Jonathan’s Finest Hour

It was President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s finest hour. And obviously Nigeria’s finest hour.

It was the first time Nigeria truly reaped the intrinsic dividends of democracy. In June 1993 a near similar situation occurred when Chief M.K.O. Abiola won the Federal elections.

But this time the differences are so enormous and distinct. President Goodluck Jonathan is from a minority sub zone even in the South South zone. He is not also from one of the dominant WAZOBIAN tribes of Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo. The Abiola ticket was also a Moslem/Moslem ticket which was very attractive and acceptable to the North which has the mythical population advantage factor. President Goodluck Jonathan is a committed Christian and he has not hidden this fact and yet he won more than convincingly even in the “corest” North. Winning 26% in Kastina State (the lions den and also Gen. Muhammadu Buhari’s home state), 56% in Nuhu Ribadu’s home state and more than 25% in the volatile fundamentalist Boko Haram states of Zamfara, Gombe, Sokoto, Kebbi, Jigawa, Kaduna is a rare feat in the present day of Nigerians ethno-religious politics.

President Goodluck Jonathan’s entry into Aso Rock defies the logic of chance which conveniently translates into his own Goodluck and fortune.

Environmental scientists will have to probe this phenomenon to theorise if Nigeria’s future Presidents could still emerge from the south south geopolitical zone through the ballot box. Will it be once in every 50 or 100 years or it will never happen again after President Goodluck Jonathan.

Nigeria’s democracy is still in its infancy. Even though President Goodluck Jonathan has the neo-liberal attitude in his understanding of the democratic process, the democratic infrastructures on ground are not conclusive to neo-liberalism in Nigeria.

For instance the American democratic system is the most mature in the world. American neo, liberalism encourages every American to dream big and even provide inducements to enable him realize his or her dreams, including aspiring to the highest office in America – the Presidency. President Barack Obama’s example is the greatest revelation of the American democratic miracle. Here is a man whose father is from Kenya but was born by an American mother in the state of Hawaii. He later moved over to Chicago in Illinois where he started his political career.

In Nigeria the reverse is the case. Million of Nigerians are born disenfranchised as a result of their accidents of birth. For instance it will take another divine manipulation for a Nigerian from the North Central and south southern states to become President in Nigeria through the ballot box. Nigerians will be shocked to know that there are millions of Nigerians who can not become even Local Govt. councilors because they do not have ward units in their vast areas of domain. It is incredible but true. For instance the people of Okomu, Gbelebu and Safarogbo in Edo state are a good example because they do not have a ward of their own inspite of their large population and expanse of land. It is so in Ondo State and I am sure in nearly all states of the Federation where minorities are treated almost like slaves.

But President Goodluck Jonathans’ massive victory is a sign that there could be yet freedom for these Nigerians who are in political bondage and slavery.

President Goodluck Jonathan declared his Presidential ambition for the 2011 Presidential election at Eagles Square Abuja on 11/09/2010 with the following motivating and inspiring words “if I could make it, you too can”.

President Goodluck Jonathan made this declaration with good intensions for the Nigerian people especially the marginalized minorities. The emergence of President Goodluck Jonathan as Nigeria’s elected Executive President is a divine miracle that will take another 50 years to repeat if the present democratic structures are not restructured.

For instance the Nigerian psyche must be totally re-orientated to accept Nigerian minorities as being capable of producing good leaders to steer the affairs of the nation. The born-to-rule hegemonic stature of the North must be revisited to accept all states in the North Central and the south south zone of being capable of producing Nigerian President.

For so long northern Nigeria has held the whole nation to ransom with a power equation that defies logic and which is erroneously based on a mythical and contestable population superiority that is not only fallacious but basically incongruous.

The experiences of some census enumerators during the last 2006 national head count shows that the inaccessibility to the women in purdah is the greatest bane of all censuses in Nigeria. Enumerators are given a list of such women without any verification or physical confirmation of such lists. Most observers know that the North has a large expanse of dry land area which

is however sparsely populated.

The issue of an accurate census is a very volatile issue as the North has rejected any census that does not make it obviously superior over the south. I am convinced that a well conducted National census will demystify the Northern population superiority myth and provide a level political playing field between the North and the south.

It was with tears of joy rolling down my checks that I watched the 1st democratically elected Nigerian President from the south – south zone of Nigeria’s minority state of Bayelsa.

I thought of the historical precedence President Goodluck Jonathan was setting. Can this trend be repeated in the nearest future. For instance can future Presidents still emerge from Benue, Plateau, Nassarawa states in the North Central zone or Delta, Cross rivers, Bayelsa or Rivers states also in the south south zone.

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan must rectify our democratic institutions that makes it possible for one part of the country to perpetually dominate and lord it over the other in the name of a flawed population superiority advantage.

Nigeria will be living in a delusionary fool’s paradise if she claims to be democratic inspite of the born-to-rule mentality of her two major tribes – the Hausas and the yorubas. The third leg of the tripod – the Igbos have been jettisoned from political power since after the Nigerian civil war as a result of their suspect loyalty to the Nigerian state.

While we celebrate, President Goodluck Jonathan must be reminded that those who believe its their birthright to permanently govern this country are not happy. In fact they have no reason to celebrate as evidenced by their total boycott of the President’s inauguration on 29th May, 2011 at the Eagles square – Abuja.

The nation’s security forces must be given kudos so far for their efforts in foiling and preempting enemy strategies and attack. Now is the time to train and re-train those whose duty it is to defend our nation. The Research and Development units of our defence system must be flooded with investment funds to evolve new ways of protecting lives and properties in a nation that is now globally popular for Post election violence. The perpetrators of this mayhem are all well known political actors who think they are above the law but they will not escape from the long arm of the law if they do not desist from their dastardly acts.

Even in the most advanced countries of the world, investments in defence Research and Development Units is always given the top most priority in the allocation of the defence budget. America, China, Japan, Germany, Russia are still investing heavily Dr. Research and Development in order to find new ways of evolving combatant strategies to fight security related breaches and crimes. The recent kidnap and murder of Osama Bin Laden took American Security Force many months of sleepless nights and millions of dollars in expenditure.

Nigeria must upgrade her security level to Red-Alert as the hill-top generals are planning their next line of action to abort these four years as they have never for once approved the Jonathan Presidency. Remember, the Northern. Elite chose Obasanjo to rule on behalf of Southern Nigeria as they felt guilty holding the Nation to ransom for 38 years without any concrete infrastructure to show for those wasted 38 years of Northern domination.

For the first time in Nigerian politics, it was a wonderful spectacle to see the Okada (Motorbike) rider, keke Napep driver, all shades of Artisans, Civil Servants, the unemployed, the farmer the old and even the infirm rooting and jostling to vote for President Goodluck Jonathan on 16th April 2011. I was there and I saw it all.

The people have spoken through the ballot box with the conviction and hope that their aspirations will not be in vain.

And on the President’s inauguration day, it was as if President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan saw the pains anguish and disappointment of a frustrated people as he told them “I will not let you down” The President knows that so much is expected from him.

Nigerians must also reciprocate by giving the President 100% of their love and support whether we are from the sNorth or South, from East or West, let us for once unite and forget the painful past.

God bless Nigeria.

•Ben NANAGHAN wrote in from Lagos.