‘My dear friends on Facebook,I have said it before and I will continue to say and live by the fact that my ambition, and indeed the ambition of anybody, is not worth the blood of any Nigerian. Therefore, I urge all Nigerians to look forward in hope as we fulfill the dreams of our founding fathers to ‘build a nation where peace and Justice reign’.
President
Goodluck Jonathan has never failed to tell Nigerians and anyone who
cares to listen that he is a man of peace whose political ambition isn’t
worth the blood of any Nigerian. The quote above was taken from his
Facebook page as he began his latest campaign to get a second term in
office. He has been at pains to restate his commitment to peace and a
peaceful electioneering campaign.
Hear him:
“In my political life, I have never been driven by the love of power. Rather, I have gotten to where I am today by the power of love which is the power that fueled (sic) the unity that saw Nigeria become the largest economy in Africa and defeat the Ebola Virus Disease.”
Reading
president Jonathan from the above quotes, one could almost paint a
picture of a saintly man, devoid of any evil machinations and plans to
exterminate his political opponents.
But are these assertions of Mr. President true?
One
6th of January, 2015 in Port Harcourt, One person was allegedly killed
while many were seriously injured when two groups of armed youths shot
at vehicles conveying supporters of the All Progressives Congress from
Asari-Toru and Khana Local Government Areas to the inaugural
presidential campaign of the APC candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari
(rtd.), the main opponent of President Jonathan in the upcoming
presidential election. But as we publish this the President of Nigeria
and the PDP presidential candidate, Goodluck Jonathan, is yet to comment
on the violence nor commiserate with the dead and injured.
Further violence
was unleashed on the opposition on Sunday January 11, with an explosion
rocking the All Progressives Congress secretariat in Abam Ama, Okrika
Local Government Area of Rivers State. Just as the news of the explosion
hit Port Harcourt, another round of violence was recorded in Rumueme,
Obio/Akpor LGA where four APC members were machetted by persons believed
to be PDP political thugs.
The
All Progressives Congress secretariat in Ngor community, in Andoni
Local Government Area of Rivers State, was on 16th of January, bombed by
some unknown persons suspected To be PDP political thugs. According
to sources and eyewitnesses, the building, which was serving as APC
secretariat went up in flames, after it was attacked with
dynamites. The attack was said to have created a lot of panic in the
area, as residents were seen fleeing the community.
The
attack was said to be similar to the one carried out on APC
secretariat at Aba-Ama in Okrika Local Government Area of the state at
about 3.14am, on January 11 of 2015.
Despite
the sickening and fearsome level of political violence being unleashed
against the opposition, President Jonathan, in his usual manner, has
maintained a deafening silence, pretending to be oblivious of the
carnage that are being orchestrated by people suspected to be members of
his political party. But he was quick to condemn the opposition when
his convoy was pelted with stones by street urchins in some northern
states. It must have been embarrassing for him when a governor within
his own party, the PDP, informed the world that the urchins were sent by
another faction of the same PDP.
With
this clarifications, president Jonathan position and condemnation of
the opposition became untenable, but as usual, he kept mute.
His
quiet acceptance and acquiesces to the attack being unleashed on the
opposition, most especially in Rivers State by members of his party as
led by Mr. Nyesom Wike, a political godson of the First Lady, led to the
carnage that sent shock-waves to all in Okrika, the hometown of the
wife of the President on Tuesday, 17th of February 2015.
As
the APC were peacefully conducting their gubernatorial rally, five
bombs went off, creating pandemonium. As people were fleeing from the
rally ground, gunmen began shooting sporadically into the crowd, killing
one policeman and injuring fifty others including journalists, APC
supporters and their members.
It
is not a secret that Nyesom Wike, in collaboration with Mrs. Jonathan
has been making concerted efforts to frustrate the opposition party, the
APC in Rivers state. He has publicly claimed the APC would not be
allowed to campaign in Okrika and the events of Tuesday 17th of February
should not be taken in isolation.
The
president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has continually pretend to
be oblivious to what has been happening in Rivers State ever since,
therefore it has been the practice for Nyesom Wike to create pandemonium
in order to make Rivers State ungovernable for the opposition APC. He
has sponsored several thuggish actions which the police has condoned and
even supported openly especially during the tenure of former police
commissioner Mr. Joseph Mbu.
Wike
has now taken his bloodlust, thuggery and violence against the
opposition to an unprecedented and dangerous level. The actions of the
PDP thugs against the APC on 17 February, 2015 was captured on live
television and beamed all over the world.
President
Jonathan cannot continue to pretend to be a man of peace while looking
the other way when his men go on a killing spree against the opposition
especially within his own constituency, the South South.
Political
violence in any way is an aberration and should not just be condemned
but should be punished with all severity. One only hopes that the
Nigerian Police will wake up and be alive to its constitutional
responsibility of impartially maintaining law and order a cross the
country.
What
happened in Rivers State must not be swept under the carpet, there must
be deterrents without which we can expect more unnecessary violence
since some people can act with impunity and above the law. Remember
there was a peace pact signed by all political parties and it would be
foolhardy to imagine such pacts remain binding when one party can act
with impunity and gets away with it.
President
Jonathan should start acting as a president of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria and not a President of the PDP or a particular ethnic group.
Enough with his clannish disposition!
Mr.
Jonathan cannot keep waxing lyrical about how his political ambition is
not worth the life of any Nigerians while watching innocent Nigerians
bombed to death under his watch by irresponsible political thugs hiding
under the banner of political godfatherism.
Enough
with these litany of deceits, which has been an encouragement to
unnecessary blood letting of innocent Nigerians and wanton destruction
of properties.
For
once, we call on Mr. President to act like the President of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria and not the titular head of a banana republic.
@Ayourb
VIEWS EXPRESSED ARE SOLELY AUTHOR’S…
Source: omojuwa.com
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