Adding Pepper to Injury
230 viewsAdding pepper to injury
So former President Goodluck Jonathan claims it was Barack Obama of the US, not Nigerians, who removed him as President in 2015? He also alleges that his own party men and women, including the national chairman of his party, betrayed him.
Did he really say that? I don’t want to believe that the former President has still not learnt a lesson or two in Leadership since he was shown the exit door in 2015. Is Jonathan saying that the Boko Haram onslaught in the north east which was allowed to fester under his watch was not enough reason for Nigerians to vote him out? Is he saying that Nigerian electorates are not that intelligent?
Is Jonathan saying that regardless of the will of Nigerians he would still have remained President but for Obama? Was it Obama who cast some 14 million votes for Buhari to defeat him in the Presidential election? Is he saying that our votes did not matter?
When we voted to make him President in 2011 was it at Obama’s prodding? If our vote could make him President in 2011, why does he now think it could not have removed him in 2015? Why should the former President choose to persist in insulting our collective intelligence? In case he still doesn’t know why he lost the 2015 Presidential election perhaps a few tips will help.
He lost the election because under him the territorial integrity of Nigeria was threatened by the onslaught of Boko Haram in the north east. Some 14 local governments were captured and alien rule imposed on them by the terrorist sect. The map of Nigeria was radically redrawn in a manner of speaking to the consternation of Nigerians.
Under Jonathan, Boko Haram had a field day, killing and maiming Nigerians, destroying their lives and business and ransacking whole cities, towns and villages and he, Jonathan, watched helplessly. His National Secretary Adviser and other top military brass were pussy-footing all over the place and swindling money meant to fight the terrorists. Matters came to a head when Chibok girls were kidnapped and rather than react swiftly he, Jonathan, chose to play politics, until it was too late of course. Even when he was warned by one of his service chiefs (General Ihejirika) at the time of Boko Haram terror about the role of his party men in the whole saga he, Jonathan, chose to fire the service chief instead of having his allegation investigated. Again, he chose to play politics with the lives of Nigerians.
Jonathan should know that he lost the 2015 election because Nigerians were outraged that he used a so-called man of God to play Oliver North and caused the country international embarrassment.
He should know that he lost the election because his oil Empress, Diezani, superintended over the NNPC coffers like a wolf, and when his own equivalent of the Chancellor of the Exchequer alerted him to her activities he, Jonathan, had him dismissed.
Jonathan lost the election because the Nigerian Police Force under his watch could not explain who massacred over 100 Nigerians in one fell swoop and threw them into Ezumezu river in Anambra State. It was rumoured at the time that the massacre was carried out by the Police under Jonathan. And he looked the other way, did nothing and said nothing. And Nigerians were outraged at the decomposing bodies pulled out of the river.
Need I continue? Yes, just some few more. How could it not occur to Oga Jonathan that elected members of the National Assembly whom he locked out of their legislative chamber in a most vicious assault on democracy to date, and forced them – old men and women – to scale the walls of the National Assembly in a most unedifying matter, would not come back to haunt him?
Under President Jonathan, tertiary education was grounded for 8 months as Nyesom Wike, then in charge of Education portfolio couldn’t care less. He was busy preparing to take over Rotimi Amaechi’s sit as Rivers State governor. And Oga Jonathan looked the other way.
In case the former President has forgotten, let him be reminded that he lost the election due to the activities of his kinsmen, particularly Chief E. K. Clark, Orubebe, Tompolo, Dokubo and Co. These people operated as alternate government spewing arrogance everywhere as if the country was their private fiefdom. Worse, the former President’s own wife, Madam Patience, acted like she was the commander of the Police Force, using AIG Joseph Mbu to harass, harangue and hoodwink sitting governor Amaechi, all because she wanted her godson, Nyesom Wike, to take over. And Oga Jonathan looked on.
Under Jonathan crude oil theft from Nigeria assumed an alarming dimension. An international corridor for illegal trafficking of stolen crude from Nigeria known as the ” The Togo Triangle” sprang up. Through this channel, Nigeria lost billions of dollars’ worth of crude oil. This is in spite of oil pipeline protection contract being awarded to Jonathan’s kingsmen! And Jonathan looked on.
How could all these, and many more, happen under any elected president anywhere in the world and he still believe he will win a re-election? Na, not possible, except perhaps in Zimbabwe. But Nigeria is not Zimbabwe. Jonathan watched helplessly while all these atrocities happened. Even when another former President, Obasanjo, penned his famous warning “Before It is too late” rather than take it to heart, Jonathan took it personal and played his usual ethnic card. Typical.
Pray, has the former President actually taken time to reflect on his days in Aso Rock? If he did, then how could he believe he would have still won a re-election given all that happened under his watch? How could he now add pepper to injury by claiming it was Obama, not Nigerians, who removed him from office?
Perhaps Jonathan should ponder why his own ruling party men and women would turn their back on him even with all the odds in his favour and the instruments of state power plus huge petro-dollar at his disposal. Surely, the answer must lie somewhere in his person.