For Jonathan, Jega and even juveniles
All presidential hopefuls have retracted to the drawing board to strategize on how to win the most exalted seat in the country. In my capacity as an eligible voter, I deem it pertinent to draw the attention of President Goodluck Jonathan to the fact that he has a covenant with Nigeria’s future, just as Professor […]
All presidential hopefuls have retracted to the drawing board to strategize on how to win the most exalted seat in the country. In my capacity as an eligible voter, I deem it pertinent to draw the attention of President Goodluck Jonathan to the fact that he has a covenant with Nigeria’s future, just as Professor Attahiru Jega has a duty to assist Nigeria to reclaim her position in the comity of nations, while our numerous youths should desist from vices and not jettison their future for pittance.
With a couple of months to the general elections, a lot of incidents have become a weekly – if not daily – occurrence. Like the killings in Jos, Maiduguri and Ibadan or the bomb blast that snuffed out lives of innocent victims in Abuja and Jos, or the incessant kidnap-for-ransom. Most of these have been blamed on politicians who are desperate to win or return to office at all cost.
A reminder to the avalanche of killings before the 2003 and 2007 polls where the lives of Chief Bola Ige, Harry Marshal, Sheikh Ja`afar Adam, Hajiya Saadatu Rimi and Funsho Williams, all painfully wasted. The latest killings are those reported to have aroused skirmishes from the PDP Primaries in some states.
It is amazing that people choose to use bullets than ballots to eliminate one another. There’s also the use of threats and intimidation to woo voters, and where these happen, one can imagine the reaction from the general populace who are discontent with the polity. These levels of decay and coercion infringes on the electorate’s basic fundamental right to vote.
We are witnesses to the political impasse in Cote d’Ivoire, Tunisia and Sudan. God forbid if we allow Nigeria to degenerate to such levels. This will have adverse effect on Africa, in view of the pivotal role Nigeria plays in restoring peace to various sovereign states. In fact, the role currently being played by President Goodluck Jonathan has allayed the fears that he might sit-tight assuming the unexpected occurs.
In the past few days, it is becoming glaringly clear that the nation is polarized along ethnic and religious barriers. Mr. President, therefore, has a duty to mend fences by taking the path of constitutionality so that the labor of our past heroes shall not be in vain. With Prof. Attahiru Jega as INEC Chairman, there is some level of comfort in the minds of Nigerians, who have cried foul on the role played by the past INEC chairman. Jega is known to be a strong advocate of a united Nigeria and I agree with him that we can’t have a perfect election. But we can work towards having an acceptable one by the generality of the people, including our foreign partners.
I would like Professor Jega to remain focused with a view to maintain his good record. In order not to smear his name, he should be mindful of distractions that will emanate from some quarters. I would like the INEC chairman not to equally underrate constructive criticism. He should begin by analyzing problems that characterized the rerun of gubernatorial polls in Delta State, the current hiccups encountered in the registration of voters ranging from delay in the arrival of materials to polling units, as well as non-mastery of operational system of the machines by the ad-hoc staff towards having a hitch-free 2011 poll.
These problems can be rectified through technical expertise and sincerity of purpose, hence the slogan now is `let’s do it right`. INEC Chairman had said at different fora that he and his staff in INEC are poised to give Nigeria a free-and-fair election. We should all go out and register this being over civic responsibility, while ballot papers remain our instruments to effect positive changes which we desire.
The young ones in our society should play the game according to the rules. They should avoid engaging in multiple registrations nor allow themselves to be used in any form of rigging, thuggery, ballot box stuffing and ballot box snatching. Youth must resist temptations to buy votes, accept arms to intimidate voters or scare them away from polling units. This country belongs to all of us, and the future is bright. Do not allow self-seeking and desperate politicians to kill our future.
All these negative trends affect the steady growth of our democracy. If as Giant of Africa, we are unable to conduct acceptable polls, we would lack the moral basis to support the forceful ousting of Laurent Gbagbo.
It is pertinent to note that when you rig for a candidate, he immediately shuns you on assumption of office, because he knows he got there not by the wishes of the people but on the strength of his pocket. He would rather focus on regaining what he spent than acceding to the provision of social amenities. This time around, let’s join hands to make Nigeria great. All of us, Jonathan, Jega and even the juvenile.
Wushishi is a Minna-based Legal practitioner. He can be reached at [email protected]