Deafening silence in the seat of power It has never been like this in the recent times. Before now, the Villa had always been full of activities. Prominent Nigerians and even foreigners come in droves to meet the President, Vice President Namadi Sambo or other top government officials. They also attend events that Mr. President will be present. The situation has however changed drastically. There is a pin-drop silence everywhere. The development started since the issue of the over 200 schoolgirls abducted from their school in Chibok, Borno State started. Following the criticisms that trailed the decision of the President to join the Peoples Democratic Party faithful in a rally in Kano a few hours after the abduction, Goodluck Jonathan has decided to tread softly. A day can now pass without any programme holding inside the Villa. The continued presence of the girls in their abductors’ den definitely is having a toll on the government and its activities. Many people however also hold the opinion that the lull in activities in the seat of power is not unconnected with underground preparations for the forthcoming 2015 general elections. The lull is also affecting the President’s activities even abroad. On Saturday, Jonathan travelled to Dakar, Senegal to take part in the African Union’s Summit on Financing Infrastructure Development convened by the Sengalese President, Macky Sall. Shortly before his aircraft landed at the Leopold Sedar Senghor International Airport, Dakar at about 8pm local time, Sall arrived the airport to personally receive Jonathan. He was joined by the Nigerian Ambassador to Senegal, Kayten Jackden, and other top government officials from both countries. Immediately after the airport formalities, Jonathan was driven in the same car with Sall to his hotel, King Fahd Palace Hotel, Dakar where they met behind closed doors for a few minutes before his host left. That was all that he did that day. The following day which was Sunday, the President joined his colleagues from Mali, Senegal and Benin Republic for the opening session of the summit where the World Bank commended his administration for successfully privatising the nation’s power sector. He also received accolades from the African Development Bank for spending the money saved from the partial removal of fuel subsidy on infrastructure through the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme introduced by his administration. After the opening session that lasted about 30 minutes, Jonathan joined his colleagues for a group photograph session and managed to attend the first plenary session of the summit before he quickly retired to his hotel room and got set for his return trip to Nigeria. Because of that trip, Jonathan was unable to attend the service that would have been used to mark the Father’s Day inside the Aso Villa Chapel as he did last year. Organisers of the event would have felt disappointed with the President’s absence judging from the elaborate way they celebrated last year’s event during which they presented a giant guitar to Jonathan as gift. It was not clear whether they even marked the day at all. On Monday, the President played host to state governors from the South East and the leadership of the National Population Commission. That was all for the day. On Tuesday, he met with former United Kingdom Prime Minister, Gordon Brown; Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno and Governor Ibrahim Geidam of Yobe State on the Safe Schools Initiative. That was the only assignment for the day. On Wednesday, the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting was the only event that took place in the Villa. The presentation of report of the Presidential Fact-finding Committee on the Abduction of Chibok Schoolgirls led by Brig.-Gen. Ibrahim Sabo (retd.) earlier scheduled for the day was put off at the last minute. We are hoping that this lull will end soon and life will return to the seat of power. For Jonathan, it’s mourning mood activated It has become President Jonathan’s style to always identify with Nigerians and friends of the nation in their times of joy and sorrow. He issues statements to congratulate those celebrating birthdays or those who win elections. He also issues statements to mourn with those who lose their loved ones (of course, the deceased must be prominent members of the society). The President has mourned many times this month as if mourning is going out of fashion. It all started on June 6 when the Emir of Kano, Ado Bayero, joined his ancestors. Mr. President mourned. The following day, Nigeria lost another of its stars in the person of a former Minister of Information and Communication, Prof. Dora Akunyili. Again the President mourned. He even went a step further to dedicate the next Federal Executive Council meeting to her, thereby giving her former colleagues in the cabinet opportunity to pay tributes to her. Penultimate Thursday, a senator from Niger State, Senator Dahiru Kuta, died. Again, Jonathan mourned as he extolled the virtues of the deceased legislator. As if that was not enough for the month, renowned Nigerian businessman and religious leader, Alhaji Abdul-Azeez Arisekola-Alao, died on Wednesday. Yet again, the President mourned. The familiar lines in all the condolence messages are either “On behalf of himself, the Federal Government and the people of Nigeria, President Jonathan extends sincere condolences to…” or “President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has received with great shock and sadness, news of the death of…” Combine all these with the number of people being killed daily by the Boko Haram sect, and you will know that the President is really mourning. Our prayer is that Mr. President and indeed all Nigerians shall mourn no more. Kwankwaso as Mr. President’s albatross Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso is one of the aggrieved state governors who recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress. Others are Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State and Governor Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State. Among the five, it was Amaechi that initially derived pleasure in criticising the President openly. Recently, however, he seems to have passed the baton to his Kano State counterpart. Kwankwaso no longer hides his disdain for the President, the Presidency and the PDP. There was a time he was quoted as saying that he regretted voting for Jonathan in the last election. He also made some unprintable comments, forcing Jonathan to respond to the allegations at the controversial Kano rally. Shortly after the President and his party men left the ancient town, Kwankwaso led his aides all decked in his trademark red cap to sweep Jonathan’s feet away. That was the same thing they did in Ekiti that turned bloody.After that incident, the governor had also granted interview where he accused the President of allegedly planning to kill him and making attempts to stop the former Central Bank of Nigeria’s Governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido, from ascending the throne of his forefathers as the Emir of Kano among other grievous allegations. Except for the separate statements issued by the Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku and his Police Affairs counterpart, Alhaji Abduljelili Adesiyan, which are strongly believed to be the President’s indirect way of chastising the governor, Jonathan has yet to react to the allegations. He must be waiting for the appropriate time and place to give a direct response.
Posted on: Sat, 21 Jun 2014 11:58:27 +0000
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