Jonathan’s faulty self-assessment

IN his rather flattering self-assessment of his first three years as President, Goodluck Jonathan recently, unwittingly, highlighted the ever-widening gulf between Nigerians and their leaders. While public opinion unmistakeably writes off the administration as inept, vacillating and soft on corruption, Jonathan and his team have repeatedly awarded themselves pass marks. His latest challenge to the electorate to set performance yardsticks for him will have many takers. Chances are that the results will not be so flattering.

Already, comments have flowed in torrents from stakeholders that overwhelmingly contrast sharply with the rosy picture that the administration has conjured up. Jonathan was unusually assertive as he presented a 234-page “mid-term report” of his stewardship since taking office in May 2010 (first as acting President) and challenged critics to “develop their own yardstick” to appraise his performance. By his own assessment, he has done remarkably well, achieving giant strides in tackling insecurity; revamping the economy, the electoral system and power sector; taming corruption and improving infrastructure.

He went on to reel out figures of growth, roads built or rehabilitated, plans ongoing or in the pipeline and how the lives of Nigerians had been “positively affected.” Gratuitously, he rose in defence and praise of his ministers, most of whom had been found wanting in several surveys in the mass media and by diverse stakeholder groups. The President challenged Nigerians to “…develop criteria because, without a marking scheme, you cannot mark anybody’s paper.”

It is within his rights to engage in self-adulation, as is within the rights of his ministers, many of whom have followed his lead in claiming “achievements” where there are very few. Jonathan can rightly claim credit for finally taking tough action against the Boko Haram insurgency in the North. He also deserves credit for appointing an independent-minded don, Attahiru Jega, as head of the electoral commission; curbing the fertiliser racketeering and belatedly restarting (though slow and untidy) the long-stalled privatisation of the power sector. While growth has also been steady at 6 – 7 per cent, the recovery of the financial sector, begun a year before he took office, has moved ahead.

However, the taxpayer, critics and opposition groups are also entitled to assessing those who occupy public office. And the President has obviously missed a very crucial point: the majority of Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora have actually set parameters by which they adjudge their government and, sadly, Jonathan and his team have been found wanting.

On the most crucial criteria, such as security, the energy sector, education, health, privatisation, infrastructure and corruption, the jury has returned verdicts. Through sheer ineptitude and lack of resolve, the government allowed a fringe sect like Boko Haram to grow, link up with global terrorism and unleash a ferocious terror campaign on the country. The state of emergency that the clay-footed government finally imposed on three North-Eastern states last month was over two years overdue. Decisive action since 2010 would have crushed Boko Haram and spared the nation the horrors of mass killings, bombings and arson that have claimed 5,000 lives and shattered the economy and the social life of several northern states. Kidnapping, armed robbery, sectarian and communal strife are rife. The recent massacre of 102 security men in Nasarawa State by a tribal cult accentuates the insecurity in the land.

Education is also in crisis. With adult literacy at 57 per cent, overall illiteracy at 66 per cent and more than 10 million out of the 30 million children of primary school age not in school, no serious government should be comfortable. When 40 million adults in a population of 170 million are illiterate, the country is ranked 161 out of 180 countries in the United Nations Comparative Index of Literacy 2012, and has an unemployment rate of 23.7 per cent, chest-beating is rather inappropriate.

In January, the influential Economist Intelligence Unit released a report ranking Nigeria as one of the worst places on earth to be born in. In May, the global charity, Save the Children, named Nigeria among the 10 worst countries in the world to give birth to a child. The failure of our government to make appreciable progress was highlighted afresh in the Human Development Report 2013 published by the United Nations Development Programme, where Nigeria was ranked 153 out of 186 countries on the Human Development Index, using life expectancy, income, access to health care, school enrolment and security, among others. Our health care delivery system is poor and those who can afford to do so seek treatment abroad, while our infant and maternal mortality rates are among the highest in the world.

