Tuesday, 21 May 2013
A Pro-Poverty President By Sonala Olumhense
Columnist:
Sonala Olumhense President Goodluck Jonathan has said that during his election campaign, he only promised to create wealth, not eliminate poverty.
He made the claim during his Media Chat on November 18. Following that event, and out of respect for the presidency, I decided to allow some time for an official retraction, if any. None has come.
My recollection is that during Mr. Jonathan’s election campaign in February and March 2011, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party did promise an assault on poverty. Some of those promises were direct, while others were implied.
While we may argue about those promises that were implied, there can be no argument that when he took the microphone at Rwang Pam Stadium in Jos on February 17, 2011, he promised “a straight fight” against poverty. Those were his words, and newspapers reporting the stump quoted him as such.
The Nigerian Observer, for example, said of the event in its edition of February 18, 2011: “[Mr. Jonathan] promised that, if voted into power in April, he would focus on a straight fight against poverty, which, he noted, had no respect nor discriminate on the basis of language, religion or nationality.”
The second time he tried to impress those who are interested in issues of poverty was four days later, on February 21, in Ilorin, where he specifically said he would tackle poverty.
The Guardian reflected the event in its edition of February 23, 2011 as follows: “President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign train yesterday berthed in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital where he reiterated the commitment of his administration to tackling poverty and making life more meaningful for Nigerians if voted into office.”
Following the election, and in an effort to nudge the administration forward, I posted in this column one week before his inauguration, most of Mr. Jonathan’s 2011electoral promises. It included those two references to combating poverty.
It turned out I was not the only one keeping track. The Lagos-based International Press Centre (IPC) also researched the campaign, and it listed on its website Jonathan’s 91 electoral promises. IPC’s account also shows two references to fighting poverty.
As Jonathan tries to separate himself from this commitment, it is important to remind him he did not even have to promise to fight poverty. By implication, everyone who asks to lead a developing country assumes the battle against poverty, which is partly what the challenge of development is. Mr. Jonathan may not know it, but Nigeria also did sign up to implement the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2000. The first commitment in that campaign is to eliminate extreme poverty.
Beyond that, anybody who hunts for vote in a presidential election swearing to ensure electricity, to develop a road network, or to boost education and agriculture—as Mr. Jonathan did—has already signed up for an anti-poverty war.
In any event, if Mr. Jonathan did not promise to fight poverty, has he also fulfilled the promises he made in all those areas and much more? If he promised to create wealth, was he talking about wealth for such people as Aliko Dangote and Mike Adenuga?
Nigeria’s experience of the past 18 months suggests, sadly that Mr. Jonathan intended to fulfill none of his electoral promise, and it is important to place this record where it belongs.
When a politician makes an electoral promise, it should be both earnest and honest. It should be rooted in his conviction as well as respect for the people, not in some conniving scheme simply to separate them from their votes. That is how a ruler becomes the most criticized man in the world, as Mr. Jonathan labeled himself this year, with apparently no clue as to how that came to be.
Regrettably, it is now obvious that when Mr. Jonathan was making his promises, he was thinking wholly, solely and fully about himself. That accounts for the fact that he never published his so-called transformation agenda plan: his destination was the presidency; his destiny never was performance.
It is interesting that a commentator, writing recently on behalf of the Minister of Finance, said that if I wanted a copy of the Transformation Agenda plan, the National Planning Commission would have gladly sent me a free copy, since it was “published within months of the inception of the Jonathan administration.”
This is a new lie, to me: I have been asking for this document for over one year, but many “distinguished” members of the administration have spoken about it only in the future tense. In any event, since when did members of the public have to apply to offices of the government for major documents, when much lesser ones are routinely broadcast on the front pages and news conferences. The meaning of this is that the Transformation agenda, like the transformation plan, is a ruse.
The battle against poverty, in any event, needs action, not the propaganda headlines. At the 67th General Assembly of the United Nations, there were countries bragging not only about their hopes, but their possibilities and achievements. On the same day that Mr. Jonathan spoke, for instance, the President of Ghana, Mr. John Dramani Mahama, told the Assembly: “Ghana is on track to achieve the targets set under [MDGs]. Significant progress has been made in the following areas: reducing extreme poverty, gender parity in school enrolment, universal primary education, provision of safe drinking water and the fight against HIV/AIDS…”
Most of all, President Dilma Rousseff, a remarkable lady who leads Brazil, said: “Over the past years we have pursued prudent economic policies, accumulated significant foreign exchange reserves, strongly reduced public debt and, with innovative social policies, lifted 40 million people out of poverty...”
