, known by all Nigerians emerged our democratically elected President. He became a decimal point since 1999 and with the  other Generals, they discuss us in their sitting room as numbers and figures to be manipulated. That is the irony, the pro democracy advocates pushed the military tacticians  harder to the kitchen to dish for themselves the choicest meals which in the first place is the reason for all the fight, political power. However, ten years after, a child of circumstance was born by cesarian operation code named by another General ‘doctrine of necessity-’ President Goodluck Jonathan, being the oil rich minority states slot in power before the oil wells drys up.

The main challenge now is 2015. All the active partisan Generals are sitting by the fence abandoning this child of circumstance but pouring oil on his path that makes the child slip and fall one scandal after the other, one sleep of tongue after another and one miscalculation after the other. All parties from all the political divide in this country acknowledge the fact that of right the foundation has being laid for this president to achieve greater  potential by Chief Obasanjo and Yar ‘Adua, but that appear not to be the case.

The fantasy of office brought in many untrained hands  who spoiled the cooking. Their idea of a minority as a President is still new to the minorities, so to them under any condition President Goodluck Jonathan most hang on, after all “it is our turn”and by the way what will President Jonathan tell the Ijaw Nation and the people of the South South that made him not to contest in 2015. This intimidation, cajoling and threat, broadcasted on National TV actually is tensing the polity day after day. And our President has succumbed and has purchased his forms.

There is no doubt these novice gladiators who are thinking of creating a niche for themselves have with them innocent passengers in these fast moving train and they fail to sustain and support their master to arrive safely from his six years trip on the bumpy road called Nigeria and they covered the train windows with blinds that their special passenger could not read the signposts by the rail side.  Now many of  his co passengers have jumped out of the train to their various states to run their own agenda which may not be transformative. These unpatriotic co-passengers actions smacks of greed, lack of loyalty and lack of believe on the Presidents transformation agenda and in an in-depth analysis an indictment of their master. This lack of calculation is one of the bane of this administration that makes nobody trust the President, even his own ministers thereby knowingly and unknowingly making mockery of the entire system.  

Talking about miscalculation, we go to Rivers State, a miniature Nigeria, with it diversity, where the President could not gulp over a ball of eba since the Governors Forum election as he took with the eba a strong bone called Chibuike Amaechi, himself a ‘miscalculator’ who claims errors of judgment as genius.

It is the humiliation that President Jonathan and his Party will receive in Rivers State ( if he does not make amend on time ) that will change the political equation of Nigeria. The political dynamics of Rivers State is not just in the city center, Port Harcourt but on the nook and crannies of the entire state, unlike the ‘tanning’ in the city centers for Mr. President, a Rivers man before Bayelsa State creation and now a great in-law to Rivers State. A big shocker awaits him come 2015 unless he remove the bone in his ball of eba right their in his neck, Chibueike Ameachi. Reconciliation! Reconciliation! and Reconciliation! is the language because it is the stain spot in a white shirt that is visible. And as along as Chibuike Amaechi remains Governor every mistake will work for the good of the opposition and that will be attributed as ‘genus’, for example the Judiciary in Rivers State has being under lock and key for almost five months now and and settlement is not contemplated. This means no complete government in Rivers State as one constitutional arm of government is not functioning frustrating thousands of pending matters as well as custody matters.

These gladiators, Mr. President has sent to Rivers State who claim to be on the ground and those who left him to come to Rivers State are not sufficiently trained to ‘deliver’ Rivers State as it where for Mr. President, not talking of PDP in the state which is one of the albatross of the President if nothing is done and there are no functioning Courts to resolving some of this issues on their own independently. 

Sir Peter Odili, for example, that political strategist and master of Chibuike Ameachi is not domiciled in Rivers State, he would have made a great difference if he was in town, but like the saying goes ‘out of site is out of mind’ basically, because the political landscape in Rivers State has drastically changed by Odili’s pupil, Ameachi in a strong effort to erase Odili’s mark and declare himself Socrates. It is a debilitating blow as Odili and his first eleven are in ‘exile’. Today the people of Orashi are facing persecution under Governor Amaechi because of Sir Peter Odili. And because of the poverty prevalent in the region, the vote of Orashi surprisingly is for sale to the highest bidder. I hope Mr. President knows about this truth so that he should not expect a miracle from the two man State Executive of his Party lead by the son of Orashi, Felix Obuah, the maverick Mr. Go-Round. The question now is will he be able to go - round now?

This is the last issue that I will use to conclude this selfie sort of. Today in Rivers State as is in Pan ~Nigeria, there is tremendous envy of the Ijaw Nation by all the tribes in Nigeria. And they want to lead Mr. President to the slaughter like a lamb. The Ijaws have come a long way in Nigeria and I most say they have paid their due. The people of the South–South are hypocritically shouting “GOODLUCK TO NIGERIA” but truly not from the bottom of their heart, they wished he is one of their son, more competent, agile, decisive, articulate, courageous and quick to observe and act. But like the saying goes ‘ a bird at hand is worth two on the tree’ they feel they have no option but chorus the usual tribal sentiment, ‘it is our turn!’. This is what is playing out in Rivers State, the Uplands want to hold on to power out of envy of the Ijaws both in Rivers State and Bayelsa State, that is why the zoning formula in the PDP constitution is jettisoned in the state with the excuse that the Ijaw have the  President, they Ijaws have a state of their own with an Ijaw Governor’. This intimidation of the President if I can use the word with respect, is the reason for the silence of Mr. President and this is one of the strength for the opposition to morally  deal a blow on the Presidents ambition and the Ijaws will be escape goat in Rivers State and the Ijaws will fight themselves.  The opposition is not a political party par sa, it is people anger rightly or wrongly coupled with revenge of sort even by some Ijaw sons and daughters. And this opposition has state power in Rivers State and the presidency should not under rate them, they ‘might win’. This is why I ask, how will President Goodluck Jonathan save himself? Because even if he wins as President in 2015 with opposition majority in the National Assembly and more opposition States Governors including Rivers State, how will he succeed? 

I sincerely say President Goodluck Jonathan may be conspiring against himself without knowing with the Boko Haram denying ‘ cease fire’ and capturing the home town of his Defence Chief. It is time to stop this jamboree and carnival for the corporate development of Nigeria and plan, for he who fails to plan has planned to fail. 

I believe that Nigerians are too united to be distracted. It is true they may belong to opposing camps, for the politicians, that is their stock in trade. I also believe that Nigeria is too favored by God Almighty to fail no matter what those who manipulate the system try to do.

By Ike Ake Esq.