frosbel:

Jonathan is not up to the JOB

Beaf:

I am wondering how the crisis in Jos is Jonathans fault? How?
The people instigating it are the very same crowd of "leaders" screaming "Northern interest" while they sophocate their very own people and the rest of the country. This problem is neither the fault of the average Northerner nor is it Jonathans.

naijamini:

@Beaf

No, it is not Jonathan's fault, but he promised it will never happen again. If someone makes that promise then they are taking responsibility if it does happen again. And it just did. The fact is that what Jonathan did (panel) was exactly what was done by Yar'adua after the 2008 riots. These imply two things:

He, at least in this area, is just as incompetent as Yar'adua was, which is not surprising since he was the latter's VP.

His emphatic promise, which gave false hope to many and probably left them vulnerable to the latest incident, just failed.

He, of course is not the instigator of anything, but took responsibility without really knowing or willing to do what is needed to deal with it.

Igwe.:

I was beginning to wonder ,
now wife beats husband; jonathan's fault.
trailer fails break and kill people, jonathan's fault.
foolish people invaded christians secretary, jonathan's fault.

everybody is watching y'all. i didn't say you shouldn't hate,pls don't just paint someone black 'cos you don't like the face.

mikeansy:

the commander in chief is in charge of security of lives and property at all times.
u can not blame the c-in-c for causing the violence but you can blame his in-action for his inability to prevent this violence.

Except folks think violence and killing of compatriots should be part of our normal life without that I don't see why we can't hold the President responsible.

Most importantly I think the repitition of this status quo of violence in Jos punctures Jonathan's decision to retain all cabinet and intelligent outfit as is.

mikeansy:

the commander in chief is in charge of security of lives and property at all times.
u can not blame the c-in-c for causing the violence but you can blame his in-action for his inability to prevent this violence.

Except folks think violence and killing of compatriots should be part of our normal life without that I don't see why we can't hold the President responsible.

Most importantly I think the repitition of this status quo of violence in Jos punctures Jonathan's decision to retain all cabinet and intelligent outfit as is.

aisha2:

Sharrap there? An acting President that has not been empowered to act. May i remind u that this crisis has seen 3 presidents? I am from Jos, we know the people responsible, but because they are the same group who have influenece in Govt. They are the same people heading the committee to investigate the crisis

aisha2:

Sharrap there? An acting President that has not been empowered to act. May i remind u that this crisis has seen 3 presidents? I am from Jos, we know the people responsible, but because they are the same group who have influenece in Govt. They are the same people heading the committee to investigate the crisis

naijamini:

@aisha2

While all of these might be true, the fact is that Jonathan, perhaps out of necessity, gave false hope, but hope nevertheless.

The fact that this crisis has seen 3 presidents is another symptom of the mess we are calling a nation.

It is a mess not because Nigeria is incapable of becoming a united, strong and peaceful nation, but because all we keep getting are leaders who simply don't know what to do or at least for some reason pretend they don't, yet keep making the same promises over and over again - and failing over and over again.

naijamini:

From Madu Onuorah, Abuja - Guardian - Feb 1 2010

IN one voice, Vice President Goodluck Jonathan, Sultan of Sokoto Sa'ad Abubakar III, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Chairman, Archbishop John Onaiyekan, pioneer People's Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman, Chief Solomon Lar, Plateau State Governor Jonah Jang and others yesterday agreed that the recent Jos sectarian crisis had damaged inter-religious harmony and Nigeria's reputation in the world.

Speaking at a special meeting on the persistent crisis in the Plateau State capital at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Jonathan noted that the Jos issue has become "a major embarrassment not only to the people of Plateau State but also to the whole nation. And of course, it is part of the woes of the black man that we have to wake up and begin to massacre ourselves indiscriminately."

At the meeting with leaders of thought of Plateau State and top religious leaders, Jonathan said that it was time to bring peace to the state "so that the good old days would continue."

At the end of the consultative meeting, the Federal Government set up a special 15-member committee to work out a way forward towards finding a lasting solution to the recurrent crisis.

