Editor's note: Anthony Kolawole, a university lecturer based in Keffi, Nasarawa state has said that the meeting between a United States's congress sub- committee and former president Goodluck Jonathan was a dishonour to Nigeria. Kolawole condemning the meeting said most of the pain and hardship suffered by Nigerians now is caused by the mismanagement of the Goodluck Jonathan administration. Former President Goodluck Jonathan might pass as Nigeria’s most mischievous former leader. Clad in the linen and fake illusion of a national statesman recently, Jonathan has been fruitlessly attempting to re-write the history of Nigeria under his leadership by twisting empirical facts and also, cleverly encouraging voices of dissent in parts of Nigeria.

While in office, nothing mattered to Jonathan and public appeal or pulse never, ever appeased his sensibilities. Everything fell flat under his watch. Jonathan shunned action when it mattered most and looked the other way when his comrades or vermin in power criminally pillaged Nigeria and mindlessly feasted on the commonwealth of the people like bees on honey. He demonstrated in words and actions a terrifying incapacity to preside over the affairs of a country, as complex as Nigeria. Now, the Ex-President has embarked on the lonely voyage of personal image laundering. And each time he numbly barks in foreign lands, in his usual distinctive lifeless fashion, Jonathan struggles to pacify himself by touching on sensitive national issues and cleverly inciting the masses against the government, when he is not down-rightly casting aspersions on the sound leadership of Nigeria by President Muhammedu Buhari.

Dr. Jonathan was in America recently on the invitation of the chairman U.S. House Sub- Committee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations, Congressman, Christopher H. Smith, to speak on the supposed crisis facing Christians in Nigeria and the Niger Delta question.

In the course of the presentation,
Jonathan bandied verifiable lies
and desperately sought to elevate
his ruinous leadership of Nigeria
beyond the precincts known to
Nigerians who angrily ousted him through the ballot. Jonathan incredibly declared in
his speech that his administration
battled impunity and had ended
Boko Haram Terrorists (BHTs)
by the first quarter of 2015, when
foreign nations agreed to sell arms to Nigeria. Leaning on the agitations in his
Niger Delta region, Jonathan
advocated for the implementation
of fiscal federalism as the only
panacea to ending restiveness in
the oil-rich region and then, canvassed for the establishment
of Religious Equity Commission
to tackle religious persecution
and extremism among series of
other issues.

In the first instance, it is self-
delusion and extremely ridiculous
for Jonathan to vaguely claim his
administration “… had rolled back the Islamic terrorist
sect, Boko Haram, by the end
of the first quarter of 2015
after we were able to get
weapons to arm our military.” A dishonourable leader does not
earn veneration by displaying
unbeatable skills of lies or
deception No Nigerian is in doubt that
President Muhammadu Buhari
inherited Nigeria on May 29,
2015, when at least 14 LGAs in
the Northeast were under the
territorial control of Boko Haram insurgents. Premium Armoured Vehicles The Number One Brand for
Vehicle Armouring Solutions Ad Terrorism peaked under his
tenure, with multiple bomb
explosions in different parts of
Nigeria every day. Terrorists
foisted their emblems and insignia
in communities, after killing, abducting or deposing traditional
rulers of these communities,
declared their version of Islamic
Caliphates and appointed their
own Emirs to govern the people.

These are bare facts of the
history of yesterday in Nigeria. It
took the wisdom of President
Buhari to restructure, fund and
overhaul the military high
command, especially the appointment of Lt. Gen. Tukur
Yusufu Buratai as the Chief of
Army Staff (COAS) with the sole
charge to end terrorism in the
country that liberated the
Northeast and Nigeria from the chains of terrorism. It sounds hollow for the former
President to claim he purchased
arms for the military to battle
Boko Haram. But it was under his
watch that Nigerian troops would
sheepishly bade retreats at the battlefront in the face of
menacing insurgents on account
of terrorists' superior weapons. Besides, the revelations from the
office of his former National
Security Adviser (ONSA) Col.
Sambo Dasuki about the $2.1
billion arms procurement fund,
which the former President permitted its alleged diversion and
embezzlement to fund his 2015
re-election campaigns should
keep the veil of shame
permanently on his face.

