By Nnamdi Ukasanya
I’m most happy that Goodluck Jonathan has started doing the needful; and to those who said he should not talk, isn’t it reassuring that he is now talking from experience and putting the APC led federal government and her vuvuzuelas on their toes?
For a start: I would want to believe that my position about the former President is well known by my friends and well-wishers on this platform.
With regards to the above, I’m so happy, in that, I’ve been vindicated and consequently emboldened by the latest position of the incumbent Governor of Rivers State, who happened to be a staunch supporter of Goodluck Jonathan – Chief Barr Nyesom Wike- over what I would love to refer to as his own appraisal of how 2015 election was lost and won, and I quote: “I would have burnt down Nigeria if I were Jonathan. His softness made him to lose 2015 contest”, says Nyesom Wike. If the statement above is truly that of Wike, then for me, there’s hope for the future as it takes a real man to open up to avoid more of such a mistake.
I don’t indulge in unnecessary adulation when things are going awry, but the reality remains that the immediate past President of Nigeria- Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan – is a hero of democracy. I also know that Nigeria’s democracy is not matured for people like him, even though i wholeheartedly supported and defended and campaigned for his administration.
It suffice to say that, the only mistake Jonathan could have made, is summed up as not giving Nigerians what they needed at the time, as evidenced in the way and manner our people jubilate, defend and support General Mohammadu Buhari, in the face of excruciating poverty induced hunger and starvation. Today Nigerians are like Tissue paper in the hands of GMB, which is a total departure from what was obtainable under GEJ.
In that regards, there are things I think the former President, did or did not do, that will always hunt every genuine democrat in Nigeria, no matter how we want to shy away from the reality – and I’m never expecting the likes of Governor Wike, to say these things in the open, considering their flourishing relationship.
1) Jonathans’s inability to sack Jega, with all the public outcry that he should be displaced for exhibiting zero tolerance for transparency and the attribute of no less a compromised umpire, prior to the election would continue to hunt us.
2) His inability to challenge the result and the then trending corruption of GMB’s Standard Six Certificate, in a Court of competent jurisdiction, when it was obvious that the latter was not qualified to have his name on a Presidential ballot box and should have been technically and legally confined to where he rightly belong, which of course is not within the radius of the circumference of Aso Rock, is no doubt, a huge mistake.
3) Though he seemed or should I say he had the right as human, to be angry at the time, but that anger/idea to distance himself from the activities of the People’s Democratic Party {PDP}, immediately after the elections, was not only ill conceived, but contributed to endangering the fortunes of the party and compounded the woes of his loyalist, who were not only brazenly blackmailed but hounded as a vendetta for “kicking against the pricks”
4) His inability to start talking and putting the records straight , at a time he had an overwhelming fan base that would have dwarfed anything from the propagandist party at the center, ended up working to the advantage of his traducers.
Why am I revisiting this?
Here is what Jonathan said about Buhari few days back: “People are just afraid of Buhari and not that they are happy with his administration”! This statement remains the gospel so long as the earth revolves around the Sun- and I thank God, that, Jonathan has realized this and without fear of any contradiction, I’ve noticed that the former President, has started talking like I expected he should do – and being a firm believer in the fact that nobody is perfect, puts me in the right position to urge him on, no matter how belated the timing is, after all it’s better late than never.
Secondly, I want to advise that on no account should our people allow Jonathan to be bullied out of the public space again -and if the sustainability of a robust and result oriented opposition is the target, Jonathan must be given the loudest microphone and a corresponding Media coverage to challenge the APC led Federal Government -word for word and point for point- henceforth.
The above advice is premised on the fact that I have come to the full realization that the World would begin to take us seriously when leaders like a former President, begin to speak up, coupled with the fact that, the All Progressive Congress as a Party and Government, have exhibited enough fear, and complete aversion for criticism, critiquing and suggestions, especially that, which may come from the members of the immediate past administration.
I came across a statement, debited or credited (depending on the divide one belong) to the DG Of VON- Osita Okechukwu- were he allegedly warned that, Jonathan, should gently retire or he would expose him – and I honestly began to ask myself, what and what are left to expose again?