Lar, who is a former Plateau State governor, was appointed the committee's chairman while Ambassador Yahya Kwande will serve as co-chairman.

Its other members are Mrs. Hannatu Chollom, Mr. John Samci, Prof. N. Gomwalk, Ibrahim Dasuki Nakande, Ambassador Fidelis Tapgun, Senator John N. Shagaya, Senator Ibrahim Mantu, Honourable Leo Dilkon, Most Rev. I. A. Kaigama, Sheikh Dawud Balarabe, Mrs. Fati Kyari, AVM U. Abbas and Alhaji Saleh Hassan.

The committee will "critically examine the issues surrounding the recurrent violence in Plateau State and work out how various institutions and levels of government can interact to ensure that the crisis is resolved once and for all."

The Vice President said: "Although there were minor social conflicts even in the time past, but really what we are witnessing recently is quite embarrassing and we all will collectively see how we can bring this to an end. My brothers and sisters, with equal stake with what is happening, we must realise and come to the fact that after all the maiming, we will still come back to re-establish our bonds of social solidarity defined by symbiotic relationship, by the spirit of live and let live. It is necessary that we must work together again as we have always done to restore the golden era of our Plateau, one in which we all would be proud of. For that to happen, we need to talk to ourselves as members of one family. We must tell ourselves the home truth that enough is enough. And we must without sentiment and as leaders speak to ourselves sincerely with a view to rebuilding the old Plateau.

"What we have witnessed in 2008 and what has just happened last month, we will all collectively today resolve to make sure that they don't happen again, because the world is not just waiting for any sector or any part of the country. If Plateau continues to boil the way it is boiling, the local economy would be completely destroyed. If you move to some parts of the Niger Delta, areas that used to bubble before, they are now shadows of themselves. And we pray and believe that the situation in Plateau does not get to that level. So, we call this meeting because whenever a crisis happens, government sets up panels, commission of enquiry and so on. And we believe that while the panel and commission of enquiry will go on, we should come in this informal way to really talk to ourselves and agree on what we must all do, the role that would be played by the Federal Government, the state government, and the ordinary residents and indigenes of Plateau, to make sure that we don't get to this level again that is becoming a major embarrassment not to only the people of Plateau State but to the whole nation.

[size=14pt]"And of course, it is part of the woes of the black man that we have to wake up and begin to massacre ourselves indiscriminately. We believe that Plateau State is too developed for that. It is too civilised for that, and too important for that. And we cannot allow Plateau to get to the level where some people want to push us to that; is the essence of this meeting. The talk is to discuss on the way forward, to have a solid position so that such things don't happen again."[/size]

Lar remarked: "Plateau State was once adjudged as the most peaceful and accommodating state in the federation in the Second Republic. There are 52 tribes in the Plateau and the different ethnic groups have been living together and have been living together until recently. Plateau is still a good state and it has been accommodating all from all over the federation."

Jang said: "I want to lend my voice in joining previous speakers in thanking the Vice President for calling this meeting. It is timely and it is good to bring not only Plateau people but also other Nigerians who we are all stakeholders in the Nigerian project. This is our nation. Plateau State is just one of the federating units of Federal Republic of Nigeria. I believe as a governor of Plateau State that one of the major problems we have as a nation is the fact that our leaders are not patient to wait and hear two sides of a story before they make statements that will either help solve the problem or help to inflame the problem itself. So, I want to plead with our prominent citizens holding high positions that when a problem erupts in a place, that there are people who want to justify the cause of their actions. And they run to certain areas to go and give their own story and leaders start issuing statement without knowing the background or what actually happened. I want to plead that we should seriously take note of that.

