The 2015 re-election campaign for President Goodluck Jonathan has begun with the wooing of voters with bags of rice. Findings by iPUNCH on Sunday revealed that the re- election campaign being coordinated by the Office of the Special Assistant to the President on New Media will involve presentation of bags of rice to select Nigerians periodically. On Saturday, the Special Assistant to the President on New Media, Reno Omokri, doled out two bags of rice to two Nigerians — Aloysius Asuquo and Adebayo Michael- Akande. According to the Presidency, the two beneficiaries emerged after they competed with dozens of other Nigerians in an online competition monitored on Twitter and Facebook. The question posted by the Presidency to which dozens of Nigerians responded, to jostle for the bags of rice, stated, “Which leader publicly declared he has no accounts or property abroad?” Omokri, claimed that the answer to the question was “President Goodluck Jonathan.” He added that the bags of rice being given out were not the imported brands but the ones “grown, milled and bagged in Nigeria.” Apart from the donation which many described as “Greek gift,” the Presidency has also endorsed a group, “Bring Back President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.” The group boasted online that it would evolve what it described as a “creative campaign” on Twitter and other major social networking sites to ensure victory for Jonathan in 2015. “Six months to go. The only message we can align with is to bring back President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015. “The message is clear. We will not only trend the hashtag, BringBackPGEJ2015 weekly, but also make it a reality come February 14, 2015,” the group that has been endorsed by Omokri stated on Twitter. While Asuquo expressed happiness that the Presidency extended to him his own share of “stomach infrastructure,” Michael-Akande said he was “super excited” to be on the receiving end of the gesture. But some online commentators have faulted the doling out of rice by the Presidency, with many noting that it was unfortunate that it would resort to such an abysmal tactics ahead of the 2015 general election. A respondent, Moses Daniel, observed that the rice donation appeared more like the Presidency was viewing Nigerians as hungry citizens who value “stomach infrastructure” over and above infrastructural development. According to Daniel, the Presidency should be engaging Nigerians online on issues affecting the nation’s economic and national development especially jobs, small scale business funding, roads, rail, health care and housing needs. “Nigerians are not hungry,” Daniel declared on Facebook, adding, “We shouldn’t be playing abysmal politics in 2014, when some other countries are going to Mars.” Another commentator, Bepo Odunayo, said it was embarrassing that the Presidency would be evidently lacking in political strategy so much that it would resort to a tactics which failed in the last Osun State governorship election. “Is this not the same bag of rice Omisore distributed in Osun and lost the gubernatorial election?” Odunayo asked. “Nigerians are not glutinous.” Odunayo advised the Presidency to give to Nigerians what is befitting and not some crumbs which would do them no good. “It’s what truly belongs to them you should give back to them,” he argued. An online activist, Owoyemi Babajide, noted that the guise under which the rice was gifted by the presidential aide was a sad commentary. “When not having property abroad is a campaign point for our leaders, then you know a people are lost!” Babajide wrote on Twitter. Meanwhile, the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, has urged Nigerians to start patronising locally- made rice. The minister stated on Twitter that it was his dream that Nigeria becomes Africa’s largest rice exporter, adding that the country “has no business being a net importer of food.” Noting that it would be a welcome development if Nigeria’s food import bill drops further in the years ahead, Adesina stated that consumers should begin demanding Nigerian rice which, he said, was fast becoming popular in markets around the country. He wrote, “Food is the most important consumer item! As agribusinesses process our produce, we’ll industrialise fast, with jobs. We are not satisfied to be Africa’s largest economy, Nigeria will also become Africa’s largest food producer. “The rice variety, Faro 44, is driving rice revolution in Nigeria and it is better than imported rice. Eat Nigerian rice! There are long-grained brands that are excellent for parboiled rice now being processed by the rice millers in Nigeria.” As part of efforts to encourage local rice production, the minister added that the Federal Government would be setting up 14 staple crop processing zones for the private sector to process all our farm produce in rural areas. Copyright PUNCH.
Posted on: Mon, 25 Aug 2014 05:21:39 +0000
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