Without prejudice to whatever the
courts may decide on some of
the cases before it, at least,
scores of Nigerians who dipped
their fingers into the arms
procurement fund, opted for the plea bargain clause of the EFCC
and have been refunding these
monies, which attests to the
veracity of the claims of
embezzlement of the funds. So, when and with what funds did
Jonathan purchase the weapons
he is claiming? Earlier statements
credited to him made such
allusions and holding tenaciously
to such claims means he has secret to expose to Nigerians. Former President Jonathan has
never ceased eulogizing the
brilliance of the ideas enunciated
by his 2014 National Conference.

It was his idea; it was his initiative and everything about it was teleguided by him. He handpicked idle political loyalists, associates and friends, whom he assembled in Abuja. They were fed and paid fat allowances for a deal to rework the existing framework of Nigeria. They churned out a report to him, but he could not muster the courage to implement it . Again, he had all the power and resources to implement what came out of the National Conference, but he chickened out and dumped the report. It implies that as leader of Nigeria at that material time, he was not sure of even himself or dreaded his own shadows. But today, Jonathan feels Nigerians should not be allowed a moment of respite until government adopt or implement the recommendations of his 'arrangee' and manipulated National Conference. Phew! Even if one agrees with him that religious persecution and extremism is a problem in Nigeria, both must have existed when he ruled Nigeria for six years.

So, if the National Conference recommended the setting up of Religious Equity Commission as remedy to ending religious crisis in the country by its powers “to arrest and prosecute those who contravene the law,” what hindered Jonathan from singling out this aspect to implement, even if the entire report had to suffer neglect? An executive proclamation by him, backed by a Bill to the National Assembly would have sealed the deal. But Jonathan gazed into the skies as usual and allowed this “brilliant” idea to waste and he is today so excited about it. Jonathan needs to be reminded that there are enough existing laws to curb criminality of whatever dimension, whether political, religious or economic in the country. Perhaps, the former President needs to be reminded that the problem of Nigeria has always been the political will to enforce these laws.

The solution to these problems would hardly be the multiplicity of enforcement agencies or creation of independent bodies as preached by Jonathan. The 14 persons he cited as example who were sentenced to death in the aftermath of the Zagon-Kataf crisis by President Ibrahim Babangida were not convicted by any Religious Equity Commission (REC). Dr. Jonathan bandies a strange concept of impunity. In his address, ending impunity is establishment of his underfunded universities and Almajiri schools in Northern Nigeria and convicting Boko Haram Terrorists like Kabiru Sokoto and his gang members. Jonathan says, “the point I want to emphasize by citing these incidences is that my administration had the political will to halt impunity in Nigeria and that is why killings due to religious extremism was localized to the Northeast with occasional killings in other zones of the North….”

This is a strange doctrine of impunity. But if his tactics worked so excellently as he is insinuating, what prevented the administration from ending terrorism? How can he explain the reality of insurgency reaching its peak when he was president? What impunity is greater than when you allow your accolades and political leeches to dubiously divert public funds meant for procurement of arms to protect the sovereignty of the country you lead as President and lots more? Jonathan would do himself personal good if he refrains from making jest of Nigerians, whom he disappointed so glaringly. Nigerians demur Jonathan’s new found passion for the plight of his people in the Niger Delta. He believes intervention agencies like NNDC, OMPADEC and Niger Delta Ministry have not been beneficial to arresting the pervasive poverty and environmental degradation in the region more than the 13 percent derivation funds the Obasanjo regime conceded to oil-producing states.

