JONATHAN’S ACHIEVEMENTS-WHY I SUPPORT GOODLUCK I promised to write a piece on why I support Goodluck Jonathan for a second term. Here it is..it may be long but if you have a WAEC certificate, it should not be hard to read. EDUCATION Jonathan is the first leader, rather than issue a lincence to himself to operate a university, established 12 new federal university to attack the rising level of illiteracy in the country. Built and modernized Almajiri schools and enhanced girl child education in the north. He instituted the presidential scholarship to top 25 global universities for all 1st class graduates of Nigerian universities. He increases annual enrolment in the National Open University from 30,000 to 250,000 in the last 3 years. HEALTH CARE Despite the oppositions attempt to politicize the issue, Jonathan worked non-partisanly to help stop the scourge of ebola by releasing aid and emergency finance to affected areas, fighting the disease with zeal and commitment. Jonathan’s administration has refurbished more than 1500 primary health care facilities, dropping infant/maternal mortality by over 50%. Generally life expectancy from birth has increased from 47years to 52 years over the last 3 years. The government recently introduced overseas Residency training programs with over 60 doctors benefitting. The Government has strengthened the capacity for kidney transplant in Nigeria, created a facility for open heart surgery in UNTH Enugu and currently in the last one year, recorded 0 cases of Type 3 Wild polio virus and Guinea worm in all areas of the country. SPORTS In spite of obvious challenges, the government have supported sports wholly and this has led to the U 17 Golden eaglet winning the world cup, The Super Eagles winning the African Cup of nations after 19 years. The country also had its best Paralympic participation in London and its best outing in the commonwealth games in Glasgow. The Jonathan Government is known for its policy of rewarding sporting heroes with rewards going to all who won medals at continental and international competitions and also the Jonathan govt received our third Olympic Gold medal 13 years after the race was run in Sydney 2000 after the disqualification of USA. Rewards for sportmen has never been better in any government. AVIATION The Jonathan administration has modernized 22 airports with total radar coverage nationwide while constructing five new terminals. The government has installed navigational aids and revamped communications and surveillance tools across the airports. No government comes close to this ever. OIL The Jonathan administration has increased oil production from 700,000 bpd to the current 2.3 million bpd. There is 72 % increase in gas supply to support the power sector with the completion of 167 km of gas pipelines. (Oben, Geregu and Itoki Olorunsogo). There is even a 6% reduction of gas flaring in the Niger Delta. President Jonathan has commissioned a gas Industrial park at Ogidigben in Delta State to produce raw materials which would be used for the manufacturing of some petrochemical products thus turning the Niger Delta into an industrial hub in west Africa. POWER It would be unfair not to see the changes in the power sector. Jonathan has demonstrated uncommon courage to tackle the challenges of the power sector. The unbundling of the PHCN into 11 DISCos and 6 GENCos and the establishment of the Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trader is unprecedented in our country’s history. The licensing of 34 IPPs and expansion of gas supply has improved power generation and distribution nationwide. Like the development of the telecommunication sector, the net effect is gradual. Very soon Nigerians will reap the full benefits of Jonathans pragmatic steps in the power sector. TAX The administration has doubled tax revenue to 4.8 trillion naira in 4 years and has unveiled a national industrial revolution plan. AGRICULTURE What the government has done for agriculture is overwhelming. There is 35% reduction in food imports over the last three years while silo capacity has increased 400%. Jonathan introduced E-wallet for input delivery and has enhanced dry season farming. Currently there are 6 million Nigerian farmers on the database. The administration has also enhanced mechanised farming to increase food production. TRANSPORT The success of the transport sector is incredible. In 2013 alone, the government constructed 2500km of road..more than any government in Nigeria’s history had done in a single year. The new generation roads from Abuja to Kano, ore to benin, warri to patani, Onitsha to Owerri and the construction of Lagos Ibadan expressway are just a few of the achievements of the administration. Work on the two major bridges in Nigeria are in advanced stages..Benue and Niger. Rehabilitation of the railway system is a major achievement. We now have air conditioned safe trains from Lagos to Kano and Port harcourt to kano while a new coast line rail from Lagos to PH is under construction. The Abuja light rail metro line has reached advanced stages while the Abuja airprt-central express trains would soon be commissioned. In fact, due to the fast trains and good roads, you can now live in Kaduna and work in Abuja. Jonathan has enabled large car manufacturers to start their assembly plants in Nigeria enabling NISSAN, Toyota to produce fully made in Nigeria cars while most impressively, there has been support to enable Nigeria’s own fully made in Nigeria cars..INNOSON MOTORS. They produce buses, cars and SUVS 100% built and made in Nigeria. INVESTMENT The country has seeded Sovereign Wealth Fund with 1 billion dollars and recorded double digit market value growth in the Nigeria Stock Exchange in the last 3 years. This culminated in the country attracting over 7 billion dollars in direct foreign investment in 2013. BUSINESS Not surprising, the administration encourages entrepreneurs and has a program YOUWIN which gives grants (not loans) to individuals that have good business plans and start up amounting to millions of dollars. Currently Nigeria has the richest African man and Black woman in the persons of Alhaji Dangote and Mrs Alakija respectively. While I celebrate the achievements of the president, I would be insensitive not to mention the plight of the chibok girls and other victims of terror. It is sad that the opposition uses this politics when we should come together and fight this scourge on our national unity. If we unite as we did against Ebola, these terror would be a thing of the past. The US united after 911, just a year after George Bush was elected and still he won re-election. Nobody blamed their president as the cause of the terror. We should join hands and fight Boko Haram not politicize it. Even the UK fought the IRA terrorist group for decades. Let us look objectively and see the achievements of Jonathan. Its empty drums that make the loudest noise and our president is no noise maker.
Posted on: Fri, 02 Jan 2015 20:36:33 +0000