by Eze Eluchie
In assessing all past and serving heads of the Nigerian State with a view to determining who is the best among the lot, it is clear to state from the onset that only Heads of Government who emerged from democratic processes will be considered – those who emerged from coup plots will not be considered as they are actually treasonable felons and ought to be prosecuted at anytime when we begin to get our efforts at self-governance aright.
The contenders to the position of Best Nigerian Ruler are thus restricted to Tafawa Balewa, Shehu Shagari, Olusegun Obasanjo, Umar Yar’Adua and the incumbent, Goodluck Jonathan.
Qualities to consider in arriving at an objective decision will include:
1. Development of National Infrastructure
2. State of National Security
3. Expansion of the democratic space and adherence to rule of law
4. Efforts at ensuring human capacity development
5. Level of fundamental freedoms enjoyed by the general population
6. Engendering conducive environment for investment
A scrutiny of the factors enumerated, the state of national affairs at the inception of the administrations of the four Presidents stated above and at the time when the said Presidents departed office will reveal that by a wide margin, the incumbent, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan stands heads and shoulders above his peers.
President Jonathan’s regime, unlike non other before him, was dogged from its inception by spirited efforts at scuttling the administration including the unleashing of a most vicious political insurgency masqueraded as Islamist terrorists; vested interests invested heavily in sabotaging State infrastructure and agencies, infiltrating the regime with stooges whose actions and comments brought ridicule and odium to not only the State and its peoples but also the Presidency; Yet, appreciable progress was attained in diverse fields of national development and innovations in governance served to bring some succor to significant proportions of the population long sidelined by the oddities of the Nigerian state.
In the area of expansion of the political space and freedoms enjoyed by Nigerians, the Jonathan presidency raised the bar to new and far higher levels that will make populations in established democracies cringe in envy. The incumbent Nigerian President was once dubbed the ‘most insulted President in the world’, yet the previously notorious State security agencies were not unleashed on anyone.
The fact that a coalition of foreign powers had massed to ensure his departure from office coupled with palpable threats to unleash unparalleled violence on the polity in the event of an electoral impasse and his often expressed mantra that his political aspirations was not worth shedding the blood of any Nigerian, served to engender an unprecedented concession of defeat even before the final results of the Presidential elections had been released – despite undisputed widespread acts of systemic electoral malpractice and evidence of compromise amongst officials of the National Electoral Commission. Nigerians will forever remain grateful for this singular act of statesmanship.
Ineffectiveness in addressing large-scale high profile corruption which was wiping the very soul of the Nigerian contraption and hesitancy in frontally confronting terror and some other faults of the regime only underline the fact that all positive attributes can never be found in the same person individual.
Being human, perfection was certainly not possible; however his pluses far outweighed his minuses. The array of choices Nigeria has had in it’s over 50 years of flag-independence from the United Kingdom explains to a great deal why we are where we are whilst the rest of the world keeps on forging ahead.
As he departs office later today, President Jonathan will go in peace resting in the assurance that within his capabilities he had tried his best and that his countrymen genuinely appreciate that amongst his peers, he has been the best thus far. Fare thee well.
Tomorrow, a new chapter begins with the Muhammadu Buhari presidency.
Picture: President Goodluck Jonathan
In assessing all past and serving heads of the Nigerian State with a view to determining who is the best among the lot, it is clear to state from the onset that only Heads of Government who emerged from democratic processes will be considered – those who emerged from coup plots will not be considered as they are actually treasonable felons and ought to be prosecuted at anytime when we begin to get our efforts at self-governance aright.
The contenders to the position of Best Nigerian Ruler are thus restricted to Tafawa Balewa, Shehu Shagari, Olusegun Obasanjo, Umar Yar’Adua and the incumbent, Goodluck Jonathan.
Qualities to consider in arriving at an objective decision will include:
1. Development of National Infrastructure
2. State of National Security
3. Expansion of the democratic space and adherence to rule of law
4. Efforts at ensuring human capacity development
5. Level of fundamental freedoms enjoyed by the general population
6. Engendering conducive environment for investment
A scrutiny of the factors enumerated, the state of national affairs at the inception of the administrations of the four Presidents stated above and at the time when the said Presidents departed office will reveal that by a wide margin, the incumbent, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan stands heads and shoulders above his peers.
President Jonathan’s regime, unlike non other before him, was dogged from its inception by spirited efforts at scuttling the administration including the unleashing of a most vicious political insurgency masqueraded as Islamist terrorists; vested interests invested heavily in sabotaging State infrastructure and agencies, infiltrating the regime with stooges whose actions and comments brought ridicule and odium to not only the State and its peoples but also the Presidency; Yet, appreciable progress was attained in diverse fields of national development and innovations in governance served to bring some succor to significant proportions of the population long sidelined by the oddities of the Nigerian state.
In the area of expansion of the political space and freedoms enjoyed by Nigerians, the Jonathan presidency raised the bar to new and far higher levels that will make populations in established democracies cringe in envy. The incumbent Nigerian President was once dubbed the ‘most insulted President in the world’, yet the previously notorious State security agencies were not unleashed on anyone.
The fact that a coalition of foreign powers had massed to ensure his departure from office coupled with palpable threats to unleash unparalleled violence on the polity in the event of an electoral impasse and his often expressed mantra that his political aspirations was not worth shedding the blood of any Nigerian, served to engender an unprecedented concession of defeat even before the final results of the Presidential elections had been released – despite undisputed widespread acts of systemic electoral malpractice and evidence of compromise amongst officials of the National Electoral Commission. Nigerians will forever remain grateful for this singular act of statesmanship.
Ineffectiveness in addressing large-scale high profile corruption which was wiping the very soul of the Nigerian contraption and hesitancy in frontally confronting terror and some other faults of the regime only underline the fact that all positive attributes can never be found in the same person individual.
Being human, perfection was certainly not possible; however his pluses far outweighed his minuses. The array of choices Nigeria has had in it’s over 50 years of flag-independence from the United Kingdom explains to a great deal why we are where we are whilst the rest of the world keeps on forging ahead.
As he departs office later today, President Jonathan will go in peace resting in the assurance that within his capabilities he had tried his best and that his countrymen genuinely appreciate that amongst his peers, he has been the best thus far. Fare thee well.
Tomorrow, a new chapter begins with the Muhammadu Buhari presidency.
Picture: President Goodluck Jonathan
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