The Jonathan years

Goodluck Ebele Jonathan's tenure is over. No longer news. Goodluck was the running mate to the late President Umaru Yaradua who died on 5th May, 2010. He was made the Acting President on the 9th of February,2010 as a result of the 'doctrine of necessity' motion adopted by the Nigerian senate. He subsequently contested for President in his own right in April 2011.

On the 3rd of MARCH, 2010, I wrote about how not to be a President, the Yaradua way. Read here

The main points of that post are still relevant in today's Nigerian political clime.

1. Be a man of yourself. Don’t be misled into taking a decision that you cannot defend or stand up for. Goodluck made a lot of decisions that He couldn't defend all in a bid for political expediency. There are a lot of instances. However, two will suffice: a. Exonerating MEND from the Independence day attach on 1st October 2010 before full investigation was completed. b. Keeping Stella Oduah as Minister in the face of public outcry. At the very least, He could have suspended the Minister and then order a thorough investigation into the 255million Naira scandal.

2. Lesson 2: Trust your VP/Deputy wholeheartedly. On this count, Goodluck scored high points. There were few rumours of any rancour or disagreement with his Vice-President, Arc. Namadi Sambo. If there were, they were resolved privately.

3. You don’t preach something and do something else or act unconcerned when what you stand for is being rubbished by your aides. As an advocate of free and fair elections, Goodluck should have recognised Rotimi Amaechi as the Chairman of the Governor's forum. The fallout of the controversy partly led to his losing the Presidential polls. The Wendell Simlin controversy was something that should have been addressed as well.

4. As a leader, the buck stops at your table. You can delegate authority to your aides but you take responsibility for whatever they do. As a leader, President Goodluck failed to take responsibility most times until late into his tenure. There were a lot of statements and innuendos that sought to deflect attention from the President and blame opposition groups and imaginary enemies of the Nigerian state. The President failed woefully in dealing with the Boko Haram crisis for starters.

5. As a President, never be inaccessible to people who voted you into power. "Politics has elements of show Business. A President in a democratic dispensation must always be visible, for in him, the state is embodied. There should be information flow about the President at all times. There has to be a real interface with the people."

Goodluck was not a bad man or President. He was a man largely unprepared for the murky waters of politics and He found himself overwhelmed most times not having a grasp on the real issues confronting Nigerians.