Jonathan was born in what is now Bayelsa State to a family of canoe makers. Jonathan holds a B.Sc. degree in Zoology in which he attained Second Class Honours. He holds an M.Sc. degree in Hydrobiology and Fisheries biology, and a PhD degree in Zoology from the University of Port Harcourt. Before he entered politics in 1998, he worked as an education inspector, lecturer, and environmental-protection officer. He is a Christian, and he comes from the Ijaw ethnic group. In 2007, President Jonathan declared his assets worth a total of ₦ 295,304,420 Naira ($1,845,652 USD). However on 9 October 2014, therichestlifestyle website ranked Mr Jonathan sixth on its list, claiming his net worth was about $100m (£62m). He threatened to sue the website, claiming it was an attempt to portray him as corrupt. The page was removed, but was then published by another website Roadmap for Power Sector Reform. On 2 August 2010 Jonathan launched his Road map for Power Sector Reform‘. Its primary goal was to achieve stable electricity in Nigeria. The Nigerian Power Sector has been historically plagued by blackouts. Economists estimate that the power outages cost Nigeria, Africas biggest economy, billions of dollars on imported diesel for generators and in lost output. Jonathan has been overseeing the privatization of his countrys power sector, the end goal being an efficient and reliable power supply for the Nigerian population. The Power Holding Company of Nigeria, which acted as the state electricity provider, has been broken up into 15 firms, with Nigeria handing over control of state electricity assets to 15 private bidding companies. The Nigerian government contracted the services of CPCS Transcom Limited,a Canada-based consulting firm which specializes in transportation and energy infrastructure projects, which he Jonathan has a shares with to act as the transaction adviser for the handover of state electricity assets Controversies *Malabu Oil Deal Corruption In 2011 Goodluck Jonathans government facilitated the transfer of payment of $1.1bn to a fake company set up by a controversial former Petroleum Minister under Sani Abachas corrupt regime, Dan Etete. The fake company, Malabu Oil and Gas was set up in 1998 by Etete using a false identity so as to award himself a lucrative oil block, OPL245, for which he paid only $2m of the $20m legally required by the state. At the time of Jonathans government helping to facilitate the transfer of payment from Shell and Eni to the fake company, Etete was already a convicted felon of money laundering in France. The Economist reports that only $800m out of the $1.1bn meant for Malabu Oil and Gas was ever remitted by the Nigerian government. The Nigerian Attorney General, Mohammed Bello Adoke, who signed the documents involved in facilitating the payments, denied the rest was shared by public officials. The transfer to convicted felon, Etete, only came to public light when a Russian lawyer that claimed to have helped Malabu negotiate a deal with the Jonathans government sued in New York for a $66m unpaid commission. Both Shell and Eni, as at September 2014, are under investigation for corruption by the UK and Italy authorities for the incidence. *Undeclared Monies Flown on Private Jet to South Africa On September 5th, 2014, South African customs officers at Lanseria Airport seized undisclosed and undeclared $9.3m stuffed in three suitcases carried on a private jet by 2 Nigerians and an Israeli. Afterwards, Jonathans government admitted to ownership of the funds and claimed it was intended for procurement of arms and ammunition. The money was not declared as required by law upon leaving Nigeria or arriving at South Africa. It was later revealed the private jet used to transport the money was owned by the head of Christians Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor. Jonathans government progressed to avoid going through the South African judiciary system to reclaim the money and instead preferring to employ diplomatic and political channels directly through Jacob Zuma, the South African President, to get the money back. On 25 October 2014, it was announced by the South African Ambassador to Nigeria that the money has been released to the Nigerian government. So far, Jonathans government have refused to name the Nigerians on the plane but the Israeli has been identified by investigation of the press as Eyal Mesika. With all the Hydro biology and Zoology,what has he given to the nation for the past 6 years?
Posted on: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 00:22:33 +0000
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