Jonathan's impending loss ideal for democracy

You see, it's not just about Goodluck Jonathan, or North or South, or born-to-rule nonsense. It's about making a change to a government that abdicates responsibilities, throwing the continued existence of Nigeria into huge uncertainty.

Nigeria is in a desperate situation, where citizens will have to decide whether to retain the current leadership, which is overseeing the demise of the entity called Nigeria or seek a change in an attempt to find a solution.

We are witnessing tenacious efforts from those who admit Jonathan’s leadership is a monumental failure, yet continue appeal to Nigerians that he's the best option for us now. Really?

People who don't even remember 2014 are now talking about the military era of 1984, in a desperate attempt to salvage that sinking ship called Jonathan administration.  Interestingly, those accounts often ignore the carnage of mass corruption that led to the intervention of the uniform men back then.

We are witnessing cases of convictions of nearly 200 soldiers over ‘mutiny’ at a time the Nigerian Army is going through, arguably, its worst period, in terms of integrity and might. We are seeing a leadership that brazenly attacked the National Assembly, and continue to abuse the use of security operatives to actualise selfish ends.

Jonathan’s supporters are telling Nigerians that this is the best they could ever have, in this period, that Buhari is a no-no, aggressively manufacturing untruths and propagating bigotry. They believe we should just continue with the incumbent President, who has recorded unprecedented milestones in incompetence and corruption.

Nigerians have endured a government whose supporters have  merely become sympathisers for Jonathan’s 'misfortunes' rather than a leadership of responsibility and authority. Claims of sabotage from opposition are constantly presented as a euphemism for ineptitude.

The current FG's apologists have resorted to spreading fears about what the future holds for Nigeria, if Jonathan fails in his re-election bid 2015. Are they trying to coerce the electorate into acting against their will?

We hear incredible tales about Buhari's the most evil person on earth. Yet those who are closer to him, including famous voices have continuously dismissed lots of the allegations religious bigotry and tribalism against the general.

Truly some of the events of the Buhari’s military leadership were very dark, but how can you be so quiet about the abuses of GEJ's democratic era and claim he allowed us liberty in a democracy?

Here we have a government that lied to the world to dismiss the abduction of the country's school kids and continue ceaselessly to slander those who ask questions about their disappearance. 24 hours after over 200 girls were abducted from their school, the FG claimed they had been found and returned to their parents.

The President's wife even summoned and intimidated families of the missing girls on national television, and reportedly ordered the arrest of the vocal ones among them behind the camera.

 In Jonathan's democracy, not military of the 1980s, journalists suffered intimidation for doing their job, while dissenting voices suffer harassment, arrest etc. Let's highlight a few cases here.

Human rights concerns

1. Since Buhari was responsible for the human rights abuse issues durinng his military regime, how can you excuse Goodluck Jonathan on the killing of at least five protesters by the Police and lots of injured casualties during the Occupy Nigeria Protest after the President announced the removal of fuel subsidy in January 2012?  http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/dpo-arrested-for-killing-protester/106787/

2. December 2012: Two journalists arrested over story of military abuse in tackling insurgency. http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/12/27/nigeria-security-forces-detain-2-journalists-over-story-about-military-abuse-in/ …

3. "On September 20, SSS operatives and a unit of the army killed NINE persons squatting in an unfinished building in Abuja." http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/220358.pdf …

4. Armed operatives abducted Nigerian journalists in Akwa Ibom.  http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/164292-armed-operatives-abduct-nigerian-journalist-in-akwa-ibom.html …

5. SSS arrested radio journalists and students with links to Boko Haram. No evidence. http://saharareporters.com/2014/12/16/sss-clears-ihejirika-and-sheriff-arrests-seven-fraudulent-associates-stephen-davis …

6. SSS operatives detained Sun editor after a report published the previous day by the newspaper. http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/158456-sss-operatives-detain-sun-newspaper-editor-national-conference.html …

7. Military and SSS destroyed leading newspapers. http://www.punchng.com/news/military-sss-seize-destroy-major-nigerian-newspapers/ …

8. SSS abducted and detained tweeter, Yusuf Isiaka Onimisi (@Ciaxon) for 12 days for ‘spying’, and it took a vigorous campaign by Nigerians, supported by Amnesty International before he was released. He has remained silent about his ordeal since then. http://www.punchng.com/news/military-sss-seize-destroy-major-nigerian-newspapers/ …

9. Jonathan's government ordered an attack on the National Assembly, a gross abuse of democratic institution, including using the security operatives to physically attack the Speaker (withdrew his personal security aides), and legislators with tear gas. That's in a democracy, not the 1984 military junta.

10. 19 Nigerians, including pregnant women, were killed during a job recruitment exercise organised by the government. The families of the deceased who were promised jobs to appease them are still waiting and no one was punished for the tragedy.


Read Nigeria Human Rights 2013 report here: http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/220358.pdf … and Amnesty International's 2014 report here: http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/nigeria-gruesome-footage-implicates-military-war-crimes-2014-08-05 … on some of the unresolved crimes in the current administration, a democratically elected government.\

Some Boko Haram consequences

Jonathan's administration has failed to protect Nigerians, and worsestill, it has shown a flippant attitude towards the fate of victims of insurgency to an unpardonable level. If the situation is farther from your end, it doesn't mean we should look the other way while Nigerians escape to Chad, Cameroon and Niger.

'The ongoing refugee crisis has seen more than 62,000 people spill over into Niger’s Diffa region since the beginning of 2014 while Cameroon is currently hosting some 44,000 Nigerian refugees. According to authorities, another 1,600 have fled to Chad.' (UNHCR report October 2014)

Bukky Sonibare, who is working to help victims of Boko Haram in North-East stated that only 6,500 people are in government camps for internally displaced victims of the insurgency in despite the fact that a Presidential Committee had raise over N80billion to support them. Where is the money?

Over N1million Nigerians have been affected, more than half of that were chased out of their homes. President Jonathan himself revealed that 12,000 lives have been lost.

“What happened to the billions raised for the Victim Support Fund? What happened to the Victim Support Fund? They are going through hell. What happened to billions of naira to support the IDPs? About 13 people died between September and December due to cholera. What happened to human feeling?”  -Leadership Newspaper December, 27, 2014

The corruption allegations and even justification, on live TV, by the President are monumental. From the fuel subsidy scam to numerous allegations of mismanagement of public funds, the arms deal in South Africa, to the $20billion scandal that led to the sack of Central Bank governor, now Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi. No significant reaction to punish offenders.

The CHANGE that Nigerians call for is not expected to be a miracle, it's a justified reaction!

Nigerians who are calling for change are saying it's stupid to reward a failed leadership at the end of over five years of governance, with another four years. No, there must be a reaction!

And NO! So many of us are not paid to support or clamour for change. We simply say: a reaction sends a message to the next government that failure, such as being experienced in the current administration, will not be tolerated, let alone rewarded by Nigerians.