The challenges of President Goodluck Jonathan’s presidency have been daunting.
Nigeria’s President, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is truly a lucky man; or better still, a blessed man. The former zoologist and university lecturer rose from Deputy Governor to the Governor of Bayelsa State in the Niger Delta after his boss, Diepreye Solomon Peter Alamieyeseigha, a retired Squadron Leader, was convicted on corruption charges in December 2005. He later became Vice President to President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in 2007, replacing him on May 6, 2010 after he died.
After completing his predecessor’s term, Jonathan was elected in April 2011. The election was perceived by some ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP stalwarts from the north as breaking an unwritten party arrangement to rotate the presidency and other major federal positions among various geopolitical zones. On the other hand, northern supporters of the main challenger, former President Gen. Mohamadu Buhari, went on the rampage to protest the results. The unprecedented violent demonstrations left much property destroyed and many lives lost.
President Jonathan also inherited a ravaging insurgency by militants in his own backyard. Niger Delta militants had been demanding more control of their oil resources. In a most daring move, Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND rebels almost disrupted Nigeria’s 50th independence celebrations in the capital, Abuja on October 1, 2010. The attack left at least 15 people dead. However, the new leader pursued an amnesty programme started by Yar’ Adua and the militants have since largely been pacified.
The Goodluck Jonathan administration has been more plagued by the ongoing Boko Haram insurgency in the north than any other problem. The militants who say they are against Western education, have virtually crippled economic and social life in most states in the north. Now resorting to daring tactics like suicide and car bomb attacks, the insurgents have targeted Christian worship places, a UN building, schools, banks, mosques, markets, security and military targets, etc. The result has been heightened insecurity and rising tension between Moslems and Christians. The President himself recently admitted that Boko Haram had accomplices in high places in government and security circles. Added to this are frequent sectarian and ethnic clashes in Plateau State that have claimed hundreds of lives.
The attempt in January by government to lift subsidies on petroleum products resulted in days of rampage across the country, almost bringing the economy to its knees. The general strike was only ended when the government agreed to a partial subsidy lift. Last month, the PDP-dominated Parliament passed a motion, summoning the Head of State to appear before it to explain what they considered the deteriorating security situation in the country. He never did.
Members of the House of Representatives (the lower chamber) on July 19 threatened to begin impeachment proceedings against President Goodluck Jonathan by mid September if he does not show proof of significant execution of the budget. They blamed his administration for just 34 per cent implementation as at June. They argued that this was in spite of the fact that revenue-generating agencies had all met their targets for the first six months of 2012.
There have been increasing calls for the convening of a Sovereign National Conference to decide the way forward for Nigeria. Some Governors have demanded the devolution of additional powers and resources to the states. In the face of all this, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s tenure might only be described as a troubled presidency, so far.
Kimeng Hilton NDUKONG
