16th September, 2014
By Lawrence Chinedu Nwobu
No Nigerian president has enjoyed the initial support and benefit of doubt that accompanied the Jonathan presidency. The peculiar circumstances surrounding his emergence no doubt contributed to the support and public trust he enjoyed at the beginning of his administration. He was in so many ways like Barack Obama; an underdog who came from nowhere to become Nigeria’s president. He came from a poor background in Otuoke in Bayelsa State and it was often noted that he had no shoes while he was in primary school. This had the effect of endearing him to the masses most of whom had similar backgrounds in the calculation that having come from a poor background he would be more disposed to working for the interests of the impoverished citizenry. In his facebook page he also wisely exploited the public solidarity with his humble beginnings by promising populist measures such as registering all unemployed people in view of direct intervention by the government.
He is also the first president that has no direct link and thus didn’t draw his umbilical cord from the long list of post-war civilian and military leaders that have ruinously kidnapped and held the nation hostage for more than four decades. These marked differences stood President Jonathan in good stead and consequently led to his being elected in a remarkably free and fair election which further unshackled him from the hold of potential godfathers and gave him a free hand to tackle corruption and work in the service of the masses. The expectations were to be dashed within a remarkably short time frame. President Jonathan and his handlers have indeed variously complained of the unusual torrent of criticisms he has received as president; what he and his handlers seem to have failed to comprehend is that the criticisms are driven by a deep sense of disappointment over a presidency that many hoped would bring a measure of change.
One of his most remarkable areas of failure has been his accommodating attitude to corruption. Under Jonathan’s presidency not a single government official has been incarcerated for corruption even though corruption remains one of the single most important factors militating against development. Under his watch EFCC has become totally toothless. There is no greater evidence of the total ineffectiveness of EFCC than the continued freedom of Rep. Farouk Lawan who, in spite of the available video evidence of his soliciting and receiving bribe from Femi Otedola, remains free. It is also on record that the bribe fund in question was never recovered from him.
Another case in point is the presidential pardon granted to Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, the notorious former Bayelsa governor who, facing trial for money laundering in the UK, disguised and jumped bail. The case against former head of state, General Sani Abacha and his family relating to looted funds have recently been withdrawn. Notable persons of questionable character have variously been accommodated in his government. The situation is so bad that not a single ex-governor who left office in recent times is facing trial and not a single conviction has been secured against any government official implicated in looting. Nigeria has consequently become a free-for-all playground where contractors and government officials loot with impunity knowing that they will not be prosecuted.
The area of infrastructure has also recorded colossal failings. In my recent trip to Nigeria I found that state roads were much better than federal roads. Some of the federal roads were so bad that I wondered if there is a government in the country. How could a responsible government leave the federal roads to become so damaged to the extent that some portions were impassable? In a normal country, with basic leadership, infrastructure is not supposed to be something you remind the government of or something that is politicised. Government on its own is supposed to pursue annual policies or national development plans that would see to the construction, repair and upgrade of infrastructure across the country with deliberate haste. There can after all be no development without infrastructure.
One would have expected such deliberate speed in tackling infrastructure from the Jonathan presidency, but four years into his administration all we get is excuses and propaganda. It is notable that the much politicised 2nd Niger Bridge is only being commenced at the tail end of his four-year tenure which leaves the possibility that the project might be abandoned once he is re-elected or perhaps not re-elected. The project is already dogged with so much controversy. These are needless scenarios for a serious president desirous of leaving a legacy of development. In China and other serious nations, development of infrastructure is pursued at breakneck speed across the country, but in Nigeria infrastructure is subject to much politics and corruption which regrettably has not changed under President Jonathan.
In the area of youth unemployment nothing has been done, while the vexed Nigerian question remains unsettled. After several decades of clamouring for a sovereign national conference by different sectors of the Nigerian society President Jonathan missed the opportunity of leaving a lasting legacy by surrendering to those who want to maintain the status quo. He subscribed to a national conference that forbade the all important issue of self determination which was the originating reason for the conference.
•Nwobu wrote from abroad