You also made an attempt using the medium to rephrase your last week’s position on the inalienable RIGHT of Mr. President to contest the 2011 presidential election. However, it is glaring that your last week’s piece is unpopular among the polar divide within the geographical expression called Nigeria. More still, I am pained again due to some issues you raised this week.
Whereas it is not a crime to hold an opinion about issues, it becomes something else when the opinion we hold unfolds us as if we have a hidden agenda. We should remind ourselves that journalists are public officers and what you write or what you fail to write means a lot to the public. You expressed a noble opinion in your “Yerimah vs Philip Ben” article when the Yerimagate was on the front burner. But you must not be a ‘John the Baptist crying in the wilderness of the North’ because the argument of zoning benefits your tribe. It is then we will not be building a Nigeria for all.
That said; in your writing (last two) weeks, you raised some funny questions. It is a case of depression on the mere fact that the Jonathan presidency has become a potent threat to an organized oligarchy somewhere in the up polar region within the spherical content of the nomenclature called “NIGERIA” Pointedly, you said:
The basic question was and remains: “was there ever an agreement, written or not, among the members of the PDP that political positions would be rotated periodically between the six geo-political zones in the country?”
To attempt to answer this question, does not need any (extra) energy. Yes, there was an agreement. The essence of zoning is to promote fairness so that no region is left out in the management of the area (country). But there was a lacuna in the agreement. It is a known fact that in planning for the future, you must factor in miscellaneous or an unforeseeable occurrence that may negate the plan.
Arrangements ought to have been put in place to accommodate when the occurrence or non occurrence of the unforeseeable materializes. But the proponents of the doctrine of zoning omitted that important aspect of it which eventually produced a Jonathan. Now is it not a fair zoning deal for the South – South as represented by Jonathan to take a shot at the presidency even for once? Are these set of people not Nigerians? Are the people in the up Polar Regions more Nigerians than the South Polar Regions?
Does he walk his talk? Does he qualify as a gentleman? On the outside, we see a smiling, soft-spoken, sincere-looking personality. Is that for real or a clever disguise?
The above questions are at best, mere shafts for the wind. There is no bearing at all between smiling, being soft-spoken or even looking sincere with the issue on ground.
When did Gen T Y Danjuma become a “King Maker?” He is just an adviser. The president is not bound to accept Danjuma’s advice. If PAC members resign, we have many palimpsest minded people in Nigeria including you who will lobby to take up their job. Danjuma knows that and so, none of them will resign.
What does the president have against former PDP Chairman, Vincent Ogbulafor? Why is Ogbulafor only now being prosecuted for an offence he committed way back in 2001?
Really! So Ogbulafor actually committed the alleged offence? So indeed, Ogbulafor is a criminal who embezzled public funds meant to alleviate the suffering of the teaming almajiris in your locality. The funds meant to put our public schools in proper order.
The funds meant to put our hospitals right. Must we now reward a criminal, according to you, with a prestigious title by crowning him the chairman of the most populous party in the world so that he can continue with his “good work” of embezzling the party’s funds? Just for the records; in 2001, Jonathan was a deputy governor in far away Bayelsa State. In that same year, ICPC was nonexistent.
Now if some people who have information of this crime decide to leak it to ICPC, DO YOU HOLD JONATHAN RESPONSIBLE BECAUSE HE HAPPEN TO BE THE PRESIDENT NOW? Are you insinuating that crime should not be punished simply because some time has past? Is there any statute limitation for the punishment of criminal embezzlement of public funds? IF THAT IS TRUE, THEN GEN. BABANGIDA OF BLESSETH GULF WAR WIND-FALL MEMORY WILL PASS FOR A SAINT.
Who is funding all the mushroom that are springing up all over the place canvassing the president to contest the 2011 presidential election?
COUNTER DUMB QUESTIONS
Who are you actually campaigning for?
Who is fronting (sponsoring) you?
What is motivating you to write what you write against President Jonathan?
What is your take if Jonathan should contest?
What do you and your sponsors lose if President Jonathan should contest?
What are your fears or the fears of your sponsors?
How will Jonathan spend the N10bn (for 50th anniversary)?
He will spend them on campaigns for his election in 2011. If President Yar’adua were to be alive, how else would he have spent the N10 billion, knowing fully well that the anniversary is preceding closely to an election he intends to contest?
Dumbest question of all
Why can’t President Jonathan see that the greatest contribution he can make to the growth of democracy in Nigeria is to detach himself from the contest?
This question is lame or rather death at birth. Is it not more contributory to democracy for an incumbent to contest and be possibly defeated by a more popular and acceptable candidate? This happen in Ghana. It is one of the reasons Ghana is more accepted politically in the international world than Nigeria. It will amount to crass opportunism in denying President Jonathan in particular and the South-South in general which had never tasted the presidency.
I think we should always seek the interest of Nigeria and free ourselves from amnesia. We should be seen to be our brother’s keeper. The zoning formula was not meant to divide us but rather to unite us. President Jonathan must contest to represent the South-South. After serving for 8 years, power should move to the south east for another 8 years. Then we now talk of the North.
Let me ask this again. Will a Northerner be gentlemanly enough to relinquish power in 2015, ie one term only on the excuse that former President Yar’adua has already used one term out of the two possible terms for the North? I AM WAITING FOR YOUR NEXT FICTION.
Felix Ayole:[email protected]
Keep it up!
I am your regular reader of Barkbyte in the Trust and Sun newspapers in general. Your page is highly educative, please keep it up. May God guide and protect you against enemies. More grease to your elbow Sir!
Sa’ad Garba Kagarko;Kaduna State:[email protected]
Re 2011: Should he or should he not?
Your write ups are logical and analytical in nature. You’ve made known to the whole world the truth underneath the political shenanigans of zoning. There can never be free and fair elections as far as Jonathan as an incumbent president, is a candidate. Let him resign and contest for history sake. Thanks.JohnsonAmeh:[email protected]
The answer to your question in your article of Sunday Trust 07/07 2010 is in the same paper on pages 4 & 7 same date. Please try and read it.
If you believe in zoning it should now go to East or South- South since North and West have done it.
Be informed that zoning is not written in the PDP constitution.
J. Yakubu:[email protected]
Sir, your writing is excellent but with due respect, I opine that you completely allow issues that concern our president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, for him to decide, when and if …
Furthermore, I personally think you are an Islamic extremist, a hardened ‘jihadist’ thirsty for political blood.
These are my overwhelming emotions whenever I read your piece in Sunday Trust newspaper.
Chuma Okey:[email protected]
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