Nigerians feel the pains of the energy crisis where power supply is less than 4,000 megawatts and we keep importing refined petroleum products at great cost to the treasury. Unemployment put at 23.7 per cent by the National Bureau of Statistics hides the reality that 42 per cent of the graduates of our tertiary institutions cannot find jobs. The claims by the President and ministers of having rehabilitated roads sound like a fairy tale. Although contracts are awarded during the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting, the major federal roads such as Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Benin-Sagamu Expressway, Enugu-Port Harcourt and Lokoja-Abuja highways are in a terrible state of disrepair. The advertised repairs are either minimal or non-existent, just like the claims of job creation are not born out by reports from the private sector and the NBS.

Corruption has reached an unprecedented height, featuring the theft of N1.7 trillion on spurious fuel subsidy payments, looting of special funds, fraudulent budgeting and impunity at all levels of government.

In effect, Mr. President, Nigerians have already set criteria and this government has failed the test. But the remaining two years of the mandate he won in 2011 provide him an opportunity to redeem his scorecard and leave lasting legacies. He can roll up his sleeves and get cracking or he can continue to delude himself. The choice is his.

Source: http://www.punchng.com/editorial/jonathans-faulty-self-assessment/

Brutal

Of what use is this Tinubu's jaundiced editorial? The editorial should take its rightful place in the thrash can

Sincere 9gerian: Of what use is this Tinubu's jaundiced editorial? The editorial should take its rightful place in the thrash can

What a great rebuttal?

Mr. go slow i he doesn't has a vision and a man without vision is a man without mission

Jonah fuke! Jonah duke? Jonah dupe... Hehe how many times i call u x3.
Repeat chorus.

Confirm

A clueless report from a clueless one!!!

abdul4new: A clueless report from a clueless one!!!

Caution with your comment please

It's from GEJ. I'm not suprised.

I have seen the Lord's goodness in this adminstration, i have also His mercy and compassions.

seriously i regret being a nigerian the government keep deceiving themselves of acheiving big result on paper while there is no corresponding proof on ground to ascertain their claim, to me this is the highset act of corruption in the world.

one thing is certain by the time jona and is cohorts are done with nigeria, nigeria will never remain the same. may be by then we would have learnt our lesson.

Pls can someone help me out here isn‘t the Benin-Ore road a section of the Benin-Shagamu road that was listed as being in a terrible state?

Anyway I don‘t expect anything less from this opposition sponsored editorials.

I don't know why the govt laptop goons are getting all worked up as if what PUNCH wrote is fallacious
Even at that,he was urged to roll up his sleeves and really get to work
What is bad in that?
Did PUNCH even mention an openly divisive, clannish and provincial president who spoke through his kinsmen that he must be re-elected or the ND region will know no peace?
As if only Ijaws elected him
A president who LIED on CNN about improvement in power supply from the public grid when opposite his claim is the reality on ground
I don't know about you but my home generator fuel costs, even with a conservative approach, are double that of the start of the year (minimum of 60litres every 8 days)
What of the state of roads?
Lagos Shagamu road is at best a death trap
So many failed portions (which keeps increasing) on a supposed federal road
Jonathan should shut up and drive the car called Nigeria
that's all PUNCH said
That's what he was elected to do
Not go to the AU 50th anniversary and be too drunk to address his peers nor the Commonwealth meeting which held in Australia to grope white women

Just Passing.

I am less concern. I never liked him from the first day. I never voted him because i know he is a criminal.

Well to ya'll that voted this goon. Congrats for taking this nation 10 years backward

"Or you will challenge me he brought facebook to Nigeria?" Since OBJ brought Telecommunications to Nigeria.

#Damn you all#

Sincere 9gerian: Of what use is this Tinubu's jaundiced editorial? The editorial should take its rightful place in the thrash can

am i surprised at a political marauder like you? ofcourse not. all you do is come and poo, sh*t around with your smelly a55 on fact laden thread such as this.

why not puncture any of there assertion-albeit factual. with facts and figures and tell us how jonathan has performed so well in your own fools' paradise.

