Don Says Jonathan Must Step On Toes

Prof. Adulhameed Ujo of the Political Science Department, University of Abuja, on Tuesday said President Goodluck Jonathan should be prepared to step on toes to be able to realise his dream of a truly transformed country.

In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gwagwalada on Tuesday, Ujo expressed dismay at the president’s “inability to exercise his powers most of the time in the last one year.”

He advised the president against compromising his powers to either the National Assembly or the Governors’ Forum “which hijacked his powers during his last administration.”

Ujo reminded Jonathan that in a presidential system that the country currently operates, he must muster the courage to exercise his powers to be able to transform the country.

“This has become imperative, because there are certain forces in Nigeria that are waiting and trying to hijack the powers of the president. I am sure he is aware of this,’’ he said.

Ujo said the powers of the National Assembly over the president in the last dispensation were manifested in members having mouth-watering concessions to themselves.

He added that the Governors Forum was another area where the powers of the president were reduced, “because of the governors’ role in the emergence of Jonathan in the last administration.’’

“When the Uwais Committee report was sent to the National Assembly by the president seeking to scrap the states Independent Electoral Commissions, the Governors Forum kicked against it and made sure it was removed from the recommendations.

“So, you find out that he did not exercise his full powers during his first one year in office, and my advice is that, if he must succeed, he has to exercise those powers and be a man of his own,’’ he added.

He said the economic crisis as well as the increasing rate of insecurity in the country would take a very strong president, who would not compromise his powers, to solve.