Holding President Goodluck Jonathan to his promises!

The following article is re-published by the kind permission of the author.

Why the P in RSVP should be sustained – Holding GEJ to his promises!!!

Mr President,

It was with shock and utter disbelief that I  received the news that you had 25 per cent in 28 states plus  Federal Capital Territory. According to the 1999 constitution, a winner needs the majority of votes and at least 25 percent of votes in 24  states of the 36 states of the federation. So far you have won 25 percent in 28 states, leaving your closest rival, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari of  the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) with victories in only 12 states. I know you and your cronies will be celebrating and popping the proverbial champagne now but here is a word of caution from perhaps one of your worst critics.

Allow me to explain that the presidential victory of April 16th was a victory for yourself and not necessarily for the PDP, which you are a part  and parcel of. This should reveal without any equivocation that the  elections were not driven by issues, but sentiments about personalities, religion and ethnicity. It is my opinion that as a nation we should grow our democracy to achieve a situation whereby persons win elections on the basis of merit and actual performance not sentiments, and certainly not with the aid of financial inducements, blackmail and violence.

I will not bore you with all the expectations Nigerians  (the ones who voted for you, anyway) – I believe you know all of these and intend to meet all of them.

Nevertheless, I intend to remind you of all the myriad of promises you made during your political campaign throughout the country. In my generosity, I have listed some of them for you here.

1. You promised to rule for only one term (reference http://ow.ly/4KScO)

As  a man of your words or rather as you want to make us  believe (http://ow.ly/4KSda), PLEASE stick to this plan and pledge. I sincerely hope we will  not have political jobbers, groups like Youths Earnestly Ask for Jona, Dbanj, Lagbaja, Sunny Ade all singing for your second term bid? I  sincerely hope also, you will not come out and openly deny you didnt  make such promise or statements as you did about the zoning saga.

2. You promised a constitutional role for Traditional Rulers!!! (http://ow.ly/4KSfI) I am short of words but Nigerians are waiting.

3. On March 17th 2011, in Dutse the Jigawa state capital,  you promised: “If I win the election, within my four years in office, I  will establish domestic airports in all the states without airports,” (http://ow.ly/4KSgt) WE  ARE WAITING.

4. In Nasarawa, at the flag-off of your campaign you  promised at least a university in every state (http://ow.ly/4KShX) including building  specialist almajiri schools to shore up education in the North so as to  eradicate illiteracy (http://ow.ly/4KSiK) The Almajiris are waiting o!

5. On February 8th in  Ibadan, the day you called some people “rascals”, you promised to  create jobs and improve the power sector(http://ow.ly/4KSlU). The Oyo people and indeed all  Nigerians are waiting!!!

6. On Feb 9th, you were in Bauchi and  you promised to intensify oil and gas exploration in the North-East as  part of efforts to harness resources for economic development. Also you pledged to boost agriculture, power and water supply for wealth creation  and revenue generation. Then you assured that projects such as the  Mambilla hydro-electricity, Jada irrigation project and Kafin Zaki dam  in Taraba, Adamawa and Bauchi would be pursued to boost agriculture and  industrial development (http://ow.ly/4KSnF). Then you promised that your administration would  establish two universities in the region. The NORTH EAST PEOPLE ARE WAITING.

7. You landed in Port Harcourt on Feb 12 where you made a lot of promises, maybe to woo your Niger Delta people. Be that as it may, you announced that the NNPC, in partnership  with the private sector, would establish a petrochemical plant in the Niger Delta (you didnt state where exactly). You promised the plant will create job opportunities for the Niger Delta youths.  Then you went ahead to promise the implementation of Local Content Law  and Petroleum Industry Bill (http://ow.ly/4KSpu). In case you cant remember when you made all  these, cast your mind back to the stampede that claimed some lives  (where your wife called them martyrs).

8. In Kaduna, you  promised massive transformation of the agricultural sector through  construction of large dams and distribution of one million metric tonnes of fertilizers for the 2011 farming season (http://ow.ly/4KSqE) The rains are here already, so fulfil your promises o.

9. In Benue, you promised to revolutionize agriculture and establish industries in the country through a five-year plan (We need that Plan now so we can keep track, the five years have started counting already). You also promised to complete the irrigation project in Otukpo (http://ow.ly/4KSsh). Then you  promised that  the second Niger Bridge and the Benue Bridge projects will   be worked on in the next four years (http://ow.ly/4KStl). I think its better to start now so by April 2015, we trust you would have completed it.

10. February 17th, you were in Plateau where you shocked the entire country with amazing promises.  First of all, you pledged to refocus on  the solid mineral development of the state and make it one of the key revenue sources in Nigeria. The Plateau people are banking on you. Mr President, You promised to build more dams and complete ongoing ones, so as to boost agricultural growth. In  addition you promised to complete the Vom-Manchok-Jos road to boost economic links between Plateau and Kaduna states (http://ow.ly/4KSuz). You left the state and the Plateau people have been happy ever since and now that you have won, they are waiting.

