THE DECEIT CALLED JONATHAN, NIGERIAN OUTGOING PRESIDENT When many young people and Nigerians generally were deceived to vote Jonathan in 2011, on the basis of no shoe story or fresh air gimmick, they somehow overlooked something fundamental in his flawed character or did not know that the real Jonathan. Eight years ago a patriotic Nigerian had seen through the subterfuge called Jonathan. Just read on to see why. That Vice President Goodluck Jonathans Assets Declaration By FEMI SOBOWALE For Vice President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, declaration of assets publicly requires every imaginable prompting from the Nigerian people. Left to him, he would not voluntarily declare his worth, even when his boss, President Umaru Musa YarAdua declared his 40 days earlier without public outcry. Hiding behind the fact that the constitution does not make the exercise a public issue, Dr. Jonathan preferred to play along with the law guiding the Code of Conduct Bureau on the matter, which favors the privacy of individuals making such declarations. The problem with the declaration for the vice president has nothing to do with morality in this instance. What Nigerians are saying is that, holders of public offices need to show some level of transparency even when public assets declaration is not mandatory. It is based on this premise, that the call for public office holders, beginning with the President, Vice President, Senate president, Speaker, House of Representatives, and executive governors in the 36 states to show good example of leadership by publicly declaring their assets. Apparently, Dr. Jonathans u-turn on the issue which he had earlier considered a private matter is a product of high level intervention from the higher authority. His present face-saving declaration is somewhat belated and would probably generate more outbursts that praises from Nigerians. The people may not be comfortable with his intention, and they are justified given the recent past in which the Vice President repeatedly showed no remorse on his non-public declaration stance. If the former governor of Bayelsa State has nothing to hide as we are made to believe, he should have made the declaration immediately after his boss. That way, the duo would have jointly showed Nigerians that the era of transparency in governance is truly here. Already, the declaration has attracted criticisms from observers who feel that from all intents and purposes, the vice presidents declaration is not in good faith, and should not be taken on its face value. By declaring a total sum of N259m, and excluding those of his wife and children, Jonathan has not come clean enough in this exercise. This is not the best of time for the nations number two man who ought to use the public assets declaration like his boss to douse the tensions generated by their controversial victory at the presidential poll. The pressure now is shifted to the state governors, and the heads of the legislative houses, who are expected to follow their federal counterparts, and make their net worth a thing of public knowledge. It is not that Nigerians are in any way wiser by the exercise if the politicians choose to make false declarations, but at least they can hold something against the elected officials when they leave offices at the end of their tenures. Nigerians are entitled to asking for probity and accountability in their leaders. This can only be achieved if the leaders cooperate and react in good time to public outcry on issues of national importance. Be it on legal ground or moral servitude. CREATED: 09 AUGUST 2007 and posted on Village Square website.
Posted on: Wed, 21 Jan 2015 22:29:20 +0000
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