Jonathan and presidential visits

Even though he has been to a number of states, it was in Plateau that Mr. President was carried away by the salutary gubernatorial imprints of Governor David Jonah Jang. Of course, some people, not enamoured of the Jang magic wand, expected a presidential indictment of the Jang stewardship. But what happened was a David-Jonathan […]

Even though he has been to a number of states, it was in Plateau that Mr. President was carried away by the salutary gubernatorial imprints of Governor David Jonah Jang. Of course, some people, not enamoured of the Jang magic wand, expected a presidential indictment of the Jang stewardship. But what happened was a David-Jonathan bonding that eventuated into a reverberating presidential endorsement that still echoes on the Plateau even now.
But since politicians are fluid, it is sometimes difficult to know whether or not they mean what they say. So it is important to say the David-Jonathan chemistry is not orchestrated, but flowed from what the President came, saw and heard.  When a President visits a state, he expects to see crowds of people. And the host-governors/communities do everything to ensure that the August visitor gets a rousing reception in terms of mammoth crowds. On this presidential visit, neither the President nor his host, Governor Jang was disappointed. So it was a win-win situation for the duo.
And, in another sense, it also meant that the governor’s addiction to development politics has endeared him to the long-suffering people of the state who have for long yearned for good and visionary governance or, at least, a return to the golden days of Plateau when Solomon Lar riveted national attention with his action-packed governorship. For us in Plateau, therefore, after a long stretch of maladministration and inexplicable executive bungling, Jonah Jang is good news. And like many people, in spite of the cheap politics on display here, we are hoping that this good news will not be a flash, but will endure a little while longer.
Well, while on his visit,  Jonathan saw the governor-people synergy, and realised, perhaps, for the first time, that when Governor Jang tell him that the government and people of Plateau are behind his presidential aspiration, come 2011, he is not being merely political or playing to the gallery to curry Abuja’s favour.
Even though from the Airport to the Jos metropolis and roundabout, the President was greeted with enthusiastic throngs of smiling, waving and cheering crowds, it was not all about crowds. Mr. President saw projects upon projects, and commissioned what time would permit him to commission.
Joseph Chindo wrote from Jos