Jonathan, Buhari and the burden of the past

Nigerians will, no doubt, file out on February 14 to elect the country’s new president. FISAYO FALODI x-rays the past issues that may affect the fortune of the two major presidential candidates in the contest

Eligible voters seeking to participate in the February 14 general elections may be interested in probing the past activities of the two major presidential candidates in the poll as the basis for their electability.

Like developed countries, voters may wish to assess the moral strength and the ability of the candidates to tolerate views of the opposition before they entrust them with their votes.

Ironically, the Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, and his All Progressives Congress counterpart, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, contested the 2011 general elections won by Jonathan and they have been traversing the length and breadth of Nigeria campaigning for support in the February 14 presidential poll.

With exactly one week to the election which will mark another chapter in Nigeria’s political history, the voters may want to assess Jonathan’s performance in office in the last four years viz-a-viz the fulfilment of his promises to raise Nigerians’ hope in the area of security, job creation and anti-corruption battle, among others.

Jonathan had promised during his inauguration on May 29, 2011 that his administration would develop the economy, create jobs and generate enduring happiness for the people.

He had said, “The urgent task of my administration is to provide a suitable environment for productive activities to flourish. The moment is right. The signs are heart-warming. We are ready to take off on the path of sustained growth and economic development. In our economic strategy, there will be appropriate policy support to the real sector of the economy, so that Small and Medium Enterprises may thrive. Nigeria is blessed with enormous natural wealth, and my administration will continue to encourage locally owned enterprises to take advantage of our resources in growing the domestic economy.

“The bane of corruption shall be met by the overwhelming force of our collective determination to rid our nation of this scourge. The fight against corruption is a war in which we must all enlist so that the limited resources of this nation will be used for the growth of our commonwealth.

“Conscious of the negative effect of insecurity on growth and development, my administration will seek collaboration at bilateral and multilateral levels to improve our capability in combating trans-border crimes. In this regard, we will intensify our advocacy against the illicit trades in small arms and light weapons which have become the catalyst for conflicts on the African continent.

“My fellow countrymen and women, Nigeria is not just a land of promise; it shall be a nation where positive change will continue to take place for the good of our people. The time for lamentation is over. This is the era of transformation. This is the time for action. But Nigeria can only be transformed if we all play our parts with commitment and sincerity.

“Fellow compatriots, lift your gaze towards the horizon. Look ahead and you will see a great future that we can secure with unity, hard work and collective sacrifice.”

But observers are of the opinion that Nigerians only saw insecurity, depression and hopelessness instead of good governance devoid of threat to their lives and property.

The observers believe that tragic occurrences happening in Nigeria in the last three and half years indicated that the PDP presidential candidate seems to have failed to fulfil his earlier promise on security.

They pointed out the needless killing of thousands of innocent Nigerians majority of who are children and women by the violent Boko Haram sect in the face of helpless security agencies as a major challenge the President failed to address despite his avowed promise to tackle the persistent attacks as well as arrest the perpetrators and their backers for prosecution.

Though the Boko Haram insurgents have killed about 30,000 Nigerians in the last five years, majority of the victims were killed under Jonathan’s administration, according to the Nigeria Social Violence Dataset, a non-profit organisation which has been recording violent attacks in the country since 1998.

In spite of that fact that the lion share of the 2014 budget was meant to fight insecurity, the Human Rights Watch said in the first half of last year that the terror group killed 2,053 in 95 attacks in over 70 towns and villages in North-East and the Federal Capital Territory.

“Boko Haram is effectively waging war on the people of Northeastern Nigeria at a staggering human cost,” said West Africa Director at Human Rights Watch, Corinne Dufka, adding, “Atrocities committed as part of a widespread attack on civilians are crimes against humanity for which those responsible need to be held to account.”

The abduction of over 200 schoolgirls on April 14, 2014 in their dormitory in Chibok, Borno State, by the insurgents is still a challenge before Jonathan’s administration to address. In spite of the negative image the incident attracted to Nigeria, the teenage girls have yet to be rescued by the Jonathan-led Federal Government more than nine months after they were forcefully whisked away to unknown destination.

The President’s also appears to have failed to tackle corruption as promised in his 2011 inaugural speech.

The failure may have prompted Jonathan’s former Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, to use N255m public fund to buy bulletproof cars for her personal comfort.

Despite the widespread controversy the bulletproof cars issue generated, the ex-minister was not invited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and other relevant government agencies for interrogation.

A former Minister of Education, Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili, once cried out that Nigeria was sinking under the weight of corruption under Jonathan’s administration.

