PRESIDENT EBELE JONATHAN: IS HE THE “MESSIAH?”

President  Goodluck  Ebele   Jonathan:   can he be the true  national  leader Nigerians  have been yearning for? His  emergence  as  President  of   this country,   is   by   God’s    providence.  Under normal   circumstances, he wouldn’t  have been  able  to  rise  to  the  top   position,   no matter  how   he   struggled, or lobbied  for  it. Years ago, he  was  a   deputy   Governor   of Bayelsa State. When his boss the incumbent  Governor  was impeached, he took over.

Later, he became   Vice-Presidential candidate   under  Musa   Yar’aduah,   during 2007 presidential  election  on   the   platform   of  People’s   democratic   Party (PDP). They won  and  he became Vice-President. Following the demise of President Musa Yar’aduah, after protracted illness, he stepped in. His ascension to the highest position in this country, is reminiscent of some persons God  Almighty  greatly made use  of in the past.

The Lord  called  Moses to lead people of  Israel   from  the   land  of   Egypt,   to  the promised  land.  He  neither campaigned, nor lobbied  for  the  high  position.  God  used him with  Aaron  as  his  deputy, to  carry out the  job. The  Lord  was  able  to   beat  down their  enemies  before them;  many  of  whom  were giants. Joseph  in  the  land   of   Egypt   didn’t solicit  for  the  exalted  position.  But,  God  acted  in  a  mysterious   way,   to   make    him   next   to Pharaoh of Egypt. The Lord smoothened  the path of  greatness  for  him,  in  order  to  fulfill  His divine purpose, concerning Israel. There  are clear  indications, President Jonathan   will   perform   better  than  all  his predecessors; if he sustains the  tempo of his style of governance. Right from the  period he was Acting President,  generality   of  the people    were   overwhelmed   by   his   level headedness, and achievements.

His  most  remarkable  achievement  is the  availability  of  fuel,  everywhere  in  this  country  at  official  pump  price (65 naira per litre),  for  a  year  and half now. It  has  never  happened in this country for decades.   Many   of our  past  rulers    were    benefiting   from    the   artificial scarcity of petroleum products. There   were   times   the   prices   of   these    products,   would    go   up   by   five   hundred  percent, in  black  market especially during festive periods, like Christmas. During  those  dark  years  of   misrule, many filling stations used to sell most of their products late in the night, or midnight to black  marketers;  in  order  to  break  even.  It was more costly to buy from the depot. Marketers  of  petroleum products had to  bribe  at every stage   to  obtain  the   products. There  were artificial scarcity  of the God-given products. These  are  mineral   resources  we  produce  here in Nigeria, and export to other countries.

Our  rulers (over-lords) had lackadaisical  attitude   toward   resuscitating   our  four major refineries,  to  operate in full  capacity.  At  a  stage,  all  the  refineries  were virtually grounded. We relied heavily on importation.  We  produce  the  crude,  and  send  to  foreign lands. They refined   them, and send  back   to  us   at   exorbitant   prices.  Many of our rulers and their family members, own refineries  abroad  which  they  use  to refine the crude oil. They   were   paying   lip-service   to establishing  more  refineries  in  the  country.

President  Jonathan  has  done  better than  all  his predecessors, in  respecting  the secular  nature  of  Nigeria. He participates in the annual Ramadan fast, right from the time he was  vice-president. He has given his new Vice-President,  Mamadi Sambo more  free hand  to  operate. The  latter recently visited Saudi  Arabia. He discussed with authorities there. The Islamic bank officials their reached agreement,  in  financing  some  development projects   in   Nigeria,   President     Jonathan   recently     signed     contract    with  Chinese   firm  for  the construction  of  three  refineries in: Bayelsa,  Lagos  and Kogi states.

I   must   not   fail  to give some  kudos  to   the  late  President,  Musa  Yar’aduah for  his genuine  intentions.  He  granted amnesty  to   Niger  Delta   militants;  improved  on  the rule  of law;   commenced   the   dredging   of   lower  River  Niger, neglected  by  successive administrations. He had  the intention to bring  positive  changes  in  the  country, but lacked the  energy  to  accomplish   it. He  bowed  to   protracted sickness eventually.

The President is doing a lot to quell the ethnic-religions    clashes    mostly   in   the Northern part of the country.  He  has  said  it categorically,  that   whoever   commits    any atrocity   in  the  name  of   religious  clashes,  will   be  tried  for  it. Their  sponsors  will also face  the  full  weight  of  law,  no  matter how highly placed.

