OING BY BELOW CAMPAIGN PROMISES COMPARED WITH THE PRESENT POSITION OF THINGS IN NIGERIA, HOW WOULD YOU RATE GOODLUCK JONATHAN'S PRESIDENCY IN THE LAST TWO YEARS?

PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN'S 2011 ELECTION CAMPAIGN PROMISES TO NIGERIANS (STATE BY STATE WITH DATES)

As the 2011 presidential elections approached, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was overflowing with promises.

Dispensing the promissory notes, Jonathan promised such things as ELECTRICITY, SECURITY, JOBS AND EDUCATION as well as to transform the ECONOMY and combat CORRUPTION.

Here, in state by state order with dates, are a few:

In Lafia, Nasarawa State on 7th February 2011 at the North Central Zone launching of his campaign, Jonathan promised to end chronic power shortages; improve health and education; ensure food self-sufficiency; manage oil revenues better; create a Sovereign Wealth Fund. He would also clampdown on kidnappers and criminals; pursue law breakers to the ends of the Earth, and ensure there would be no sacred cows. He guaranteed a university in every state; proper care for communities along the water ways; and construction of a refinery.

In Ibadan, Oyo State on 8th February 2011 at the South West launch of the campaign, Jonathan promised to: run a transparent government; treat all citizens equally; respect law and order; turn around the nation's bad road network. He also promised road construction to take new five-year structure, ending yearly budgetary allocations.

In Bauchi, Bauchi State on 9th February 2011, Jonathan promised to intensify oil and gas exploration in the North-East Zone; boost agriculture, power and water supply; provide dams and power projects; establish two universities in the region; construct schools with modern facilities for 9.5 million Almajiris; and combat rising terrorism in the area.

In Enugu, Enugun State on 12th February 2011, Jonathan promised to stamp out kidnapping, ensure facilities that would enhance the enterprising spirit of the Igbo; upgrade the Enugu airport to international level; dredge the River Niger; build a dry port in Aba for easy access to Igbo traders; and complete the Second Niger Bridge.

In Aba, Abia State on 12th February 2011. Jonathan promised to stamp out kidnapping; provide facilities that would boost the enterprising spirit of the Igbo; upgrade the Enugu airport to international level; dredge the River Niger; build a dry port in Aba for Igbo businessmen; complete the Second Niger Bridge; rehabilitate all the main roads into Abia; tackle the erosion crisis; and make Aba the Ground Zero of eventual aircraft production in Nigeria.

In Port Harcourt, River State on 12th February 2011 at the launching of his South-South Campaign, Jonathan promised to commence “transformational changes” in the South-South; said the NNPC had begun investing in the petrochemical industry in the region; that the people in the region would be given a voice in the oil and gas sector. He also promised to make the Niger Delta region the hub of the petrochemical industry in Africa.

In Oturkpo, Benue State on 17th February 2011, Jonathan promised a five-year plan to revolutionize agriculture and establish industries in the country.

In Jos, Plateau State on 17th February 2011, Jonathan promised “a straight fight” against poverty; to create wealth by improving power and water supply; to build more dams and complete ongoing ones in order to boost irrigation farming in Plateau. Also promised to complete the Vom-Manchok-Jos road to boost economic links between Plateau and Kaduna states; to encourage more agricultural research institutes; refocus on solid mineral development.

In Lokoja, Kogi State on 21st February 2011, Jonathan promised to revive the Ajaokuta Steel Complex and the Itakpe Iron Ore Company. Also, promised to explore the agricultural potential of the state to boost food security; establish a new federal university; ensure the speedy completion of the Lokoja-Abuja road project, and dredge the lower and upper River Niger.

In Ilorin, Kwara State also on 21st February 2011, Jonathan promised to end discrimination along ethnic and religious lines; tackle poverty; agricultural transformation of Kwara State; rehabilitation of the nation’s railway system; rehabilitation of the Ilorin-Mokwa road. He would also revitalize ailing industries and grant loans to farmers (objectives for which, he said, funds had already been earmarked).

In Bida, Niger State on 23rd February 2011 Jonathan promised to establish three power projects in the state at a cost of $2.1bn (about N315bn). In Minna, he promised five-year strategic plan for road projects.