Ezekwesili, who raised the concern while marking her 50th birthday in Abuja, vowed not to keep quiet in the face of bad governance in the country.

She said, “My general overview is that we are going through the throes of challenges that require a very strong sense of sacrificial leadership. The corruption in the society right now is so endemic, it has almost become democratised. And that is going to sink us. We need not implode under the weight of corruption. We need to tackle corruption and tackle it as you would tackle cancer. It can kill.”

Notwithstanding the criticism, Jonathan’s supporters believe that the PDP presidential candidate deserves re-election because of some of the achievements of his administration, including job creation in the last four years.

The supporters will want to list the creation of 1.6 million jobs under various programmes including the Community Service Scheme, Graduate Internship Scheme, Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria and the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme as well as creation of 250,000 jobs in the agriculture sector by enabling Dry Season Farming in 10 northern states as some of the President’s achievements.

The unbundling of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria into 11 distribution companies, six generation companies and one transmission company as well as positioning the sector to respond adequately to growing power demands is also another achievement Jonathan’s supporters will want to parade.

He was said to have taken a number of measures, including investing huge amount of money in military hardware to tackle the rampaging Boko Haram terror group.

Even the remodelling of 22 airports and the establishment of many federal universities by Jonathan’s administration are other things considered to be the achievements of the President.

According to the President’s supporters, his intervention in the education sector facilitated the establishment of about 28 Almajiri schools in 13 northern states.

Jonathan’s investment in infrastructure also deserves mentioning, according to his supporters. His administration rehabilitated the Eastern Railway corridor, Port Harcourt-Aba-Enugu-Makurdi-Lafia-Kuru-Bauchi-Maiduguri with branch lines from Kafanchan-Kaduna and Kuru-Jos.

He also modernised the Abuja-Kaduna Standard Guage rail line and rehabilitated the Apapa Port railway network with provision of 29 new locomotives and 20 new tank wagons to ease transportation.

The Director, Media and Publicity for the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, believes that Jonathan, in spite of the formidable opposition posed by the APC, will defeat his co-contestant.

Expectedly, the criticism of Jonathan’s administration by a former Central Bank Governor, Prof. Charles Soludo, that Nigeria’s economy was poorly managed by the President did not go down well with Fani-Kayode.

Fani-Kayode described the ex-CBN governor as confused and conflicted, saying, “The truth is that Soludo is far too educated, civilised and advanced to be in the opposition. He belongs to the modern age and not the dark ages. I pray that sooner than later he comes to his senses and he sees the light. One thousand Muhammadu Buharis cannot match one Goodluck Jonathan in terms of tolerance, compassion, performance or output.”

APC candidate, Gen. Buhari, who now prides himself as a democrat, toppled the democratically elected government of former President Shehu Shagari on December 31, 1983.

According to some Nigerians, many “sins” committed by the APC presidential candidate while he was the head of state may hunt the General in his bid to seek the people’s support.

As head of state, the human rights record under Buhari’s regime was said to be frightening. With Decree Number 2 of 1984, Buhari gave the state security and the Chief of Staff, Maj.-Gen. Tunde Idiagbon, the power to detain, without charges, individuals deemed to be a security risk to the state for up to three months.

He also banned strikes and popular demonstrations and gave the defunct National Security Organisation unprecedented power to intimidate, harass and jail individuals who broke the interdiction on strikes.

The General tampered with the press as he promulgated the infamous Decree 4 which made even the publication of the truth a punishable offence.

Under the decree, Buhari jailed innocent journalists, including Tunde Thompson and Nduka Irabor of The Guardian for publishing stories that were factually true.

He abolished civil liberties, promulgated retroactive decrees enabling him to kill Nigerians through jungle justice, proscribed civil society organisations and professional groups.

Gen. Buhari, who sacked the civilian government for corruption and lack of discipline, was allegedly partial while punishing politicians of the Second Republic.

He placed Shagari under house arrest inside a palatial mansion in Ikoyi while he locked up Shagari’s vice, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, in Kirikiri Prison.

He also jailed former Lagos State Governor, Alhaji Lateef Jakande; former Anambra State Governor, Chief Jim Nwobodo; former Governor of old Bendel State, Prof. Ambrose Ali; Pa Adekunle Ajasin, Chief Ayo Ojewumi on cases that had no foundation, but put the former Governor of Niger State, Alhaji Awwal Ibrahim, who was arrested in Heathrow Airport in London with 14 million pounds sterling and several millions of naira and dollars under house arrest. He also put the then Sokoto State Governor, Alhaji Shehu Kangiwa, who allegedly supervised the famous Bakolori massacre of poor peasant farmers whose lands were appropriated without compensation under house arrest. Ambrose Alli and Ayo Ojewumi became blind as a result of this false imprisonment under his regime.