"And again, I also want to say that I have had the privilege as a Nigerian to travel to so many countries; the press is as free as the press in the developed nations. The foreign press has the interest of their nation in their heart. And there are certain things they don't just publish because they want to protect the interest and the integrity of their nation. But our press thinks the way to do journalism is to bastardise the whole country in the face of the whole worlds, calling leaders by all sorts of names, with facts that they have not gone to investigate. And they just write anything that will just help them sell their papers or promote their various media houses. So, I want to take this opportunity to plead with the Nigerian press: This nation is our nation. And we have no other nation, whether we are pressmen, whether we are governors, president, traditional rulers, or we are whatsoever. We have no other nation. If this nation burns, it will burn all of us. And I think the press should play an important role in bringing unity to this nation and know that certain things should be discussed within us as a nation and not just selling it to the whole world because we want to say we are the freest press in the whole world. Free, as long as what we write doesn't set our own country on fire, because we would be doing more harm to our own country."

Onaiyekan noted that while the problem of Jos crisis was on, "the leadership of both Christianity and Islam in Nigeria has been working closely together to see what we can do. You may recall that during the week when the heat was high, the Sultan and I even though I was away, we managed to consult and come out with a joint statement outlining some simple, commonly held principles that both our fate holds, to make it clear to everybody that killing innocent individuals, leading to breakdown of law and order is not part of either Christianity or Islam."

He added: "Much of the talk about religion is purely misused and abuse of religion and we are anxious to liberate ourselves from this manipulation. We do admit that there are some elements of religion in it. Whatever element is in it, we take responsibility to address it. But we also know that there may be other issues that must be addressed and we should stop hiding under religion. I think the good thing about this gathering is that the truth would be told and not only for Jos, even though Jos has brought us here. But the issues on the Plateau are also on the planes and on the valleys all over Nigeria and I think we also have to put that very clearly that if we really want to go down to the root of this matter, we should not just be thinking of the plateau. What happened in Plateau have affected people all over Nigeria. So, I think we should broaden our mind and we should not be afraid to do that. Which means also that we should go beyond the recent crisis to the previous ones too, which are still festering and waiting to be addressed if we have the political will to do that. And may God grant us also the sincerity to talk frankly for the good of our people. out there, who eventually are at the receiving end of the blows. Then we might really be able to make this gathering worth while."

The Sultan said: "The acceptance of the invitation by the (Plateau) State government is an indication that the problem is half-solved, because to know what the problem is you have half of the solutions and the other half you have to sit down and talk about it and agree on the way forward. And I want to call on everybody here to be very frank on whatever you feel you should say in this meeting. Whatever problem you think you have, either with the government of Plateau, or with the federal government or with the leaders of the Ummahs in this country, or the leadership of the Christians in this country, please say so. This is because as it is said, the truth shall set you free. So, you should be very blunt and say it without mixing words. But the other thing I want to bring up here, as a religious leader, I keep on wondering when I hear people making comments about such crisis being religious. I refuse to accept that."

The Action Congress (AC) chieftain, Yahaya Kwande, added that "of the 52 tribes in the plateau, I thank God that no one could lord it over one another. We need each other, we have to be friends, and we have to be brothers to be able to live there. We haven't got the problem of one tribe standing alone and dominating each other and for us the only language that links us is the Hausa language. All these 52 tribes, if we were to be locked up in a room, we would all be dammed. We would talk to each other using signs, which means that we have been living with our brother Hausa-Fulani peacefully all these years. Religion has not been our problems. And if you go into the mosque and churches, the Hausa language is what we use in even communicating and begging God to forgive us and to guide us to salvation.

"Now, religion that has appeared in our problems is just a platform people use to access their selfish interest. You use religion if you are weak and you want to lord it over your opponent. As soon as something happens, the only way you can get support easily is to make use of your religion and shout in the street. There are people of cause, which is a question of economy, people in the street looking for food; therefore, it is easy for you to recruit them to fight your cause. You know yourself that it is not religion but only using religion to promote your interest. Now, I speak with experience. I know for certain that there has never been any quarrel between the Muslims and the Christians in the 60s and 70s or tribes until of recent.

Now, I think if we tackle the problem of Jos administrative set up, we would have got 90 per cent of our problems solved.