All of that is while Nigeria has been doing the exact opposite: irresponsible economic policies, squandering foreign reserves, enhancing public debt, and driving more people into poverty.
Lifting 40 million people out of poverty has been made possible because President Rousseff, like her predecessor, President Lula da Silva, committed to Brazil rather than their friends or their own greed. President Jonathan, like his successors, never committed to Nigeria.
This is why I fear that what is ahead for Nigeria is worse than what has passed, because upon close examination, Mr. Jonathan’s real announcement was not that he did not commit to fighting poverty; it is really that he intends to run for the presidency again in 2015. In other words, further denials—rather than announcements of achievement—are on the way.
I may be wrong, of course, but there aren’t many other ways to call your own people fools than to refuse to serve them even as you insist that they retain you as their lord.
That leads to my final point. It is clear that there is a vacuum of ethics, energy and courage in the Jonathan administration. But is the more alarming reality simply that there is an intellectual vacuum?
A government in which there are so many conflicts, with the leader seemingly working at cross-purposes with his officials and his mission, even denying policies and purposes while recklessly insulting the citizens: exactly what—not who—is in charge?
We take it for granted that a government has intelligence and content and substance just because we may have seen strong men and women going in and read things written by lavishly paid consultants, but is that always true?
Should our real concern be that the Jonathan machinery is simply running on hot air?
• sonala.olumhense@gmail.com
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Who are we?
Submitted by joe (not verified) on December 14, 2012 - 09:44.
Reflecting on the state of the nigerian Nation puts a question to my mind.Why do we condone what the ruling mafia(called Government)throws at us?We strive,toil day and night,but could hardly afford a decent meal.We need to provide for ourselves Electricity (Generators),Water(Boreholes),Security Law enforcement(Vigilante),Education(Private schools).We stare helplessly as the mafiosi loot the country to death,and we continue to labour and toil harder.I asked myself where we find the strength to endure all the debasement,the suffering,insults!If not disgusted from being trampled down,why doesn't the constant pains and suffering revolt us and galvanize us into a revolt?Are we ourselves so corrupt as to have empathy for the thieving mafia?Do we lack enough self-esteem to reject injustice?Are we so lazy and cowardly to rise against oppression?Does it explain the reason for our continous enslavement by other folks?I am still pondering and asking myself who we are,and why we are the way we are
tinubu and sonala exposed
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on December 12, 2012 - 20:52.
The massive looting of Lagos state by the Leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has reached monumental proportion. Tinubu whose companies recently conered a multi billion road construction job in Ogun State, has in his pocket all the juicy contract in all the Action Congress’ states. In retrospect, it might be difficult to come to terms with the fact that an individual could hold the entire south west to ransom. There is no doubt that Tinubu has succeeded in buying the Lagos State government, and he has done this using government funds.
Whenever someone in Lagos begins to wonder where their 4th mainland bridge went, or what was the fate of the pipe-borne water project, or even where the schools and hospitals had vanished to, there is a silence that contains it all. The largest landlord in Lagos has done as he has pleased, and the rest of the state just has to deal with it.
Sonala, did Adams forge his school cert or not
Submitted by DERI (not verified) on December 11, 2012 - 22:26.
How hard will it be 4 u 2 search for the school Ken attended at Govt college Umuahia on the web-happily Ken did not lie as Adams of Edo state did about the school and universities he attended in the former eastern region! Schools in rivers state were no go areas for the indigenous population-that is why Jonah could not afford a pair of shoes-but Aliyu from the oil-less Niger state was awarded scholarship-paid enough allowances to enable him buy rubber sandals for school-with money from the oily revenue of the SS. Buhari unlike GEJ, did not pay a dime to go to school-everything about his education up to the military was free! But not shoes less gej who had to pay through the nose to get an education in the oil producing enclaves of the SS-see the difference between the oil bearing communities that Jonah hails from and the fulani North-so who is more qualified to talk about poverty and creation of wealth-between buhari and Jonah chief Sonala?
DERI, YOU ARE A TRAGEDY
Submitted by teekay (not verified) on December 10, 2012 - 12:07.
This Deri guy, or what did he call himself must be the most stupid Nigerian I have ever known. Sure you mum would be regretting by now why your pregnancy was not aborted in the first instance. That'll have saved her - and the nation - the kind of disgrace in you.
Olorun ma fun wa lomo komo!!!
