Letter To Mr. President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, GCFR

Your Excellency Sir,
I had to publicly write you this letter because I know you probably didn’t read the one I personally sent you early last year. By this time next week, you will probably be resting in your hometown at Otuoke or anywhere you have chosen. I need to remind you of issues I raised in the letter, and more.

In 2011, I was one of those Nigerianswho saw you as a man of like passions; one who understood our experiences because you shared them. Like most Nigerians then, we thought because you shared our experience you wouldunderstand us better, hence we voted for you.Without collecting a dime from you, we voted for you. We too had no shoes; we wore torn school uniforms and hadto trek long distances on empty stomachs to school. We bought your mantra of once having no shoes to mobilise massive votes, though your campaign was not one of the best.

Once you were sworn in as President, your public perception as an embodiment of hard work and humility, and your best efforts at tackling the security situation in our dear Nigeria, began to wane. You were unfortunate to have surrounded yourself withpeople who apparently did not share your vision. They werequick to blame your opponents or the “enemies” they created for you for the deteriorating security situation in the country. But whether you believe it or not, the All Progressives’ Congress(APC) or the so-called Boko Haram or the North(as you might have been made to believe)arenot your greatest enemies,but those that presently surround you. I will justify this point with several empirical facts in this letter.

Sir, you may recall in 2012 that you said that the dreaded Boko Haram has infiltrated your Cabinet. Many have interpreted this statement differently since it was made. Whether you made this statement in the heat of the moment or just to evoke public sympathy or whatever motive you had in mind, if you watch carefully you can link this statement to that which I made earlier.

Sir, to buttress my point above, I say whoever advised you to proceed to Kano to welcome Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau into the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) at the time of great national mourning cannot be your well-wisher. Also, whoever organized the Shameless Women Rally to “demand” for your re-election in 2015 at the time the mothers of the kidnapped innocent Chibok girls were demanding the release of their children in Abuja is never your friend. Yet these were the people you trusted for advice on how to run the country!

Sir, though they were meant to be doing whatwas delegated to them, some of your aides, Ministers, Advisers, and other self-appointed praise singers are not only over-ambitious, officious, and high-handed, but also tend to get involved in activities which are not directly related to their job descriptions. They simply engage in eye service, flattery and sycophancy just to get your attention. Surprisingly,you appear not to be calling these people to order even when they display a public show of shame!

Some of your Lieutenants have done particularly well in advising you, but what became of them? I recall late General Andrew Azazi,former National Security Adviser(NSA) was given marchingorders for boldly telling the truth on the security situation in the country. I was told that your men were angry with the General and then prevailed on you to sack him. The unwanted fate of Gen. Azazi may also await those others who may have wished to be so bold; hence they choseto rather be your praise singers, flatterers, and court jesters.

Also Sir,recall when the Adamawa State Government, led by MurtalaNyako, refused to approve the use of Ribadu Square for a PDP Unity Rally which you were to lead, your lieutenants cried foul atthe top of their voices. They were quick to see the politics of the situation. But do you know that the Government’s reason for its action is that you cannot hold a political rally while the nation is still at shock of the missing Chibok girls? Do you also know that when you harkened to the voice of wisdom to call-off the rally even the APC, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, and other well-meaning Nigerians applauded you? Do you also recall that the APC had to reschedule its State Congresses for its Governors to attend the National Security Meeting? If you check well, it is not all your lieutenants that are happy with this patriotic decision of yours so you can now see those that mean well for you and those who don’t!

On the March 28 election;please permit me to remind you that in 2011, when you led the PDP rally at Mapo Hall, Ibadan, you insulted the Yoruba leaders.But as peace-loving people, we not only pardoned you after you apologised for the unguarded statement, we rewarded you with a large chunk of votes, except in Osun. We did this for you without any cost on your part. After your dismal performance, you returned to us in 2015 to clamour for votes. This time, you chose to insult not just our leaders, but the entire race. You distributed money openly to local scammers, drug addicts, praise singers and charlatans in full public glare in your desperation for undeserved Yoruba votes.

You didn’t stop there; you practically did your best to colonize the region and appointed your trusted lieutenants over a tribe that places much emphasis on hard work, honour, and virtue. Your team, comprising drug dealers, murderers, political jobbers, buccaneers and blood-sucking vikings: MusiliuObanikoro, IyiolaOmisore, AyodeleFayose, BurujiKashamu, JeliliAdeshiyan, Femi Fani-Kayode and the like who are themselves of no electoral value, cost you your honour.

These aides played their part much as you played yours in the March 28 debacle. Your aides personally insulted the person of General Muhammadu Buhari, The APC candidate, not sparing both his late wife and daughter. I initially thought these actions were products of your overzealous aides wanting to get your attention not until I witnessed your campaign in Enugu. I do not need to remind you of your ‘unpresidential’ remarks on a retired General in the Nigerian Army. If it were to be a boxing match, this was a below-the-belt hit, which can lead to loss of points of your part.

Regardless of how you handled yourself in the past, I must end this on a positive note.By simply not consulting your aides before conceding defeat on March 31, 2015 to Buhari, you showed that there remains in you some good. Had you consulted them, the nation will probably be witnessing what is presently going on in Burundi. This perhaps has been the only thing you did right in your 5-year reign as President.

Had you watched well for enemies within, maybe things would have been different today. My best wishes are those you wish yourself.

Thank you and God bless you.
OlalekanWaheed ADIGUN
ADIGUN is a writer, philosopher, academic, political risk analyst and researcher. He is equally an independent political strategist and brand consultant for individuals, organisations and campaigns. He is based in Lagos, Nigeria.

His write-ups can be viewed on his website http://olalekanadigun.com/

Tel: +2348136502040, +2347081901080
Email: [email protected]
[email protected]
Follow me on twitter @adgorwell