11. Mr President on Feb 21, you were in Kogi. You promised among other things that the dredging of the River Niger and  Lokoja-Abuja road dualisation would be completed very soon. (http://ow.ly/4KSvB) THE KOGI PEOPLE AND INDEED NIGERIANS ARE HOPING AND WAITING.

12. In Kwara State on February 22, you pledged that the irrigation project in Shonga would  be completed soon to boost the commercial farming activities of the New  Nigeria Farmers in the area (http://ow.ly/4KSwn). Mr president, remember you also said the Jebba-Mokwa road and Jebba bridge would be given adequate attention to  ease transportation in the area. Kwarans are waiting!

13. On  February 24, Mr. President, you pledged to rehabilitate all ailing industries in Aba (http://ow.ly/4KSxd). I believe all Abians are hoping on you to provide the enabling environment to do their businesses, you must keep your  promises.

14. Mr. President, on Feb 25th in Anamabra you said  there is a plan to build a power station in the state, assuring that within the next four years your administration would  construct and rehabilitate ALL federal roads leading to Anambra as well  as the South East. You equally promised to provide potable water to the  densely populated Onitsha and Nnewi cities (http://ow.ly/4KSyf) and tackle erosion in the South-East. To tell you the truth, Mr. President, Anambrians are banking on you!

15. In Ebonyi state, you promised to dualize the  Enugu-Abakaliki federal highway in addition (http://ow.ly/4KSza) to establishing a secretariat for ALL Federal government’s agencies and parastatals in  Ebonyi. Mr. president, The people of Ebonyi have never had it so good  since the creation of their state. Now, you have promised them the good  life. Please keeep to your words!

16.  In Niger state,  you promised the more power generation. Perhaps the most important  aspect of your promises is that your government would map out a five-year strategic plan for road projects (http://ow.ly/4KSzL). (Please we are waiting for the Plan NOW!!!!)

17. On Feb 27, you were in Asaba, the Delta state.  On that fateful Sunday, you revealed that “The NNPC is developing a new  programme that will absorb about 5,000 youths,” (http://ow.ly/4KSAO) Mr. President,  Deltans are delighted at this REVELATIONS. While that number is a far  cry from the number of unemployed youths in the state, at all at all na  winch (as we say in Warri), so Deltans are waiting.

18.  On March 2nd, you were in Ondo where you promised that roads and other basic  infrastructure across the states will be developed in four years.  In addition you also promised the exploitation of the vast bitumen  deposits in the state for national economic development and employment  generation (http://ow.ly/4KSFj). The Ondo people are waiting. Your Four years have started  already. You must start now.

19. On the same day, March 2nd, your  campaign train was in Ekiti state. While there, you promised that more  than N50 billion federal intervention projects were  ongoing in the state (http://ow.ly/4KSGb). You can be rest assured that the Fayemi and  indeed the entire Ekiti kete are waiting for you.

20. On March  9th, in Sokoto, you promised to rehabilitate the abandoned Shagari  irrigation project as well as reviving the nation’s rail system and fight the menace of desertification in the country. (http://ow.ly/4KSGX) Sokoto people have suffered for too long. This is your  time to redeem your pledge, Mr President. The clock is ticking!!!

21. The date was March 12th 2011 and you were in Ogun state, my home state. Remember, the day you rode to Abeokuta through rail? Yes, that was the day you promised an improved power supply before the end of the year through the Integrated Power Project (IPP) initiative. You also pledged to build more refineries, encourage downstream activities, resuscitate rail transportation and create jobs. In case you have forgotten, that was the day that Gbenga Daniel your South West campaign coordinator was booed by the Ogun people (http://ow.ly/4KSHM).

22. On March 14th, your campaign trained moved to Kebbi where you promised to establish a federal university next year (2012). You also promised to create jobs through science and technology, tackle environmental challenges and boost health care delivery. (http://ow.ly/4KSIX)

23. Katsina, was your port of call on March 15 where you promised to enhance the living standard of Nigerians through implementation of people-oriented programmes that would provide citizens the necessary opportunities to  realize their potentials.In my opinion, this was just mere rhetorics as  you did not make any concrete promises. Or did you have the premonition,  you will lose in Katsina? I might just be right.

24. In Kano, you pledged to resuscitate the nation’s power sector and encourage the  development of small and medium scale enterprises in the country while ensuring justice, equity and fair play in the polity (http://ow.ly/4KSKJ).

Mr. President, space will not allow me to list  the deluge of promises in Lagos, Osun, Borno, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Enugu, Imo, Taraba, Jigawa, Edo, Bayelsa and Zamfara states, and Abuja (http://ow.ly/4KSLf). If you can accomplish all your promises in the next four years, then you will go down memory lane as the best President ever.

Thanks to Yahoo, Gmail and Facebook, we can all save this message in our Inbox/Wall for the next four years and check out how much you achieve on your promises.

Your fellow Nigerian,

Egghead Odewale