I BE YOUR MASTER 4 EDO U BE MY SLAVE FOR IJAW LAND
Submitted by DERI (not verified) on December 10, 2012 - 11:30.
All our heritages be it from Edo state where Sonal hails, or d old region are flawed — of course some far more than the (others) trying very hard to think like dem! Lord Lugard did not in 1914, leave us with certificate forgers-Nor the thought of them being more purified than the average Ijaw man from the oily SS! The born to rule mentality used as a cloak to cover their evil deeds and deficiencies during the 39 yr rule of Buhari tribes men from the Holy North, does not matter to them. This has brought about, as Robert Hughes puts it, "the rise of their boko haramic cult therapy ARTICLES. Inteded as shock and praise song for their Buhari. That whatever their follies, venality, or outright piggishness in the murder of Abiola and the hanging of Ken are, we must all bow to the regional command of BH and buhari! Our pity is what them need. Its d result of being born into 'dysfunctional families somewhere in the Fulani North-I put mistake--in the SS.Animals
this was what the yankees once said about Obama
Submitted by DERI (not verified) on December 10, 2012 - 05:43.
The most disconnected White House in the history! No sensitivity to people who are suffering at the Golf or for millions who has lost jobs and cannot find one...while Obamas party, million of Americans are suffering! go figure.
Ibo hater. It is jsut that
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on December 10, 2012 - 05:31.
Ibo hater. It is jsut that you do not know how to heap the whole mis-rule of Nigeria since 1970 on Ibos or blame boko haram on them. When you cannot rope Ibos in, you generalize with 'old regions'. Which school in Enugu is called govt college? Must you manufacture lies against Ibos to get out of the grave you and your cohots in the so-called niger delta dug for yourselves? How was ken sarowiwa discriminated against in secondary school? My own brother, an Ibo schooled in Ogoni, SPC in the early sixties. You are such an incurable idiot.
Why Fight Poverty?
Submitted by Igbiki (not verified) on December 9, 2012 - 21:13.
Why must Mr Jonathan fight poverty when he was sent to Aso Rock by his friends to create wealth, but only for themselves.
Or why do you think over 1 million percent of the budgeted fuel subsidy allocation for one year, in real money, was payed out to his friends and cronies to buy and supply phantom fuel in 2011 and 2012? The procceds was and is to be used to finance the 2011 election and the one coming 2015.
The vultures has been let loose on Nigeria and nothing, except the people, will stop them.
regional fault finders from buhari town are back
Submitted by DERI (not verified) on December 9, 2012 - 20:38.
@OSITA DIOKA, I would have been shocked to have edo born Sonala keep quiet over the fake allegations being made against jonah by him and others on SR-that is why I ask if u were in Anambra state, when the governor of Niger state Aliyu who hails from an oil-less zone told the whole world that he was paid monthly allowances, supplied with free books, shoes and tuition fees from primary school to the university level? Whereas GEJ who is from an oil producing zone could not even obtain a grant from d FGN 2 buy an exercise book. Dont forget Aliyu was educated with oil money from the Niger Delta! Until the Mid Western region was constitutionally created the people of the Niger Delta from the riverine areas, traveled via river Nun to Lagos to get an education-even the few lucky ones like Kensarowiwa who attended government college in enugu were discriminated against. India is yet to eradicate poverty not to talk of nations like China-
DERI, you are sick.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on December 9, 2012 - 20:32.
DERI, you are sick. Nonsense.
a make-shift president called jonathan
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on December 9, 2012 - 20:15.
jonathan knows that he lacks the intellectual capability to lead Nigeria, he is simply not mentally equipped for the position. But that monumental disaster called obj stage-managed clueless jona into aso rock to cover up his many crimes.
Nigerian masses need to rise up and learn how to fight for their just causes.... chase out the visionless dunce and his co-looters.no other country would do this for us. Otherwise Nigerians should expect no electricity, potable water and other basics of good development.
The tragedy is that the cabals in Aso rock, the mega-paid National Assembly members and other political opportunists will continue to swim in our petrodollars while other Nigerians wallow deeper and deeper in abject poverty.
Help yourselves Nigerians or STOP complaining.
PDP/GEJ, We HAVE to eradicate POVERTY!
Submitted by Anonymity (not verified) on December 9, 2012 - 20:04.
Daily Times has been told by the same sources that hinted us of the death of Jonathan’s half brother a few days ago, that an elder sister to the President, the first daughter of the President’s father died two days ago of an undisclosed ailment. The sources, usually very reliable, say Jonathan the woman probably half- sister too, has been very sick for quite sometime now...
