NPLF, JONATHAN, NORTH, AND THE REST OF NIGERIA

It will be difficult to dispute the widely held opinion that Dr. Goodluck Jonathan’s emergence as Nigeria’s president is a divine interjection. In less than one year as president, the Bayelsa State born president has given hope to the mostly disillusioned Nigerian masses. For the first time in the history of Nigeria, fuel is being sold at a uniform price all over the federation. Electricity generation and distribution has improved significantly. By the time the sector is fully privatized, power outage will be a thing of the past.

With a population of about 150m, Nigeria is unarguably the most populous Black Country on earth. This massive population presents an attractive climate for commerce and foreign investments that would have driven away unemployment and poverty. Unfortunately, poor infrastructural development has greatly hampered the country’s socio-economic growth. This could be conveniently linked with the high level of corruption in government businesses and the deep culture of tribalism.

For most part of Nigeria’s fifty years as an independent nation, successive governments have been run like secret societies. The level of secrecy in government businesses has made it almost impossible to effectively fight corruption and other social maladies plaguing the country. In most cases, it is members of the ruling “cartel”-not the constitution that decide the fate of the nation.

Sensing that Goodluck Jonathan will not maintain the “old tradition”, this powerful “cartel” that has been running the country all these decades immediately went into battle against him. It started with a fierce attempt to prevent the then vice president Goodluck Jonathan from acting on behalf of his boss, even when it had become very inevitable.

When it became obvious that they have lost out to the Senate’s “Doctrine of Necessity”, the “cartel” quickly resorted to high level blackmail, intimidation, and slander. After all of their plots had failed, the “cartel” went on to instigate tribal and religious sentiments against President Goodluck Jonathan. It was at this sad point that the Northern Political Leaders Forum (NPLF) led by Mallam Adamu Chiroma came into the fray. The NPLF took the issue of zoning in PDP to the level that it gave rise to deep suspicions among many stakeholders in the north that prefer “One Nigeria” to the “Two Nigerias” literally being championed by the minority apostles of zoning. This was the strongest reason why the NPLF’s sole candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar failed woefully during the PDP presidential primaries.

Still refusing to accept the “One Nigeria” option, the NPLF went ahead to appeal to northerners to vote for only northern candidates even though Jonathan has the best of credentials among all the presidential aspirants. This is most regrettable. While not attempting to dismiss the zoning arrangement in PDP, the NPLF should not ignore the fertile fact that it is only God that gives power. The facts are clear enough for everyone to see that God has a hand in the emergence of Jonathan as president. It will therefore be proper that they accept what nature has arranged.

Perhaps, it will be necessary to note here that a greater percentage of northern political stakeholders do not even see the NPLF as a consensus body. They rather see it as an attempt to perpetuate the “old order”, where just a few privileged northerners walk the corridors of power and line their pockets and those of their cronies. This is responsible for why despite the clear fact that northerners have dominated Nigeria’s seat of power, the north is mostly underdeveloped. The vast majority of northerners are living in abject poverty and abandonment.

As part of efforts to address the problems of crass underdevelopment and poverty in the north, President Goodluck Jonathan has introduced a special educational programme to cater for the vast population of almajiris. As you read this piece, three new federal universities have been established in the north to address the educational challenges of the high number of youths seeking tertiary qualification. The federal government has also made available funds to resuscitate the moribund textile industries mostly located in the northern part of the country. Same thing applies to the leather industry. Dredging of the River Niger is also a top priority of the Jonathan led administration. The aim is to promote economic and commercial activities in the north through the citing of a port in Lokoja.

Furthermore, President Jonathan has sent an executive bill to the National Assembly seeking to establish a Hydro-Electric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPADEC) to cater for the needs of the host communities of Nigeria’s hydro power plants just like the NDDC is doing for the oil producing communities in the Niger Delta region.

Clearly, President Jonathan has done for the north what nine northern heads of government refused to do for their people. Jonathan is a positive story of hope for the poor, ignored, and downtrodden. He represents the vision of our forefathers and that of future generations. President Goodluck Jonathan is a symbol of national unity.

Even though, Nigeria’s economy rest on oil and gas revenue from the Niger Delta region where he hails from, President Jonathan has never a day reminded Nigerians of this pregnant fact. This is because, he sees himself as a Nigerian- not an Ijaw man, not a Niger Deltan. This is the truth- so bitter that the Adamu Chiroma led NPLF has refused to accept.

Unknown to many, one of NPLF’s major grudge against Jonathan is the latter’s choice of Architect Namadi Sambo as vice president. Right from the onset, Sambo has shown that he is not a fan of “Two Nigerias.” The NPLF would have preferred a northern vice president that will be in Aso Rock to pursue the interests of a few northern elites. The average northerner is now wise enough to read the hand writing on the wall and has decided to jettison the “old order” that had confined them to the dustbins of their few selfish elites in the corridors of power. This is a new Nigeria.


Kali Gwegwe
2, Greenvilla-Customs Link Road
Biogbolo-Epie
Yenagoa
Bayelsa State.
08064074810
http://kali-gwegwe.blogspot.com