President Jonathan
From: Diana Okon-Effiong, Calabar
The Minister of Culture, Tourism and Orientation, Chief Edem Duke, has warned against utterances of doom for Nigeria and its President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan by some elder statesmen.
Recently an elder statesman, Dr. Tunji Braithwaite, predicted an interim administration in Nigeria to resolve critical foundational issues and not election in 2015.
Braithwaithe also criticised the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria:
“A ‘constitution’ that clothes bare-faced criminals in public-offices with immunity. A Constitution that denies the peoples of Nigeria their natural right of fiscal federalism and autonomy, and makes every Governor of each state, a Caesarean Emperor over the people, (is) totally unaccountable – with lame-duck or accomplice houses of Assemblies.”
Similarly, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (Rtd), the presidential aspirant on the All Progressives Congress (APC), platform said in Calabar that the ruling PDP would destroy the country if it is not stopped in 2015.
But Duke said in Calabar that such criticisms should have centred on recommendation and advocacy for sustainability of peace and security in Nigeria.
“I think if anybody had such a sentiment what such a person would have been uttering should be recommendations and advocacy for the sustainability of peace and security within the polity. It will also place responsibility on the electorate that where they find aspirants who are making such divisive statements, such should be condemned.Making such prediction of doomsday which are not beneficial to the polity and unity of the country or utterances inimical to Nigeria’s polity and unity should be condemned”.
He said: “I would like to use this opportunity of your question to call on our elder statesmen not only within Cross River State but also, all over the country to be mindful of their utterances.
“These are elder statesmen who have lived through this country for the past 70 to 80 years. Many of them have derived immense benefits from this country; it is too late in the day for them to be apostles of disintegration of the nation”.
He said that the PDP remained the party to beat in the 2015 elections:
“All and sundry across the land knows that PDP is the party to beat. They know that PDP has more prospect of winning elections across the land. Therefore, there is a natural pull and tussle.
“When people discover that a particular party would be the winning party, they would go there. It is the realisation and understanding that victory is within the reach of the PDP. That’s why everybody wants to be in the train of the PDP. Therefore, you have this natural tussle. And I am sure ultimately, if our party men continue to advocate tolerance, understanding and sacrifices, the umbrella is comfortable.
“The umbrella is big, the umbrella is accommodating. PDP is the only party in this land that does not belong to one individual. That is why you also see that people are always exploiting this flexibility; nobody is the lord of the manor in the party. There are parties where there are people identified as lord of the manor. And if they have an 18 years old son and they want that son in the senate, that son will be in the senate.
“PDP provides the opportunity for competitiveness of ideas and enthusiasm, and that’s why you have been seeing these occasional discomforting developments. It is the party that has an agenda, belongs to everybody, and the party where you can air your views irrespective of whose ox is gored. It is the party where you can put forward your desire without fear or favour as well as the party where ultimately reasoning takes over in the final analysis”.
According to Duke the president has always said that there is room for everybody in the transformation agenda and in the task of transforming Nigeria.
“Every Nigerian has a role. Some of the roles may be visible while some may not be visible. Some may be in legislative service to the nation; some may be in executive service to the nation. In everywhere and every sphere, there is an opportunity of serving if only we belief, if only we are tolerant and patient”.
He urged people to try to understand the personality of Dr. Ebele Goodluck Jonathan as a leader that Nigeria has ever had.
“We have had leaders in the past that thrived in the theatricals of creating some of these dramatic experiences; it was like their stock in trade. But President Goodluck Jonathan that I watch superintending the activities of this country is a man after the heart of God.
“Not only is he humble and principled, he is very cerebral. We are talking about somebody who had an upbringing that abhors violence. This is a president who holds no political hostage that gags no press, at which every amount of garbage had been thrown.
“He knows that somebody has to pay a price for this country to be transformed from where we have always been wrestling with challenges of debauchery, corruption and all kinds of insecurity,” he said.
He also commented on the recent fracas in the national Assembly: “In their enthusiasm to exercise their various responsibilities people occasionally make mistakes; people may exceed their orders and so on and so forth.
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