In Abakaliki, Eboyin State on 24th February Jonathan promised the South East geo-political zone priority attention, especially in fixing its dilapidated road network and in healthcare delivery; dualize the Enugu-Abakaliki Express Road within one year; convert the Federal Medical Centre in Abakaliki to a teaching hospital.

In Awka, Anambra State on 25th February 2011, said he would construct all the major roads which link Anambra with its neighbours; complete the on-going aero-dynamic survey of gas in the Anambra River basin, which (leading to) power supply, then Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) industry”; complete the second Niger Bridge; and complete the Onitsha Inland Port. Nigerians would not be talking about generators after his four years in office, he vowed.

In Asaba Delta State on 25th February 2011, he announced that the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) would create jobs for over 5,000 youths in the region also promised to transform the Nigerian oil and gas industry and make it the destination of choice for investors in Africa; convene a stakeholders meeting across the country where communities will be able to determine their priority programmes. Jonathan promised a five-year development plan to accelerate development in the country.

In Onitsha, Anambra State on 27th February 2011 Jonathan said "I do not make empty promises in my campaign because whatever I promise to do, I had already carried out adequate study to make sure I can accomplish it in the next four years.”

In Lagos on 1st March 2011, Jonathan promised to partner with Lagos State in the interest of its continuous growth and the nation’s economic buoyancy. “We have taken this period to study what we are going to do and by your mandate in May 29, we will hit the ground running,” he said.

In Akure, Ondo State on 2nd March 2011 Jonathan said N50 billion has been set aside in 2011 Budget to facilitate employments for the youths. Roads and other basic infrastructure to be developed in four years. Jonathan promised that the bitumen deposits in the state would be exploited for economic development and employment generation; to provide funds for small and medium scale enterprises, mechanised farming and agro-based industries; and to partner with relevant agencies to harness the agrarian nature of the State. He promised to open up the flank of semi and mechanized farming in the State to engender a paradigm shift from subsistence farming to reliable modern agricultural practices.

In Osogbo, Osun State on 2nd March 2011, Jonathan promised to complete the Lagos-Jebba rail project right away; complete the Ife-Ijesa dam; enhance agricultural irrigation; provide farmers with adequate information; invest in petrochemicals, mining, research and development.

In Uyo, Akwa-Ibom State on 7th March 2011, Jonathan promised to build coastal roads and rail from Lagos to Calabar.

In Calabar, Cross River State, 7th March 2011 Jonathan promised a four year development plan that would open up the South-South geo-political zone; it includes a blueprint for coastal roads and railways.

At Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife Osun State on 12th March 2011 Jonathan promised a holistic review of the nation’ education policy.

In Abeokuta, Ogun State on 12th March 2011, Jonathan promised to revive ailing oil refineries and build new ones.

In Birni Kebbi, Kebi State on 14th March 2011, Jonathan promised to establish schools for Almajiris, boost agricultural produce, ensure the take-off of the Federal University in Kebbi next year (2012).

In Gusau, Zamfara State on 15th March 2011, Jonathan promised to establish a federal university of technology within one year and collaborate with state governments to explore the solid minerals sector.

In Dutse, Jigawa State on 17th March 2011, Jonathan promised to establish airports in all the states without airports, with Jigawa as his starting point.

In Kaduna, Kaduna State (Northern Economic Summit) on 19th March 2011, Jonathan promised to spend N350 billion in building small dams across the North in the next four years to stimulate “massive irrigational farms”

In Abuja on 21st March 2011 (meeting with leaders of the National Union of Road Transport Workers), Jonathan promised to build car manufacturing or assembly plants.

In Abuja on 21st March 2011 (during his one-man debate), Jonathan promised to expand and develop the downstream sector of the oil and gas industry to provide about one million jobs.

In Abuja on 12th April 2011, (Presidential Summit on Job Creation) Jonathan promised to make Nigeria an exporter of rice and crackdown on piracy in the entertainment industry.

The clock started ticking from the 18th of April 2011 when Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (a sitting president) was declared the winner of the 16th April, 2011 presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC. Also, based on Jonathan's teased and tantalized promises coupled with his declaration that "I do not make empty promises in my campaign because whatever I promise to do, I had already carried out adequate study to make sure I can accomplish it in the next four years” (Onisha 27th February, 2011). The expectation was that he (Jonathan) would hit the ground running after he was sworn in as Nigeria's President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces on the 29th May 2011”.