Nigerians demur Jonathan’s new
found passion for the plight of his
people in the Niger Delta. He
believes intervention agencies
like NNDC, OMPADEC and Niger
Delta Ministry have not been beneficial to arresting the
pervasive poverty and
environmental degradation in the
region more than the 13 percent
derivation funds the Obasanjo
regime conceded to oil-producing states. The former President admitted
that over politicization of
intervention projects handled by
these agencies is mainly
responsible for default. At least, it is good news to read
him admit that the Federal
Government of Nigeria (FGN)
has not neglected the Niger Delta
region as widely propagated and
that the people mismanaged these initiatives and the funds. But when Jonathan held sway in
Aso Rock, he identified these
issues as problems of his people but initiated no move to rectify. He even insulted their dignity and
right to a better life by abandoning
the UNEP assesment report
which recomended the clean-up
of Ogoni land.

Make una leave GEJ alone .. I think we should be more concerned about the perception of the US congress about our country.

It is very unkind and uncharitable for Jonathan to preach and pin true fiscal federalism as the only remedy to militancy in the Niger Delta, as according to him, kings of yore in the region like King Jaja of Opobo and Nana Olomu who resisted the fretting away of their palm oil resources, and were similarly maltreated, deposed or exiled by imperial Britain, failed to halt the agitations. “Let me add that the punitive measures against these kings did not end the agitations, he said. Aside the inciting intent of the contents of his submission, it is now clear the masked brains in the ever festering agitations for resource control and militancy in the Niger Delta. Not long ago, some militant groups accused Jonathan of sponsoring militancy in the region, but he stringently denied it.

But with these confessions, no one is in doubt about some of the veiled forces that stoke fire and unrest in the region. And relapsing into his dreamy National Conference report again, Jonathan concluded that from “the foregoing, the only option that will solve the agitation in the Niger Delta is true and Fiscal Federalism as practiced in the United States from whom we copied the Presidential model of government.” Had Jonathan started the implementation of the true fiscal federalism in Nigeria and his successor or another government halted it, he would have earned himself the status of a hero.

Jonathan this Jonathan that, una no de tire? Buhari your Lord and personal Savior is currently missing in action while the economy is in recession and all you want to border me with is what Jonathan a former president said in America.

But wait on, The current 19 northern governors were visited by John Kerry, wouldn't it be more relevant to find out what was discussed in the meeting since these governors are still on seat?

These men also visited the state department just before the elections in America, don't you think it's more relevant to find out their intentions?

Are you also blinded by selective amnesia and hypocrisy that all you accused Jonathan of is happening with your Savior buhari. All the public appeals or pulse about the FULANI TERRORIST HERDSMEN, INCOMPETENT MINISTERS, ABBA KYARI MTN BRIBE, BABACHIR LAWAL GRASS CUTTING CONTRACT, NON CONFIRMATION OF THE CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE FEDERATION, SENDING MAGU'S NAME TWICE TO THE SENATE, KADUNA CRISIS, and now his HEALTH STATUS never mattered to him. A simple video call to Nigerians would douse the anxiety and tension in the political space.

Everything has fallen flat under this administration, lies everywhere, from Femi Adesina to Garba Shehu to Lai Mohamed. Also fallen is the value of the naira.

In your second post you just described this clueless administration such that Nigerians are begging your Lord Savior to return the economy to the way Jonathan left it. People are sending apologies to Jonathan after seeing what buhari has to offer.

But he did nothing, but has
metamorphosed into an executive
activist for this campaign outside
of office. It will be better, if he
devotes time to explain to
Nigerians why he failed to implement his “laudable” policies, but desires that another
President swallow them hook and
sinker. Your own opinion articles are
welcome at info@naij.com —
drop an email telling us what
you want to write about and
why. More details in Naij.com’s step-by-step guide
for guest contributors.

Why are you guys spending so much time an energy to defame this man? Maybe because he is enjoying so much popularity than our "beloved" president.

