OPEN LETTER TO DR. GOODLUCK JONATHAN, THE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA.

Dear Mr. President,

TRUTH IS A FUNCTION OF TIME: IN THE DEFENCE OF MY STATE

Sir, I finally made up my mind to write your esteemed office on the subject matter after I have carefully watched things degenerate over a period of time in my state, Ogun state.
My dissatisfaction with this spate of event especially as they affect the coming elections would have had nothing to do with you but the selfish ranks of leaders we have back home if at the time leadership was lacking and your input were needed, you did the needful.
In my humble opinion, it would sound far from reasonable to hold a man from Bayelsa responsible for the crisis in Ogun state; but your position, and to a large extent the dire situation in the country that you are in charge of makes it impossible to overlook your roles, actions and inactions.

Sadly, it is possible to limit this crisis to PDP and one may have to answer questions has to why the lingering PDP crisis should be made to represent the Ogun people. The answer is simple; your position in PDP puts so much on your shoulder that you can’t afford to dodge. Besides, how you are able to deal with your immediate challenges as a party leader determines to a large extent how well you would deal with the Nigeria leadership problems.

Also, as our President, we must at every point in time be able to tell where you stand on issues bothering on integrity, rule of law and respect for the democratic institution.
Sir, does it bother you as the number one citizen that the Ogun state house of assembly hasn’t sat for about six months? Have you ever asked how the allocation of the state is being spent over these months? How come your silence isn’t golden but deafening?

Mr. President, did you bother to ask why two parallel primaries were held in Ogun state with men of the Nigeria Police and other security agents and also INEC officials in attendance? Can we safely assume both primaries were legitimate? That sounds like a no to me because you already did your internal permutations and presented the flag to Chief Tunji Olurin as the legitimate candidate of your party. There was no panel to investigate what went wrong, where is the place of fair play and equity?

Sir, the committee you sent afterwards to meet with the two factions; what was it supposed to achieve after you have stamped the candidacy of your master’s choice? That we as a people would mistake that for a move to encourage peace is a mistake; we didn’t buy it. Your committee was configured from the inception to fail and it did. One thing your committee was obviously set not to achieve is pronouncing another gubernatorial candidate; that would obviously pitch you against your boss, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. I bet you don’t have the luxury to confront his venom at a time when you seeking to get re-elected.

Ogun state is contending with a leadership crisis that portends so much danger in times to come and openly you have denied us true leadership and direction. However, we shall sail through this troubled waters and place your ‘men’ where they belong. We are peaceful people being held hostage by blood thirsty gladiators.

Mr. President, long before now, I have had my doubts in your ability to manage this country and you have proved this to be true several times. For all you care, it is now more obvious than ever that what matters to you above salient issues is getting back to office whether or not before that time there would be people left to govern.

I have gone into the archives to evaluate the Jos crisis, the number of casualties recorded over these period of neglect, how our brothers and sisters have had to live with watching their people massacred right before them; I limited my research to Jos to save myself tears. It all boils down to lack of representative and qualitative leadership. In a sane situation, there should have been no need gracing posters with your pictures, men of conscience would not only have resigned, they probably would have committed suicide.

Despite the killings, destruction of property and insecurity, Mr. President, we can’t really point to one thing that you have done to bring the perpetrators to justice. Are we to wait until another militant group is formed to take revenge for their own people? What has happened to all your promises to end the crisis? Is that supposed to be a second term project?

Sir, I, like every other Nigerian, would have expected you show some level of commitment not only in words but action to secure lives of people rather than running around to gather votes. Of what particular benefit would your second term be to a common man? Sleeping and waking up in Nigeria is a very expensive privilege and not a right. Stealing and administrative recklessness is the order of the day. Communities are set against communities killing one another for no particular reasons and when your stooges and ‘boys’ are out to campaign, the fly the banner of unity.

What exactly does unity have to do with you exonerating an organisation from a bomb attack? Could Henry Okah be saying the truth when he alleged your men called him to ask his MEND comrades to disclaim the attack so that you can rope some northern leaders as the ones behind the October 1 attack? The confession facts are there all over the internet. How does unity work when your campaign highlight promotes more of ethnic bias than what your programmes would be in office? What does unity have to do with people losing their jobs by the day? What does unity have to do with decaying infrastructures? What does unity have to do with lack of direction? What does unity have to do with religious intolerance?

Mr. President, I write today not to have you come back to Ogun State to do the right thing; that is asking for too much. Unfortunately, your boss and lieutenant in my state are as vicious, directionless, nasty and arrogant. Go back to Plateau State, where you have gone to campaign without addressing the real issues and do the right thing. Go to Maiduguri and do the right thing, address the Nigerian populace and tell us the truth. We can’t get it any worse.

Mr. President, today, we would have to go through the elections with the fear of things getting worse; with my people sitting on a keg of gun powder while in the corners of your room, you seek to win Ogun State. If our votes at this time would count, you won’t win! You really do not deserve to win because you have not shown leadership where it was most required. You have turned your back against the people of Ogun State to secure your selfish aim. You have at different times taken a position that pitches you against that of the masses but represent your personal gains only. You have continuously massaged the egos of individuals who ideally should be behind bars because they are crucial to your victory at the polls. The situation has not totally degenerated into what we have in other states not because your leadership has made any sense of the situation but because we are a people who despite our differences remain civil.

I am not sure if during your visit to the Redeemed Christian Church of God camp ground, the General Overseer told you power on this world is ephemeral. If he did, there is no sign you are yielding to that warning and if he did not, let it be known to you today, that the most brutal of rulers are now only read about on the pages of history books. Yours won’t be any different.
Your agenda to extend the four year tenure you currently seek to a 7-year single term is not unknown to many Nigerians. Take this fragile situation for liberty and graciously write your name in the books of history in the colour you so wish; the day of accountability is just around the corner.

As an Ogun indene and a Nigerian, I have learnt not to expect too much from any government, yours would not be an exception but I, like many others, owe it to history, to make this known to you, it is a mere transition but engaging enough to distract men of little knowledge and no conscience. Look back at your own history, wait not to be told; where were you pre-1999? I am not sure you could have predicted your current position today. If the divine blackmail that graces your elevation is anything to go by,, then you should be the most sober and people loving leader, is that who you are?

When favour smiles on men, they hastily forget the past and dine away the remaining part of their lives as if there was never a yesterday. This is a moral you have successfully taught.
Mr. President, the good people of Ogun state, who by providence, have been kept under the leadership of mindless individuals like every other Nigerian would one day be free; we shall overcome and deep in my heart, deep in our hearts, we believe this to be true and we are sure change is coming. We are also sure; you are not the change we talk about.
While you continue to propagate your empty promises across the land, there are some questions you should ask yourself.

How would you feel if by the time you return to office, if you ever do, there is no more a Plateau state on the Nigerian map? That Muslims and Christians can no longer leave together in Bornu or that there are more prostitutes than teachers in our country?

Mr. President, take out some time to think about this. Ponder on it like you have never done before, seek the opinions of aides who would tell you the truth as is and risk losing their jobs and not the jokers you carry around. You are likely to get just one answer.
Whether or not you would be fair enough to deal with the answer and take the right step is yet another seminar discourse.

Finally Mr. President, may I advice that it is never too late to take actions and save the state and the entire country another round of embarrassment. We have no problems that you have erred, our problem is that it is almost becoming your trademark and you have no history of being apologetic even when your goofs stare at you in the eyes.

Thank you.

God bless Nigeria.