He   seems  to  be   improving   on  the legacies   of   his    immediate    predecessor, Umaru  Musa  Yar’aduah,  who  adopted  the position  of   servant  leader.  Throughout  his stay  in   office,   there   was   no   political assassination, or mysterious death of political opponents.  He   didn’t   have   mistresses  or concubines, he  lavished  state  fund  on.  He didn’t interfere with the judicial process either.
President     Jonathan    need    to   be commended,   for   his   confidence    building efforts  across  the tribes in Nigeria. When he newly  assumed   the  position  of

President, even in  acting  capacity,  some  elites from a section  of  the  country  were   upset  by  the development. They felt he had  come  to alter the  status  quo:  somebody  from  a  minority tribe  coming  to rule the  country.  They were disturbed  by the circumstances that allowed him to step  into  the  shoes  of the President.

Now, they are beginning to realize that someone outside their geo-political zone can rule this country  Nigeria  even better;  and  protect their  interest  more.  Many  of  our past tribal rulers, have  brainwashed  their  tribesmen to believe,  an   “outsider” can’t    protect   their economic,  political,  and  religious   interests. We  strongly  believe, by  the  time  he leaves  office,  tribal  and religious politics will suffer devastating blows.

Then, the era of divide and rule tactics will be outdated. His present   tenure  will terminate on May 9th 2011. But, it is too short for   him  to  make   the    desired   impact   in transforming   the country.

His  stay  in  office  has  debunked  the notion   in   many  quarters, that   the  person presiding over the affairs of this country must come   from   a  certain   tribe.   He   is   from minority tribe– Ijaw.   People   marvel   at  his performance  so   far; even  the  international community.  He  has  been  building “bridges” across  the   Niger.   People’s  eyes  are  now opening.

His coming to power has brought great stability, in  the  Niger Delta  area– his home base.  Militancy and  unrest there have been reduced  to  the   barest   minimum.  Pipeline vandalism has died down much; caused by longstanding   neglect    of    the    area   by successive Federal Government, and subsequently  oil prospecting companies, operating in  the  area  like  Shell.  During   the  military dictatorship, Shell  armed  their  security men “Shell Police,”  with  sophisticated  weapons, imported  into  the  country.  This   imperialist oil  company, preferred  spending  millions  to buy  arms  to subjugate and silence the voice of dissent, against  their gross  neglect  of  oil producing  areas,   and   their  environmental hazards.

They took  undue advantage of the near nonchalant attitude, of  the  Federal  Military Government toward the  plight   of   oil producing    communities.   Virtually,   all   the  heads  of  military  juntas  in  this country, are not  indigenes  of   oil   producing  areas.  So, they  cared  little about the  gross  neglect  of  the  place. Shell, the elite oil company, capitalized   on  that,  and  impoverished   the   people   with  impunity,  by  devastating  their   farm lands,  and  fishing waters with oil spills. As a result, the company spent  much  more  on security,  than  solving   the problem it created.

However,  the  present  government  is seriously reversing the trend. United  Nations officials   are  in  the   area, to   estimate   the  environmental     degradation,    and    proffer  solutions.  Oil   companies    operating   there    including Shell,  are  being given  guidelines, to  meet up  with  environmental  standard.  A lot  of goodies   are   going  to    Niger   Delta;    with    increased    budgetary   allocation,   for  the  Ministry,   among others.

The  current President Jonathan, has a long  way  to  go, in  rescuing the nation from  decades   of misrule  and  looting,  from  both military and civilian rulers.
Our people have been made poor by   selfish and evil rulers.  They   are hypocrites who   make    mere   verbal    utterances   on   patriotism,   and   national  development. The  more   they   loot and siphon  our  oil  money  abroad,    the      more     they     carry     out  propaganda, and image laundering;  with  the  connivance     of    their    sycophants,    and  hangers-on, many of whom organize  awards and titles for them,  here  and there.

Our leaders usually start well several months of  coming  to power. They diagnose the problems  with the country; like a medical doctor  ready  to cure his patients. They build people’s confidence in them to govern well. But, somewhere  along  the  line,  they  derail and  become  like  those  they   overthrew, or took over from.

We  are  all   watching  President ‘Goodluck’  Jonathan. Let him know God has brought  him to that  position at this time. Let his performance not be a flash in the pan.