Connect with us

Political News

Jonathan’s Plan To Use Chibok Abduction For Political Gain Has Backfired – Charles Ofoji

jonathan chibok girl election

Oct 24, 2014 – President Jonathan’s Attempt To Use Chibok Girls Abduction For Political Gain Has Backfired – Charles Ofoji

The greatest character flaw of Nigerian politicians is that they always think there would be no tomorrow. Similarly, they fail to grasp that nothing flies like time. And that no condition is permanent.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo was the worst student in the under-estimation of how times fly. So when his eight years at Aso Rock flew away like a rocket, he resorted to illegal means in his evil bid to extend his tenure as president. Even if he had succeeded, he would still not have been president today.

Obasanjo’s parting gift to Nigeria was President Goodluck Jonathan. Unfortunately, he, like his benefactor, failed to realize that one of the certainties of life is that tomorrow will dawn. At the midnight of his presidency, he has also figured out that he has not used his time maximally, as president of the Republic, to serve the interest of ordinary Nigerians, who entrusted him with leadership.

In Nigeria of my time, Jonathan is the only man that ascended the presidency on popular acclamation. Nigerians connected massively with his humility then and the touching story of his shoeless childhood. More than ever in the history of our nation, the commonplace people had genuinely hoped for a new beginning and a new Nigeria, where they could pursue a dignified life, as citizens of a major oil exporter.

The saddest thing about Nigeria is that it is the only country, where the citizens needlessly suffer in the midst of plenty, due to the treacherous callousness of the ruling class.

Jonathan had promised to end that in his promise of “a breadth of fresh air.” It resonated well and the people trusted that he will change once and for all the way business is done at the top of government.

Unfortunately, once he secured power, he turned his coat and began to serve only the interest of the rich. Naturally, Nigerians got disappointed – this writer as well.

As another political tomorrow is about to dawn and because Jonathan failed to see tomorrow, he is now desperately doing everything to win back the minds of estranged Nigerian voters.

Normally, no serious president could have the effrontery to ask the electorate for reelection when over 200 Nigerian girls remain unaccounted for. The Chibok school girls continue to languish in the captivity of Boko Haram. This is why Jonathan is doing all within his means, including secretly negotiating with Boko Haram without telling Nigerians, to secure the release of those girls and also to improve on the security situation in the country.

In his almost six years presidency, nothing has given him sleepless nights like the abduction of the Chibok girls. He is quite aware that it will go a long way in defining his days as president.

If he had done the right things; changed Nigeria as he had promised and served the interest of the people, as he should have done, things would have been different. His political life would not have depended on the Chibok outcome.

The truth remains that this president cannot be blamed for Boko Haram. Before Jonathan, there was Boko Haram. However, if the security situation in the country is anything to go by, Boko Haram, which was once a toothless bulldog, has turned into a monster of mass destruction under his watch.

Jonathan could certainly be blamed for not taking drastic and decisive measures to check the growth of the terror group.

At the twilight of his first tenure in office, there is nothing memorable he has given to Nigerians or the nation. Jonathan failed on his promise. After six years, there is still no light, water, good roads. Unemployment, especially among the Youth, has worsened. In fact, young Nigerians of the future generation died while scampering for an unattractive Immigration job they never would have gotten any way.

The disappointment about Jonathan’s presidency is widespread and intense. But somehow he thinks that Nigerians could forget and forgive him if he brought back the Chibok girls alive and if he ended the Boko Haram insurgency.

It was pitiable to watch the government declare a unilateral ceasefire, which collapsed within hours as an unimpressed Boko Haram ransacked another village in the North East. If two parties have been at war, one party can not hurriedly mount the platform to announce a ceasefire without the presence and expression of consent of the other party.

It shows the helplessness of our military in confronting Boko Haram, which they had once boasted to crush. The group are now being begged to embrace peace (because election is dangerously lurking).

It further underlines the desperation of this government to secure a closure to the Chibok national embarrassment before the elections in January.