Jst passing by sha..bt I'll still add my 2cents
Vote for "Umblerra" party come 2015 for "Fresh air Continuity"
..,..Godbless Naija

Jst passing by sha..bt I'll still add my 2cents
Vote for "Umblerra" party come 2015 for "Fresh air Continuity"
..,..All this una fight on paper na film trick..
"Watch out for "Fresh air part 2"

I'm scared because this analysis is coming with data and statistics. It erodes promises of hope.

Sincere 9gerian: Of what use is this Tinubu's jaundiced editorial? The editorial should take its rightful place in the thrash can

Who let the dog out... who who who who who?

This rebuttal carries no weight. This problems listed are things we all know about. Jonathan never explicily stated nigeria's problem are far from over, what he wanted to highlight by stating his acheivments was to show the progress he's made so far. At the end he asked if the opposition wants to criticise him they should form a marking scheme to that effect and be very objective. Like comparing his 3years tenure to that of past Presidents. Than regurging facts we all know about, just to undermine the efforts he's made so far.

There are two sides to nigeria's present condition the dark and the bright side... The side u choose to embrace is up to u. Moreover there is the 3rd side the side that trys to look at this admisitration from a very objective prespective...



The opposition can do better... From this rebuttall if jonathan is clueless the oppostion is "Even More clueless."

No matter how hard the opposition try the truth about GEJ's performance will always be glaring and they'll hide their faces in shame. My advice to opposition is that they should build their party, wait 4 2019 and save themselves of all these head aches.

This man GEJ is and willcontinually be d worst President Nigeria has ever had since it became a country

I was hoping that for someone to measure the success or failure of this government it should be based on facts and relative to past governments of Nigeria. For example, let's ask ourselves what was the state of our roads in 2011 and what is the state of our roads currently? What is the total length of roads completed by this govt in 2 years and we also compare it the total length of roads completed by past administrations in their first two years. I believe this would give us a good picture if we are making progress or not. This method can be used to compare other sectors based on facts and figures released from reputable organizations. Nigerians always want things to be done instantly that's why politicians deceive us by telling us lies during campaigns. Am sure if Rome was built in a day, one of our leaders would have used the same contractor to build Nigeria thereby writing its name on stone.
Another bad trend I have personally noticed in our current democracy is the issue of the various levels of government competing. Govts should learn to complement each other because they all have a common goal of providing good governance to their electorates.
For example if the FG, constructs and maintains a dam, I should expect the state government to undertake the recticulation and distribution works, while the local government ensures that the pump stations within their locality is always up and running . At the end the common man in the village would have pipe born water (which is the ultimate aim)

Too many gaffes, but for me I lost all respect for the man when he pardoned Alameyeseigha. For someone who claims to be fighting against corruption, that move showed him as being either a corruption loving individual or one who is scared shitless of his former boss.

oh yeah and lest I forget, crude oil theft is at an all time high and it doesn't seem like anything is being done to stop it. and then I remember again Tompolo is the one guarding the pipelines.

Fish-brain govt living in a fool's paradise!

Life is too short to read long and boring stuff.

I disagree with this particular punch editorial with the following personal reasons

- A substantial amount of the 10litres of fuel i bought last week Monday for my generator is still remaining after one week, normally lasts two days, reason being the up to 18hrs of power supply in my area at Ebute-metta Lagos.
- Travelled last month through Benin-Sagamu expressway & took me 31/2 hrs agains previous 5hrs because of the much improved road, especially the Ore-Benin section.
-I don not remember the last time i qeued to buy fuel in Lagos.
- Between 2008-2010 , my annual gross turn-over was between 3-4million naira, but between 2011-2013 grossed above 6m.
-Last time i went Abuja, the dualisation of Abuja-Lokoja highway was around Abaji
.
Agreed that more needs to be done, especially in the area of anti corruption, but considering the peculiar challenges of this administration, i will still score him above average.