In 1928 when Herbert Clark Hoover was campaigning for the presidency, he told the electorate that the end of poverty in the United States of America was in the offing, provided of course, that he was elected. He did win the presidency, and thus became the thirty-first president of the US. But his vision turned out to be an illusion. The level of poverty in the country during his four-year rule increased, apparently due to the introduction of several extremely severe as well as dubious economic policies. Like Hoover, President Goodluck Jonathan promised Nigerians a gush of ‘fresh air’, if he won the 2011 presidential election. The concept of ‘fresh air’ was a captivating electioneering slogan for a people held captive by agonizing poverty, youth unemployment, collapse of the manufacturing sector, insecurity and debilitating corruption. Specifically, President Jonathan who rode to power on the shoulders of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), promised to turn Igboland into an El Dorado of sorts if he got such votes in that election. And like Hoover, he won. The Igbo electorate massively voted for him expecting that he will fulfill his campaign promises. But not a few say that the President has reneged on those promises. However, at a meeting the president held with political leaders from the zone on May 18, 2013, at Government House, Enugu after he had laid the foundation of the new international terminal as well as commissioned the remodelled terminal of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, secretary to the government of the federation, SGF, said President Jonathan has fulfilled his campaign promises to Ndigbo. He didn’t say what those promises were. However, from the speech delivered at the occasion by the chairman, South-East Governors Forum, SEGF, and governor of Anambra state, Mr. Peter Obi, it became clear what those promises were. It was also obvious that many of the campaign promises were yet to be fulfilled. Mr. Obi spoke about the delay in the take-off of the construction of a second bridge across the River Niger, the deplorable state of federal government-owned roads, as well as the ecological problems facing the zone. “We wish to once more as a people, appeal for your due attention to the Enugu-Port-Harcourt , Enugu-Onitsha, and the Owerri-Elele federal roads, which we have repeatedly brought to your attention. Governor Obi’s address seems to contradict the view of the SGF that President Jonathan has fulfilled his promises to the people of the zone. - See more at: leadership.ng/news/210513/again-president-jonathan-shops-igbo-votes#sthash.hU111FsD.dpuf
Posted on: Sun, 30 Jun 2013 21:17:13 +0000
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