The source also said that the woman’s condition was one of the reasons the President’s emotions became uncontrollable during the funeral rites for his brother.
http://dailytimes.com.ng/article/another-death-jonathan%E2%80%99s-family...
Death is the great leveller. We HAVE to eradicate POVERTY, bring development, progress, good health care to ALL and sundry
GEJ is either Naive, doublespeaking or he is a LIAR.
Submitted by FiReClOuD OfGoD (not verified) on December 9, 2012 - 19:52.
What is a lie?
Noun
1. a false statement made with deliberate intent to deceive; an intentional untruth; a falsehood.
2. something intended or serving to convey a false impression; imposture.
3. an inaccurate or false statement.
Verb:
4. to speak falsely or utter untruth knowingly, as with intent to deceive.
5. to express what is false; convey a false impression.
GEJ is either Naive or he is a LIAR.
Politicians doublespeak:
This is using evasive, ambiguous language that is intended to deceive or confuse.
Either lying or double-speaking, GEJ is Good News for PDP and its sponsors!
A TRAGIC STATEMENT WHICH STUNNED THE IMPOVERISHED NATION
Submitted by osita DIOKA (not verified) on December 9, 2012 - 19:23.
Yes,this President is prone to communication blunders but for a President to blatantly infer from his statement that he is pro-poverty is despicable,it is the duty of all Presidents worldwide to eradicate poverty,that is up-held by the United Nations,hence the Millennium Goals set by that organisation.The fact that the President plans to create wealth but retain poverty means that he is really out of touch with reality.
On a second thought,this President may have already chosen to concentrate on the "wealthy" looters and plunderers of our economy,those are the real benefactors of the illicit wealth he is creating.The plight of the ordinary Nigerian is no more his business because he has long left the days of "no shoes",now he has joined the class of "new and inexplicably rich"who hide their assets from the public.President Jonathan has just arrived.
Since he sacrificed Bart
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on December 9, 2012 - 18:53.
Since he sacrificed Bart Nnaji for his rich friends power supply has been worst ever in the history.
They surround themselves with all kind of security personnel he says he did not believe in state/regional policing.No where is safe!!
Corruption is at the highest in his regime."Where there is no vision,the people perish"
Nigerians wake up and take your destiny in your own hands.This people don't give a damn about anybody other than themselves,friends and families.
What has changed from 15th Jan 1966 till date-in 9ja
Submitted by DERI (not verified) on December 9, 2012 - 17:41.
(D chop i chop) project has been with us since the brits left and oil production started in 1960-The the first set of thieves caught in the region by d brits were not Ijaws! They were Northerners! Nzeogwu struck and killed hundreds cause of corruption-it was what led to the civil war-the reason buhari gave for sacking the gwabment of shagari-was corruption-chop I chop politics was why Adms the governor from the same edo state with sonala, forged his certificate to enable him become a governor-Nothing will change in 2015-buhari will never win elections via SR! if the likes of sonala cannot look at truth in the face and ask Adams to resign then he has no moral right to abuse Gej 4 buhari here! Was Sonala and his double standards sleeping when Buhari his mentor sacked over one million workers to celebrate his first year in office? He cannot pen his thoughts on that and the certificate palaba of double Adams cause the UN had not coined MDG and then may be!
A No Bearing Government
Submitted by Matthew David Alaba (not verified) on December 9, 2012 - 17:31.
A canoe paddled by a mediocre ofcourse, it will loose direction. Jonathan's government has lost direction. His government lack bearing and focus.
Any government build on falsehood is bound to fail. This government has failed. It is a government characterized by falsehood, propaganda, corruption, wasteful spending, lawlessness etc.
The so much publicized Transformation Agenda is just a mirage.
This is a government that want to fight food scarcity and unemployment through agriculture and in the proposed 2013 budget allocating partry sum of N81.41 billion which is 1.7% of the total budget as against the Maputo Declaration Benchmark of 10% to agriculture. This to me is absurd, irritating, unrealistic and deceitful.
In Sierra Leone 1.6% in 2007, 7.7% in 2009 and 10% in 2010 of its budget allocated to agriculture.
CREATE FOR HIS CRONIES!
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on December 9, 2012 - 13:55.
WHY ARE NIGERIANS SURPRISED! HE SIMPLY HAS ADMITTED THE TRUTH.JONATHAN LIKE OTHERS PARADING THEMSELVES AS POLITICIANS UNDERSTAND POLITICS AS A "CHOP,I CHOP" PROJECT.
