SO much has been said and written about the divine positioning and journey of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to the presidency of Nigeria.
How, within a time frame of 10 years he traversed through the offices of Deputy Governor, Governor, Vice President, Acting President and finally the President of the most populous nation.
Some commentators predicate his expected forthcoming victory at the April elections on divine appointment. As true as this might be, there is need to turn the searchlight on the substance of the man and the message he has been spreading to every village, city and state of the federation.
His message of unity, togetherness, strength in diversity, peace and stability for rapid national progress has reverberated across the Federation. Aside from the above, his campaign has been largely issue-based and he is the only candidate with a well-articulated programme for solving the multifaceted problems besetting the country.
First, on power situation in the country, he sets out his agenda thus: ”My objective for the power sector is to ensure that the sector is able to efficiently deliver sustainable, adequate, qualitative, reliable and affordable power in a deregulated market. In specific terms, we have committed to the following: the minimum target set for power is 16,000MW by 2013 at a total cost of N813.760 billion approximately.
These, according to him, will be employed through rehabilitation of all existing power generation, distribution and transmission assets to guarantee a minimum 6,000 MW of electricity; completion of all national integrated power projects, NIPP, to add about 4,770 MW of electricity by 2012; completing of ongoing independent power project, IPPs, estimated to add about 4,000MW of electricity to the national grid by 2013; and, using alternative sources of energy such as coal, wind and solar for additional power generation.
He was optimistic that the problem of power generation and distribution will be a thing of the past when these are achieved. Secondly, on infrastructure development, he said: “We are rehabilitating 3,500km of the existing narrow gauge rail, the completion of the Ajaokuta-Warri standard gauge rail line; concession of the Lagos to Kano and Port Harcourt to Maiduguri rail lines; increasing the navigable routes on the inland water ways to 3,000km to increase water ways traffic and passengers; ensuring the rehabilitation of not less than 30 per cent of existing federal roads (7,677km) by 2013, and the expansion and development of new deep seaports at Epe/Brass, Bonny, Badagry and Calaber ports”.
He also declared that: ”We are committed to the construction of 600,000 housing units by the Federal Ministry of Housing, while 240,000 units are to be developed by the Federal Housing Authority, and 500 units through Public/Private Partnership, PPP, across the entire nation. We will also ensure the provision and equipping of building materials testing workshops as well as the recapitalisation of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria”.
On industrial production, he promised to pursue “the exploitation of the benefits of existing trade agreement such as AGOA, optimisation of existing free trade zones and development of export processing zones, creation of industrial parks, industrial clusters and enterprise zones in strategic locations across the country to facilitate competitive manufacturing activities over the next four years”.
Then, on the economy/good government, Jonathan said he wants in the next four years to achieve an average GDP growth rate of 11 per cent; raise the GDP per capita from US$1075 in 2009 to US$2,008.75; generate jobs to absorb the teeming unemployed population; improve the nation’s global competitiveness; raise public confidence in the nation’s governance and political system
Turning his gaze to employment generation and wealth creation, he promised Nigerians thus: “The emphasis of our administration will be on job creation. The target is to create a minimum of two million jobs each year mainly in agriculture/agro-business, the manufacturing sector and the deregulated power sector.
By creating a conducive and enabling business environment, indigenous businesses will grow and more foreign direct investments are attracted. We will work to enthrone a culture of entrepreneurship”.
The aviation sector has witnessed a quantum leap under Jonathan. According to Alhaji Usman Auyo, Managing Director of NAMA: “The entire federation is now covered by Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria, TRACON, which would enable NAMA to see every moving object in the Nigerian air space”.
Towards a better Nigeria, nine new federal universities have just been established by Jonathan. Take home package for university lecturers has been enhanced. There is a promise to reform the education system of the country to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
It is arguable that security and the war against kidnappers have been intensified since the last 10 month of the Jonathan presidency. But no one can dispute the patriotism that has gone into it and the greater peace in the Niger Delta that has culminated in increased barrels of crude oil production per day.
The like of ‘Osisikankwu’ was taken out of the system and out of circulation. Last Christmas and New Year celebrations recorded the lowest crime rates in recent times. One is daily assured that security will definitely get better under the watchful eyes of Jonathan/Sambo tickets.
It may serve political purposes but it is evidently factual that for the first time in the history of Nigeria, minimum wage for workers was increased from N7, 500 to N18, 000. The welfare of citizens is clearly at the heart of the government agenda.
The clean-up in the banking sector restored investors and customers confidence. The reforms ensured that our money in the bank is safe and that no bank will go under.
According to the President: “Today we have reached a watershed in the history of our country; a time of moving forward, a time of taking on a quantum leap and a time of optimally harnessing our overall potentials for greatness, peace and stability of Nigeria”.
Need I say more? All we can do now is to give the President our votes so that the above promises and much more would be actualized and Nigeria will be better and kinder for everybody”....
I entered train last in 1990, I never believe that train will run again in Nigeria, but under JEG administration train transportation has been rehabilitated, in 2005 plane were falling like kite but today we have more confidence to travel by air. queuing for fuel is quite frustrating but today 'I enter I come out'. Today my voting power has been restore now I know that I can remove any corrupt leader with my vote. I no longer need any Buhari to it for me since I have the power to do it. Let vote for JEG to build a society where everybody is somebody and the institution is bigger than anybody...
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/04/relishing-jonathan%E2%80%99s-promise-of-a-better-nigeria/
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