“We are teetering on the brink of an abyss The depth of which we do not know, because We cannot even see the bottom”…… Prof. Wole Soyinka
Without any shadow of doubt, one of the burning issues in the country now is about the letter an ex President, the retired General, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo wrote to the incumbent President Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. And as a matter of fact, to many Nigerians, the letter was not only a time bomb, but it was a surprise package of the year, that a godfather washed the dirty linen of his godson in public.
But honestly, what I considered unacceptable most, in the letter was the stern warning of Obasanjo to Jonathan that ‘’ before it’s too late’. As far as Am concerned, it’s already too late for Jonathan. Without any fear of contradictions, for Jonathan to warm himself back to the hearts of millions of Nigerians is already too late, for Jonathan to redeem his battered image, as incompetent and inefficient President, is also too late, for Jonathan, by now to fulfill all promises he made to Nigerians on 29 May 2011 is also too late.
Truly speaking, it’s also late for Jonathan to correct the impression as the worst democratically elected President, Nigeria has ever produced. No doubt under his administration Nigeria and Nigerians have experienced the parlous and incorrigible state of insecurity like never before. Corruption is now unprecedented, foreign reserve has been so eroded ,for the first time Nigeria have witnessed a critical case of wanton profligacy and nonsensical reckless spending, a case of a Minister who bought 2 bullet proof cars at the rate of 225 million naira .
In 2011, Jonathan irrespective of political parties, religious sentiment and tribal conglomeration, Nigerians in North, East, West and South voted for Jonathan as the President –elect. But not up to a year after he was sworn-in ,Jonathan started exhibiting despotic and dictatorial tendencies of which he proved that he was not worthy of trust and confidence the electorate reposed in him, as he increased the liter of fuel from 65 naira to 141 naira . Although after much curses and tough protest, he was forced to reduce it to 95 naira per liter. But since then, Jonathan had lost affection and administration many Nigerians have for him.
Jonathan who promised to use the money on fuel increase ‘known as subsidy’ to ameliorate the plight of Nigerians, have elevated it, nothing significantly is working, Nigerian roads remains nightmarish, electricity is still epileptic , academic sector continues to witness deteriorating condition ,health sector is still anaerobic, the worst is highly dreaded and parlous situation of insecurity of lives and property. Jonathan did not only turn deaf ears to the plight of the commoners, but he has also directed his non-challant attitude, inexplicable arrogance, and despotism and autocratic attributes to the men of timber and caliber. He was so hell-bent and refused all pacifications; until he stopped the gubernatorial re-contest of Timpre Sylva his successor at his home state of Bayelsa like Ahab, who preferred hearkened to the voice of his wife Jezebel? Jonathan too, preferred listening to the voice of his wife Patience, Okonjo Iweala and Diezani Madueke than to listen to his party stalwarts or his godfather and mentor Olusegun Obasanjo. Jonathan betrayed all sense of reasons and due process of facts and law, when he sacked the President of Court of Appeal Hon Justice Ayo Salami, and used abracadabra means to frustrate his re-instatement. But, the one that still leaves sour taste in the mouth is his shameful involvement in the Nigerian Governorship Forum, and he added salt into injury by trying to use coercive power to unseat the elected Chairman of Nigerian Governorship Forum, Hon Rotimi Amaechi. He cunningly empowered the commissioner of police as the custodian of law and order in a state where there is democratically elected Governor. And he has never repented as he continues to use his minister Wike Neyson to cause rancor and acrimonies in the state, in order to jeopardize the interest of the Governor and administration.
I should have remember the Nigerian killer factors, simply defined, It is the stressful bane of the mere act of critical thought within a society, where power and control remain The playthings of imbeciles, psychopaths and predators –Prof Wole Soyinka
Jonathan megalomaniac, deafening ears ,pomposity ,executive arrogance ,executive ignorance and executive extravagance, is too unbearable to the extent that just of recent five founding members of the party[ PDP] and who are also incumbent Governors, including Senators and many members of House of Representatives, left the party to join the leading opposition party APC.
And despite the PDP rigging machine and INEC blowing hot and cold, it’s too late for PDP to win those states back, let alone for Jonathan to emerge triumphantly in those states, coming 2015 Presidential election. As a matter of fact, the non-challant attitude of Jonathan towards the art of governance, his cold shoulder to the nation economic, social and political titanic problems. Honestly, the actions and inactions of Jonathan, his incompetence, administrative inept and weakness are not only at the door steps of opportunism, but also transcends to the level of dictatorship. As Barrack Obama puts it that People who are hungry, people who are out of a job, is the stuff of which dictatorship are made?
President Obasanjo letter to Jonathan is like crying, when the head is off. To say ‘’ before it’s too late’’ is highly deceptive and irrelevant. Truly, it’s already too late for Jonathan, for Obasanjo, for PDP, for electorate, its already too late. For electorate not to regret Voting Jonathan in 2011, it’s already too late. It’s already too late for Obasanjo not to regret of imposing and supporting Jonathan to be Nigerian president. It’s already too late for PDP not to regret producing a President, who is so inconsiderate, selfish, self-centered and instead of expanding the horizon, but reducing it and on the way to short change it, from largest ruling party in Africa to largest opposition and disorderly party in Africa .
It is also too late for Jonathan, to turn all his enemies to friends and to correct all the mistakes he has made. Jonathan like a dog, that determine to lose has gone too far, and can never listen to the whistle of a hunter because it’s too late.
Bello Destiny Paul writes from Lagos 07036611633
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