Aegon:
Jonathan this Jonathan that, una no de tire? Buhari your Lord and personal Savior is currently missing in action while the economy is in recession and all you want to border me with is what Jonathan a former president said in America.

But wait on, The current 19 northern governors were visited by John Kerry, wouldn't it be more relevant to find out what was discussed in the meeting since these governors are still on seat?

These men also visited the state department just before the elections in America, don't you think it's more relevant to find out their intentions?

Are you also blinded by selective amnesia and hypocrisy that all you accused Jonathan of is happening with your Savior buhari. All the public appeals or pulse about the FULANI TERRORIST HERDSMEN, INCOMPETENT MINISTERS, ABBA KYARI MTN BRIBE, BABACHIR LAWAL GRASS CUTTING CONTRACT, NON CONFIRMATION OF THE CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE FEDERATION, SENDING MAGU'S NAME TWICE TO THE SENATE, KADUNA CRISIS, and now his HEALTH STATUS never mattered to him. A simple video call to Nigerians would douse the anxiety and tension in the political space.

Everything has fallen flat under this administration, lies everywhere, from Femi Adesina to Garba Shehu to Lai Mohamed. Also fallen is the value of the naira.

In your second post you just described this clueless administration such that Nigerians are begging your Lord Savior to return the economy to the way Jonathan left it. People are sending apologies to Jonathan after seeing what buhari has to offer.

Don't mind the myopic lots .. Would US congress have made that statement if Hilary Clinton won?

and the hatred continues...........................................................................
methink it is time to stop all this rubbish talk and look for ways to put food in the stomach of the hungry people who are crying loud and loud every day

God blessed Jonathan
Satan trapped Buhari

Afonjas go to hell

The northerners are finding way to tag Jonathan all their woes.... The man said the truth.. You can say a conference held by statesmen from different part of the country is useless whereas you don't have a clue on how to reassure unity.

Like I said this country is messed up..if u say the truth they will hate you because they never want to hear the truth.

An Emir has condemned incessant building of mosque in the north and call for more schools...but let a prominent person from the south say same, they would start looking for apology.

He can only twist the facts in the mind of wailers Cum zombified iPod touts


Reasonable people know what's happening

Jobless fool. Jonathan is the reason Buhari is sick in London.

Ewu post

GEJ is still achieving new heights even after leaving office. Instead of PMB to work he is buying u to write rubbish posts like this.

Dont seem to understand what the Op seek to achieve by this post. His facts are are jumbled and dont fits properly using comparative analysis.
1) Elections were conducted in all local Government Areas in Bornu, Yobe and Adamawa, therefore, 14 LGA's were not under the control of Boko Haram.
2) Telling the truth is not a sign of weakness, that Jonathan voiced an opinion in which all Niger-Deltans stand for viz Fiscal Federalism does not by any shred of imagination stand for instigating our people against the Government. Before Jonathan was born our forebears fought for Minorities Rights to protect us from the gluttonious Majority Ehnic Group, that the youths from the Niger-Delta will fight for thier right by any means possible shows that we are prepared to take the challenges from where our fathers stopped.
3) On the anti-corruption war between the Buhari Govt and that of Jonathan, its clear that the Buhari Govt prosecute its agenda on the pages of newspaper and, so far has not gotten any conviction. Similarly, the so-called Dasukigate will burn the fingers of many senior members of this administration that why we demand an open trial instead of SECRET trial that Govt wants to foist on us.
4) Its indeed a pity that the Op does not seem to understand that what will tear Nigeria apart, is nothing more than the Religious Intolerance that has taken over our National life and this are found in Govt lopsidedness in appointment, anti-corruption war, placement area of Govt projects, Promotions and Employment of Staffs in MDA's etc.
Its a pity that op is seeing the speck in anothers eyes but not seeing the log in thier own eyes.

God judgment awaits the unrepentant drunk

Today na Jonathan Bashing day... Zombies how market ? hope una Baba don well