Jonathan, Ambition and the Wages of Flattery-
'When the power of love replaces the love of power, then we begin our journey of awakening'- Anonymous
One of the lessons my mother taught me is that nothing last forever. She often told me that 'ko sohun tan;je ti ko nitan, afi ola Olorun'; meaning that there is nothing we eat that will not get exhausted except the blessing of God. This lesson has moderated my ambition in life, if any. The fact of my life as I often tell those who care to listen is that I have no ambition. However, I have vision. Ambition makes you to focus on yourself. Vision diverts your focus and attention to others; and your environment!
While nothing is bad about guided ambition, everything is wrong with untamed ambition. Untamed ambition closes the door of reasoning, turning a characteristically gentleman to a cruel brute. Untamed ambition cares only about the ends, it does not bother about means. The ends justify the means! The out-going President manifested this syndrome in his match through power. His action and conduct during the race for 2015 Presidential election reflected this. He didn't bother about the electoral law when the so called Transformation Ambassador of Nigeria (TAN) kick started a campaign for him six months before the ban on campaign was lifted in breach of the electoral law and the constitution he pledged to uphold. Indeed he actively participated through the Secretary to the Federal Government and the Ministers in the subversion of the law. Also, against the electoral he mobilised 21 Billion Naira for Campaign using the seat of Power, Aso Rock as the venue of the assault on the law. The ambition became more brutal when the campaign legally started. His campaign organisation and team triggered and promoted messages of hate without a caution from him. Airwaves were ridden with hate speeches and divisive statements. 'Brain Dead', 'Born Throway' 'Sick with Cancer', 'Will soon die' and other abusive languages replaced issues and manifesto just because of morbid ambition to retain power. Divide and win became the dominant Strategy for electoral victory. Christians against Moslems, Intra-Church strives expanded, the gulf between and among ethnic groups get wider just as intra-ethnic group squabbles became frightening. Neither performance nor blue print of action for second term was important. All is about 'No vacancy in Aso Rock, Goodluck Jonathan Again'. Nollywood and the Comedy Orchestral did not help matter. After intoxication with Dollar, all we heard was 'Goodluck Siddon, nay a seat be that.' These are no languages of democracy! Ambition belatedly turned Jonathan to a Magician, rooting out Boko Haram out witin six week, an action he did not take in six years, leading to the killing of over twenty thousand people and displacement of million others.It is only a morbid ambition that can make one to aspire to get what he has not worked for.
The most desperate people in the world are; one, those who want to get what they do not deserve at all cost; and two; those who time and tide caught up with after wasting the initial opportunities they have. To such, they give no damn! Every weapon, no matter how lethargic, is fair! Their manifest characteristics are running from pillar to post, from Prophet to 'Babalawo', from Pastor to Imam; and in the end, from frying pan to fire! Changing from Christian Cassock to 'Amuda Orisha' gown; euphemistically relocating the capital of Nigeria back to Lagos with unusual Presidential presence of Jonathan in the last two months for vote scooping in the South West are manifestation of fidgeting desperation. Infrastructural presence of his administration in Lagos would have served his ambition better than physical presence during election period without record of service. The so called Afenifere did not help Jonathan when they go on the street telling people that Jonathan will implement the report of the National Conference even when he has not implemented the parts of the conference's recommendations that are within his power to so do. More so, if you need Jonathan to be President before the outcome of a 'National Conference could be implemented', then, there was never a National Conference. At, best, it could only have been Jonathan Conference. Also, if it is true that your people sent you to the conference, then, the battle for the implementation of the Conference's Outcome should not be yours, but of the people. As an ambitious man, Jonathan knew that to catch a fowl, he needed to throw corns at it. So, to catch Afenifere he threw at them the Report of his Conference. Some Dollar too became an added advantage!
How do you explain a government who has been parading itself to have successfully privatised the power sector coming back, before election, announcing fifty percent cut in electricity charges? Has it de-privatised the power sector? Desperation without boarders! Ambition without reflection!
How I wished that desperation could turn twenty three hours of darkness in Nigeria to even Ten hours of electric light! How I wished this ambition wass strong enough to return 220 Naira a Dollar to even 160 Naira a Dollar; which was the value five months ago. Jonathan's regime is a classic example of how the worst of us leads the best of us. The regime represents the darkest part of the history of our struggle out of corruption, leadership ineptitude and national disintegration.. It exemplifies the drossy side of our humanity, national conscience and ethics. By enlisting outlaw organisations like Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Movement for the Actualisation of Biafra (MASSOB), the Niger Delta Militants among others, who have at various times renounced their Nigerian Citizenship and launched violent attacks on the state, as part of his Vote – Hunters, Jonathan indeed put in reservation, every materials needed for future terrorism. During the campaign, the President allowed his Team to turn the Wine of ideas to wayward water of propaganda, falsehood and hate that regrettably set the friends across the Niger against him. Ha allowed Hate Mongers who have no legacy of love and decency to drive his campaign. He danced to the tune of those who told him that he has out performed all his predecessors combine together. He agree with those who told him that the Boko Haram opprobrium is not his fault. Inspite of the declining value of Naira, massive unemployment, the comatose Stock Marketing, increasing Interest Rate, he aligned with the Voodoo Economists who kept telling him that Nigeria is the Largest Economy in Africa. He ignored the ubiquitous poverty, ridiculed the propensity for corruption that characterised his government and defined his Aides and Allies. He despised the criticisms of even the Patriots by labelling them as voices of opposition. The President failed to realise that those we elect to govern us did not only give their consent to our criticism of them, they give their informed consent to our fighting their obnoxious policies and defeating their vexatious practices. He was not learned in the wisdom of Barbara Ehrenreich that 'dissent, rebellion and all-around hell – raising remain the true duty of patriots' Without knowing it, he became the predator of a conscious majority and the Prey of friendly foes who parade themselves as his Ministers, Aides, party loyalists, Clan men and women.
I was not shock when President Jonathan Goodluck recently declared that he was not desperate to be re-elected. I was not shock because those who are desperate hardly know it. To know those that are desperate, ask their victims! Ask those that OPC maimed in Lagos. Ask those women that could not get the 50 Naira per Litre of Kerosene the President Promised on the eve of election. Ask those who spend 24 Hours on queue seeking for the President's Petrol for 87 Naira per Litre. Ask 'his' summer friends among religious and ethnic groups, retinue of cheer leaders in Nollywood and the brats and bats of obscene music who are getting dollar for no work done other than shouting 'Goodluck siddon, na your seat be dat.'
A President seeking re-election but mobilising against conducting election; raising army against the boss of Independent National Electoral Commission, fighting Card Reader Usage ,railing bullets of hate through obscene documentaries on his main opposition and challenger; bifurcating religious and traditional institutions is indeed not desperate. The President now has the opportunity, even in defeat to prove me wrong by becoming the Hero of this election. According to Tom Brokaw 'Heroes are people who rise to the occasion and slip quietly away'. He can rise to say 'Goodluck Nigeria' even as I wish him well in his future endeavours!
Gbenro Olajuyigbe is an Abuja based Human Security Expert and a Human Rights Activist.
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