HE PROMISED TO "CREATE WEALTH" FOR HIS CRONIES.DUMB,CLUELESS,CORRUPT MAN.
HE IS MY TRIBESMAN,HE IS A CHRISTIAN......HE HAD NO SHOES GROWING UP,....A SON OF A CANOE BUILDER,....HE IS ONE OF US THE POOR,BLAH,BLAH......VOTE HIM AGAIN IN 2015.
I URGE YOU NIGERIAN YOUTHS,TAKE BACK YOUR COUNTRY....
The issue of governance in
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on December 9, 2012 - 13:54.
The issue of governance in this country is personal affair and not national affair. You see, when a nation is been ruled by drunkard such indiscipline act is very ubiquitous. May God help Nigeria!
Waoo.
Submitted by Emeka K Duru (not verified) on December 9, 2012 - 11:17.
Like an addiction,Nigerians are addicted to perception,hero worshiping and mystification.Is there a difference between academic and intellectual,intelligence and cleverness,reality and shadow?
Until we can answer these questions and are able to ask for clarification before running with it,we will continue to make the same mistakes;making gods of men!
come 2015, cage him and send him back to the Otuoke zoo
Submitted by tundemash (not verified) on December 9, 2012 - 11:06.
0nce bitten, twice shy.
If this moron gets "selected" in 2015 again, then Nigerians deserve to be enslaved eternally.
Come 2015, this guy ought to be caged and send back to the otuoke zoo he escaped from.
BUHARI MINDERS VRS ADAMS OF EDO STATE ?
Submitted by DERI (not verified) on December 9, 2012 - 10:36.
Only in 9ja that every member of our ever expanding society of 150m humans, wait like daily paid laborers, unto the oil resources of the SS, to enable them buy beans cake (akara) for their kids. You can only reduce poverty by creating wealth via private sector investment-Not govt jobs for the masses! Hardly the type which OBJ, Buhari and IBB created 4 d big regional boys! Again d MDG is more about using the oily resources of the poverty stricken ppl of d SS-to improve their lot-than spending trillions to fight BH. Soon it will be what about Alams and Ibori? FGN can only create d right investment climate 4 us. In Ghana, Nkrumah introduced free education in 1957! Whereas in 9ja, we said no to Awos! Now worried about roads, health, and schools 52 yrs after our freedom! With 55t from d SS stolen! So words spoken by Jonah, must be re-casted to make dem sound more attractive 4 buhari 2015! Than worry about d blood being spilled by BH-or d cert forgery case of bros Adams of edo state!
Governor of edo state in forged certificate scandal like tinubu
Submitted by DERI (not verified) on December 9, 2012 - 10:31.
Only in 9ja that every member of our ever expanding society, of 150m humans wait like daily paid laborers, unto the oil resources of the SS, to enable them buy beans cake (akara) for their kids. You can only reduce poverty by creating wealth via private sector investment-Not govt jobs for the masses! Hardly the type which OBJ, Buhari and IBB created 4 d big regional boys! Again d MDG is more about using the oily resources of the poverty stricken ppl of d SS-to improve their lot-than spending trillions to fight BH. Soon it will be what about Alams and Ibori? FGN can only create d right investment climate 4 us. In Ghana, Nkrumah introduced free education in 1957! Whereas in 9ja, we said no to Awos! Now worried about roads, health, and schools 52 yrs after our freedom! With 55 trillion gone! So words spoken by Jonah, must be re-casted to make dem sound more attractive 4 buhari 2015! Than worry about d blood being spilled by BH-or d certificate forgery case of bros Adams of edo! state!
GOD BLESS THE YARADUWA CABAL!
Submitted by NAGODI (not verified) on December 9, 2012 - 08:59.
DURING THE TIME OF HALF-ALIVE YARADUWA WE HAD SLOW PROGRESS EARNING HIM THE NICK-NAME "GO SLOW", THEN WHEN HE BECAME HALF-DEAD WE HAD STAGNATION. NOW UNDER A FULLY-ALIVE JONATHAN WE HAVE RETROGRESSION! ITS CLEAR THAT A HALF-DEAD YARADUWA WAS BETTER THAN THE SMILING IMBECILE OF ASO! I NOW HAVE MORE RESPECT FOR THE CABAL AROUND YARADUWA WHO TRIED TO SHIELD US FROM THE CALAMITY THAT BECAME GEJ. THEY KNEW SOMETHING WE ARE JUST FINDING OUT.
