|
President Goodluck
Jonathan and Electricity Supply in Nigeria
The problem of irregular power supply is endemic in Nigerian's
history. It has been around for a long time. Successive
regimes have proclaimed their intention to tackle the issue.
They have all failed woefully. Yar'Adua failed. There is
nothing to make us believe that Goodluck Jonathan will be successful.
Nigeria is forever crippled economically until
the energy supply issue is resolved. How do we power emerging
industries, schools, factories, home, and internet cafes without
dependable electricity supply?
There is no doubt that President Jonathan has good intentions, but good
intentions are not good enough. We want results. There has to
be a massive mobilization of the Nigerian populace to achieve the
objective. This is a crisis situation, and the response should be in a
magnitude that a crisis deserves. Jonathan will have to use every
available air wave to drive his message home. His
administration is going to have to contend with a mentality that says it
is okay to tamper with the electric meter. It is not okay. Jonathan will
have to reverse the pervasive idea that electricity should be free.
No, it cannot be free. You use it, you pay for it.
Yakubu Gowon and Goodluck Jonathan at
the crossroads of Nigerian History
Yakubu Gowon is definitely one of the best
leaders Nigeria ever had. Good leadership comes from the ability to
articulate a vision and then to mobilize all necessary forces to achieve
that vision. Gowon articulated in no uncertain terms the task of keeping
Nigeria one: "To keep Nigeria one is a task that must be
done!" He achieved that task in 1970 with the complete
annihilation of the secessionist Biafran regime. The objective was noble
and the cause was just. And every Nigerian believed in it.
Today, there is a deficiency of vision in our body politic.
Myopia has set in. Yet the crisis facing Nigeria today is no less
important than the crisis that faced Nigeria in 1967. Then it was
our territorial integrity. Now it is a constitutional quagmire in the
midst of popular discontent. We can't even decide who should run for
president in the next election. Should Goodluck Jonathan run? Should
rotational presidency be upheld? Is rotation democratic? If rotation is
not democratic, how do we ensure the cooperation of the northerners?
How do we ensure the unity of the country? There is
discontent. Unrest, killings, and riots in the north. Our roads and
infrastructure are in decay.
Just like Gowon did, Goodluck Jonathan has the
obligation of raising our sights again, to something noble, something
just, something achievable in the immediate future. Jonathan has
stated the objective of achieving a dependable electricity supply. That
would be good. But could he dream bigger than that, dream big and then
involve every Nigerian in his dream, like Gowon did?
Nigeria's Goodluck Jonathan: A Lame-duck
Administration?
The Jonathan administration cannot see itself as a transitional
government. It must see itself as a transformational agent. Seize
the moment and transform a nation.
This is not a time to deplete the national
treasury for personal gains. What is required is a radical
transformation of the country from a mono-product economy to a
diverse self-sufficient independent society. The Jonathan
administration cannot be a caretaker government, a lame-duck
administration, for the next 11 months while awaiting the 2011
elections. The talk of electoral reform is a diversion from the
problem at hand.
If the purpose of reform is to elect more looters of the national
coffers, how does that help the ordinary citizen? Nigerians need
dependable power supply, good roads and infrastructure, industries that
provide good paying jobs, schools that impart technical know-how, a new
ideology - a massive campaign to transform the mentality and attitudes
that support graft, corruption, kick-backs, extortions. We need a new way
of thinking, a new way of thinking that puts Nigeria first, above selfish,
tribal or ethnic interests.
Nigeria's Colonial Agents?
Nigeria's political fate has largely been product of the actions
and inactions of the political and military elite whose roots date back to the
70s and even the 60s. Obasanjo, Danjuma, Goodluck Jonathan's mentor - Edwin
Clark, Umaru Yar'Adua.
Wole Soyinka calls them "Colonial agents." I
wouldn't go that far. But one could argue successive governments in
Nigeria since independence have neither been fully representative nor
responsive. They have been called "a cabal," a group of
people who primary focus is the usurpation of power and the attendant access to
Nigeria's oil wealth at the expense of long suffering masses.
There is a wave, a new breeze of perspective, a clear signal
from the people that business as usual has to change. The people demand
transparency in public affairs. They demand a government that works
tirelessly to create a better future for the citizens.
Nigeria: Without a fight
We got our independence without a fight. No single blood was
shed. Invariably, independence or more specifically government was going
to benefit the people doing the handing over and the "cabal" to whom
power was transferred. Independence was structurally rigged to benefit the
colonial powers and those who had been hand picked by the colonialists. To
understand the present plight of Nigeria, to understand why our oil wealth is
still being squandered, you have to understand the genesis of our creation.
Nigeria was not created out of a mass movement for self-determination, no Tea
Party, no armed struggle; there was no convergence of indigenous militancy for
self-government.
There is a new wind blowing across the land. There is a new breed of
Nigerians that abhor army rule. There is a new crop of leaders that detest
corruption under any regime, military or civil. They also believe the surest way to secure
the stability of democracy is having a government that is responsive to the
needs of the people.
Good Government In Nigeria
In the final analysis, government is about creating opportunities to the
people to fulfill themselves; it's about creating an environment for the
citizens to live up to their fullest potentials and contribute to
society. Government is about creating jobs. As Goodluck Jonathan
assumes the office of president, he should be cognizant of the fact that Nigerians,
especially the young, look for more educational opportunities, job
opportunities, and need a government that supports and encourages small
business. Good luck to you.
Jonathan's first task, in my opinion is to re-affirm once again, by words and deeds, our
belief in the democratic system, articulate a new path forward for Africa's most
populous nation, in effect, establish a vision for the country. Where does
he want to take Nigeria? There is a new crop of Nigerians, a new breed of
leaders, yearning and looking forward to transparency in our national
affairs.
Comments
|
USA
