NEWS ANALYSIS: RE: BOKO HARAM: DON’T OVERTHROW JONATHAN’S ADMINISTRATION – FG BEGS MILITARY

The above news story published by Daily Post, Nigeria’s online newspaper, has been greeted with mixed reactions.  Some of them have been sharply against the Minister and others have indicated that the Minister might be speaking from information that he has.

My take is that the comment from the Minister of Information is most appropriate.  The opposition has in their utterances veiled and unveiled called for the interruption of the democratic process if they cannot have their way.  This is unacceptable.  The military need to be reminded and the public need to know that they have been reminded about the need to allow the country to grow democratically.

 Minister of Information, Labaran Maku

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The current problems in Nigeria are exacerbated by the military interruption in the system.  We would have by now overgrown corruption but for these interruptions.

I join to plead with the military to understand that a well evolved democratic system of governance is we are marching towards in Nigeria is best for the military especially and for all Nigerians.

Military intervention would certainly be a turning of the hand of the clock backward. Remember, Nigerians, in the past, could not even talk about corruption without being killed or run out of business both during the civilian and military regimes before President Jonathan.  But today, we can accuse President Jonathan of corruption and nobody would die for it. This is a good sign that in due course, we can make Presidents to either change from corruption or have the government changed democratically.  This is progress.

Any misadventure by the military now would truncate this developing opportunity. And I can assure you that if the military decides to mess the system, the youth of this country would march out like the Arab spring and decide their fate with their own blood.  All these are avoidable.

In the light of the above, I support the plea from the Minister of Information.  The statements, utterances and body language of the opposition seem to say, if we lose to Jonathan, we would spoil everything.  The last time a group lost to Jonathan, they threatened fire and brimstone and we have boko haram ravaging the country today as a proof their threat. 

As boko haram has so far failed to topple Jonathan, what next can the opposition do?  Is there a chance that they are, as has been the case in the past, trying to buy the military to topple the President?  Labaran Maku was Supervising Minister of Defence.  He was, in those few weeks, in a good position to know a thing or two.  The best way to deal with that is what he has done.  Raise the consciousness.  Deal with such tactfully.

Personally, all our governments previously and presently have been disappointments. Nigeria has the potential to rule Africa economically and in the socio-political sphere without competition.  But what do we have?  An oil rich nation that cannot even use natural gas that it is flaring away to provide a mere eight hours of electricity for its populace.  They did not even need to do any investment.  All they need to do for power forty years ago is what Jonathan is merely starting haphazardly today with the unbundling of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).

What is the difficulty in asking investors to come and take certain volumes of our natural gas for free to power power-plants in Nigeria to generate electricity and bill us to pay for the same electricity?  Instead, all that our rulers (for I cannot call them leaders), our foreign service personnel and all those entrusted in making the relevant policies and laws do, is to ask investors to give them bribe.

Our rulers have remained dim-witted for fifty plus years now.  Instead of asking for bribe from investors, why not ask to be included in the board of the companies for a share of the profit.  This is certainly less ethically stinking than the bare-face bribe demands that have been the order of the day which has put off countless investors from Nigeria.

Minister Labaran Maku, carry go.  Say it again if you feel impressed.  Because, each time we are impressed to do something in our capacity as leaders, that thing is usually a great inspiration that would be beneficial to the people.