Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has proposed constructing two buildings in Abuja to serve as a gallery displaying pictures of individuals who have played a role in Nigeria’ s challenges. He believes such an initiative would help future generations recognize the negative contributions of their forebears and discourage similar actions in the future....Read Full Article >>➤
Jonathan made this suggestion while speaking at the launch of a book written by former Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, in Abuja. During his speech, he criticized Nigerians for their tendency to tolerate unethical conduct from political leaders.
He stressed that for the country to progress, its citizens must reject bad governance and hold their leaders accountable. According to Jonathan, leaders will only behave responsibly when the people refuse to accept misconduct.
He expressed disappointment that Nigerians often celebrate individuals who have engaged in unethical practices, which he believes only reinforces bad behavior in leadership. He asserted that the nation would improve once citizens collectively reject corruption and demand higher standards from those in positions of power.
” We, Nigerians, celebrate the wrong things. But I believe there will come a time when the people will no longer tolerate misconduct. Once we reach that level, these issues will no longer persist, ” Jonathan stated.
He elaborated on his proposal, suggesting that a time may come when Nigeria establishes two large buildings in the capital city. These buildings, he explained, would serve as a historical record, featuring images of people— both living and deceased— who have contributed to the country’ s problems. The purpose of this initiative, he argued, would be to ensure that their descendants understand the roles their forefathers played in Nigeria’ s difficulties.
” Perhaps, one day, we will have two large buildings in Abuja where pictures of individuals who have damaged this country will be displayed. This way, their grandchildren will recognize that their ancestors were part of Nigeria’ s problems, ” Jonathan remarked.
During the event, Jonathan also spoke against deploying military personnel for election duties. He argued that using the military for such purposes places unnecessary strain on the armed forces, which should focus on their primary role of national defense. Instead, he advocated for elections to be handled by the police and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Drawing from his experience as a former president, Jonathan highlighted his concerns about Nigeria’ s election security. He noted that election management is a crucial issue and should be approached with the utmost care to maintain stability in the country.
” Having served as Nigeria’ s President, I understand the importance of internal security, especially during elections. It is a matter that concerns me deeply, as election security is vital for the nation’ s democracy, ” he said.
Jonathan compared Nigeria’ s electoral security system with that of other African nations such as Botswana and Senegal. He pointed out that these countries minimize military involvement in elections, relying instead on their police forces.
” In Botswana, I observed that almost all police officers were engaged in election security. The military only stepped in to cover the regular security duties usually handled by the police, such as guarding police headquarters and other government buildings, ” he explained.
Similarly, he highlighted the situation in Senegal, where election security is managed by police officers stationed outside polling stations. He noted that military personnel are not involved in the electoral process unless an emergency arises.
” I recently visited Botswana during their elections. It is a small country with a small population, so they were able to deploy nearly all their police officers to manage the elections. Meanwhile, the military took over the regular police duties, ” Jonathan added.
At the same event, Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, spoke on the importance of credible elections and how leadership integrity plays a crucial role in the electoral process. He shared his personal experience of ensuring a transparent election in his state during Jonathan’ s administration.
Obi recounted that during his second term as governor, he approached then- President Jonathan and requested a fair election, emphasizing that he did not want any votes that were not legitimately his.
” I have witnessed a free and fair election. During my second term as governor, I met with President Jonathan and told him, ‘ Mr. President, I don’ t want any vote that doesn’ t rightfully belong to me. Let the election be fair, ‘ ” Obi stated.
He further shared an incident where members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) attempted to interfere in his state’ s elections. Obi explained that he immediately reached out to Jonathan to address the issue. According to him, the President swiftly acted by calling the PDP officials and instructing them to leave.
” There were many people with me at that time. Even when members of his own party, the PDP, tried to interfere in my state’ s elections, I called him and said, ‘ Mr. President, I’ m in my village. I don’ t want any interference in my state.
‘Within minutes, he intervened, and they left, ” Obi recounted.
Obi also stressed that the integrity of elections is determined by the character of those overseeing the process. He argued that tackling corruption among public officials would lead to a more secure and credible electoral system.
” If we want to discuss security, we must also address corruption. When public officials stop engaging in corrupt activities, criminals will have no example to follow, and law enforcement officers will be able to perform their duties effectively, ” he concluded.
Obi emphasized that ensuring a credible electoral process is not a complicated task if those in charge are committed to fairness. He reiterated that eliminating election fraud and corruption at the leadership level would positively influence security and governance in the country. ...Read Full Article >>➤
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