As the military announced the unilateral ceasefire, Nigerians were also told that the Chibok girls are on their way back home. As I write, that has not happened. Therefore, if Jonathan wanted to turn the untold ordeal of those girls into a political gain, his calculations must have backfired.

I will leave it to Nigerians to reach the decision if they could trust Jonathan again, should he secure the release of the #BringBackOurGirls victims.

But if the girls are eventually freed, they would not be coming back the same girls who went into captivity. Their lives would surely never be the same again. So, it is certainly a wrong premise for Jonathan to anchor his reelection bid. His greatest undoing is that he failed to realize that his time as president and commander-in-chief is limited. Jonathan, like all others before him, failed to see and think about tomorrow.

The writer is Charles Ofoji. Email him at checkpointcharley@yahoo.de

12 Comments

12 Comments

  1. Natasha Williams

    October 24, 2014 at 5:00 AM

    Pls let Nigerian decide Jonathan does not deserve another day in office

  2. Akuwax in Mongu, Zambia.

    October 24, 2014 at 5:06 AM

    These girls are they out or what? Even though their case not suppose to be a campaigning tool.

  3. Akuwax in Mongu, Zambia.

    October 24, 2014 at 5:08 AM

    Should not suppose to be a campaigning tool

  4. patt

    October 24, 2014 at 6:04 AM

    incase if u are not a Nigerian I want to inform u that Jonathan is more eligible to that man aspiring for the post. else we Nigerians will provide a man more eligible to Jonathan because for the fact Jonathan is not the best doesn’t mean his Not atleast better when compare to some person’s.

  5. sir prophet

    October 24, 2014 at 6:24 AM

    Patt,can u hear urself? Jonathan is de worst president ever we hard in history of Nigeria if u dnt no. Nigeria is now rated de highest corrupt country in de whole world under Jonathan’s govt. In cas if u dnt no. So is dat de achievemnet he promised?

  6. Omobolanle

    October 24, 2014 at 7:03 AM

    Live ***alone u no is among d imbecile that cannot think to hell with u n badluck jonathan period i rest my case

  7. wiseone

    October 24, 2014 at 3:45 PM

    @Patt, obviously you have a connection with Jonathan otherwise you wouldn’t be talking crap about him being better than anyone! The country is in a mess and you are still saying this? If you are not benefitting from Jonathan or if you have lost a dear one through the deplorable state Nigeria is in now, you would not be talking in his favour. Nonsense!

  8. Adeniyi

    October 24, 2014 at 5:51 PM

    Nigerian shud act fast to #sendbackbadluck2015#…His days are numbered by God’s grace

  9. chibunna

    October 24, 2014 at 6:08 PM

    weda good luck or not everybody should remember dat 2moro is pregnant 2015 anything can happen so everybody should be praying to God dat his will be done i dont know wda GEJ OR soldier will ruel next year.

    • Franklyn

      October 25, 2014 at 12:53 PM

      Naija People are watching.

  10. damsy

    October 25, 2014 at 10:51 AM

    Its quite appalling that pple don’t hv d discerning ability 2 know when a hungry and ******. You re talking about a well orchestrated abduction done by d so-called born 2 rule losers, head bent on running down GEj govt. All his effort 2 take dis country higher has bn perfidiously manipulated by dis evil men… Always pray 4 ur Leader, dan do pale criticisms. Until u re there, u won’t know how hot d sit is….

  11. Davido

    October 26, 2014 at 1:17 PM

    GEJ 2015!!! Weda u folks like it or Not, as far as am Concern GEJ is the best President Nigeria ever Got, the problm is that he is rullin Wild Animals nd men that ar full of Sabotage nd Hypocrist, u guys dat had d Temerity 2 abuse him any how, ar only taken advantage of Him bcus he is a soft minded Person, if it were Durin OBJ regm Nobody wil ever hav d guts to say anytin About Him bcus he is a military nd Heartless Man!!! Long live GEJ!! Long live BIAFRA!!!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More in Political News

To Top
NaijaGists.com - Celebrity News, Business Ideas, Wealth Creation Tips And Tricks
error: Content is protected !!