Those who accused Buhari of having unforgiving spirit will recall that when he toppled Shagari’s government in 1983, he remembered an article written long before then by a former Ogun State Governor, the late Chief Bisi Onabanjo, titled: “The Mallams are coming” in which Onabanjo wrote that people should watch out for that “gangly officer from the North” after Buhari gave a no holds barred speech at some Army functions where he was reported to be very openly pro-Fulani and pro-Islam to the exclusive of all else. For that, Buhari, according to reports, allegedly inflicted harshest jail terms and treatments on Onabanjo.

Though the regime was popularly dubbed “no-nonsense,” Buhari allegedly supervised the smuggling of 53 suitcases filled with cash through the Murtala Mohammed Airport against protests by his Chief of General Staff, Maj.-Gen. Tunde Idiagbon and the then Director-General of the Nigerian Customs, Atiku Abubakar.

The APC presidential candidate was also accused of inconsistency. In one breath, he accused the Jonathan-led Federal Government of crackdown on the Boko Haram insurgents as against the special treatment given to the Niger Delta militants by the same government and in another breath, he said the President lacked the capacity to tackle the insecurity caused by the terror group.

The Buhari’s perceived inconsistent posture on the Boko Haram saga may have prompted the former Minister of the National Capital Territory, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, to describe the retired military leader as “perpetually unelectable as a result of his insensitivity to Nigeria’s diversity and his parochial focus.”

The popular War Against Indiscipline meant to restore orderliness in public consciousness was also said to be brutally executed by soldiers under Buhari’s watch.

Buhari’s critics will not forget in a hurry how the APC presidential candidate defiled traditional institution while in power as the head of state. The former military leader seized the passports of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuade, for travelling abroad without seeking his permission.

It is also doubtful if the APC candidate believes in the rule of law. Speaking not long ago on the $6.8bn fuel subsidy fraud, the 155bn Malabu oil block scam and the 36.8bn police pension scheme, Buhari said the documentary evidence against the fraud suspects should be used against them.

“Just use the documentary evidence and prosecute them and jail them or shoot them,” Buhari had said.

Even the National Leader of APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, tactically described Buhari as too rigid. Tinubu’s comment followed the first attempt to merge the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria and the defunct Congress for Progressive Change in the build-up to the 2011 general elections.

Tinubu had said, “Has he ever willingly contacted the leadership of ACN privately? Until we were rallied by some leaders who wanted us to form the alliance, Buhari never took a single proactive step. I do believe a man running to be the President of Nigeria, and not Emir of Katsina, should have the needed flexibility. To be a good leader, you have to be flexible and accommodating.”

The violence that trailed the 2011 general elections in which many people were killed and property worth several millions of naira destroyed was believed to have been instigated by Gen. Buhari’s comment.

The APC presidential candidate will need to convince voters that he is not a religious and ethnic bigot. Nigerians will want him to explain why he chose to campaign and vote against Peter Onu, a Nigerian, as the Secretary-General of the Organisation of African Unity now AU in 1985. It was said that Buhari voted for Ide Oumarou, a Fulani Nigerien because he is a Muslim.

The former head of state was also said to have played the religious and the ethnic card much later when he visited the former Oyo State Governor, the late Lam Adesina, asking him why his (Adesina’s) people were killing his (Buhari’s) people.

But Buhari is not perturbed by the allegations thus boasting that he would lead Nigeria to greatness, if elected.

The retired General asked Nigerians to have confidence in him, stressing that the country would never achieve greatness if the PDP should win the next election.

The APC Presidential Campaign Organisation has also allayed the fears raised against Buhari’s candidature, saying the former head of state is now a democrat and would not tamper with the freedom of speech of Nigerians.

Director of Media and Publicity of the Campaign Organisation, Mallam Garba Shehu, said recently during a meeting with members of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers in Abuja that the APC presidential candidate is now a democrat.

“Men change. Buhari was a military man, but now a democrat. He will not even censor online. The censorship of online will come from the community of users itself,” Shehu said.

Shehu also pushed the candidature of the APC presidential candidate further in a recent statement, saying the former head of state would not probe the military or any other arm of government if elected.