Is he to expose that…GMB in collaboration with his former and secret SGF- Babachir Lawal – did not cut ordinary grass, in the desert, with a whooping sum of N233million?
Or that the NIA Boss, is not indicted to the amount of $43Million, or that Gen. Buratai’s houses in Dubai and Abba Kyari’s N500m MTN bribe, have been investigated?
Is he exposing that GMB have any empirical evidence on how N1.2Tr was spent on capital projects yet Nigeria is still like a mess?
Is he exposing that GMB and his cohorts, have accounted for the missing NNPC’s $26b under his watch as the Petroleum Minister?
Is he exposing that GMB is unaware that the IGP should be facing investigation and subsequent arrest for a N120Billion bribe scandal and sex for promotion allegations?
Is he exposing that GMB has said anything about all allegations pointing towards Amaechi, as the looter of the Rivers State treasury, which was instrumental to the funding of the APC’s Presidential election, of which, he had been indicted by a judicial commission of inquiry?
Or that the Efulefu- Osita Okechukwu- isn’t aware that, Buhari sent Pythons and Crocodiles, to dance and smile in the South, while the World Bank was instructed to return the North as next to heaven?
Why are we only interested in who committed whatever, outside the ranks of the ruling Party?
Though I was highly embarrassed by this turn of event, but I also felt vindicated in the sense that they – All Progressive Congress – have had a paper trail of manufacturing different brand of intimidating tactics to instill fear on Nigerians and keep people like the former president, at bay, which was what predicated my fear and subsequent advocacy, that GEJ should start talking -a call that never went well with some of his supporters who claimed he had said enough before 2015 election, and should say nothing more, forgetting that for Peace to reign, all that is needed is to prepare for war.
After reading that warning/intimidation from Mr. Osita, I remembered when were kids, and loved watching this Oyibo action films where the final battle is always between the Boss and the Actor.
You would notice that the Actors -no matter how little or insignificant they are- always defeats the Boss, but what is more baffling is what transpires between the two protagonists before the last fight, as the Boss is always withdrawn or retreating- saying he is not ready to fight his challenger-the actor because of one flimsy excuse or the other, just like they’re advising GEJ to retire, for fear of facing the reality.
The same game plays out in the literal world as evidenced in the book of Shakespeare, verse Macbeth.
Macbeth was a warlord like we have today in Aso Rock -and he challenged the “imperfect speakers” known as the witches that appeared to him like an apparition, even when he was hailed and promised amongst other things that, “no man born of woman can kill him”.
Over his blinded desperation to become the King, he killed everybody, including the King -Duncan- who was his guest at the time to celebrate him over his gallantry at the War- the same thing happening in Nigeria, where innocent and armless citizens are brutally murdered with the help of Boko Haràm, while others suffered the same fate with propaganda and falsehood just to get access to Aso Rock.
The game changed when Macduff emerged from nowhere, and that perfect fighter, that man that, believed he is untouchable became jittery and refused to fight the latter, and Macbeth said: ” of all men else I have avoided thee. But get thee back. My soul is too much charged with blood of thine already.” And Macduff fired back, saying; “I have no words. My voice is my sword, you bloodier valiant”, before sending the dreaded Boss to the great beyond with his sword, to show that nobody is above death.
Question is, why would Macbeth refuse to fight with Macduff? And why would APC dodge a challenge form a Jonathan?
Why am on this excursion?
It became imperative that I do this as it’s obvious that the VON Boss -Osita Okechukwu- who doubles as an APC Chieftain is acting a well-choreographed script, with the intent of using the Mafia Manager tactics of bullying, intimidating and hitting the head, as to scatter the followers, hence my conclusion that, this idea of frustrating those who should hold our Microphone, must not be allowed to materialize as the World is eager to hear from these political heavy weights and no longer mere ranting.
Having used their brazen illegality to temporarily block the agitation for Biafra , here is the time to legitimately give them that aggressive opposition, that would throw them into perfect state of disorganization.