"My reason is, it is in Plateau that you have a local government that is 80,000 people while in a place like Jos, where this problem is being hatched, is because it is only in Jos North that you don't have a village head. You don't have a district head. And the question of who would be chairman is a problem because the two most important components at that level are fighting each other. For example, I think it's a long time now that a chairman for Jos North local government has not been elected. It is not just a question of the present administration, it has been so for sometime that you have to appoint a chairman for the local government because you are afraid."

Alxmyr:

Immediately after the meeting I saw Onaiyekan on NTA and Sultan, with Solomon Lar all laughing and smiling I knew they were there to make another merry making deceitful resolution.

Jonathan should invoke section 305 and declare state of emergency in Plateau state, the governor is incapable and too old.

Katsumoto:

Your attempts at laying some blame on Jonathan for this are rather pathetic. Here is a man who is still held down by some irresponsible people in his cabinet. How do you want him to succeed when there will always be individuals who are there to sabotage his efforts? He is due to be in the position for only one year and you expect him to cure Nigeria of all ills bedeviling in it in one year. Please let him be.

naijamini:

@Katsumoto
Obviously you are not familiar with the way I approach things. I respect your views, and don't see things in black and white. At the same time, I don't care whose ox is gored if you are responsible for something, especially involving life, and don't live up to your responsibility.

I have been all over this forum defending then VP Jonathan. The only reason I have to do that, and I believe any Nigerian should, is a believe that he is not only entitled to becoming substantive president, but also that HE CAN DO THE JOB. Without the latter, we might as well let Yar'adua rule from his bed because there would be no difference. I am not committed to any politician if they don't deliver on their PROMISES. If you promise you had better fulfill. The lives of 140 million people far outweight the peace and quiet of one man, whoever he may be.

We need to get over this personal approach to public administration. We should know our government only by what they do, and not who they are, although one is not easily separated from the other.

I agree that the governor of Plateau State is completely incapable, but then we have this nation where Abuja thinks it can police 140 million people with a unitary police force. That is what is pathetic.

Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown. We don't need people in government for personal accomplishment, we need people who would say "my security is not guarantteed if the security of my fellow citizens is not".

Beaf:

@naijamini

There is no point carrying on the argument, because it is a long stretch. Yes Jonathan said a similar crisis would never occur again in Jos, but I am quite sure he meant, it would never again happen with impunity. In other words; the current investigation would be thorough, the true sources of the crisis would be unearthed. . . We still have to wait a few months before drawing conclusions.

naijamini:


I have been all over this forum defending then VP Jonathan. The only reason I have to do that, and I believe any Nigerian should, is a believe that he is not only entitled to becoming substantive president, but also that HE CAN DO THE JOB. Without the latter, we might as well let Yar'adua rule from his bed because there would be no difference. I am not committed to any politician if they don't deliver on their PROMISES. If you promise you had better fulfill. The lives of 140 million people far outweight the peace and quiet of one man, whoever he may be.

We need to get over this personal approach to public administration.

Gbawe:

Indeed. Even with my misgivings about Jonathan I showed up at the Save Nigeria protest in London because I believed that he must be given what constitutionally belongs to him i.e the power to become acting President if Yar Adua is unavailable. I felt that if Jonathan took charge , Nigeria's rudderless drifting , caused by a wicked group of men and women, would stop .

I have had to concede , like many Nigerians , that I thought wrong. Instead of seeing Jonathan as a 'poor , put-upon chap' who is being prevented from doing the right thing has it occured to many of his supporters on this forum that he might be just another business-as-usual politician who is totally concerned with self-preservation and maintenance of the Status quo to the extent that he will never seriously contemplate sticking his neck out to do the right thing? Why ask of Jonathan what he cannot deliver? Why ask Jonathan to act against the corrupt system that is responsible for the high office he holds that he would ordinarily not have gained in a serious democracy devoid of shamelessly self-serving kingmaking ? How many of you think Jonathan would be our VP today , rather than Donald Duke , if merit and ability are the main recruitment criteria for political office in Nigeria?

In effective democracies, political expectations must match a politician's history of political effectiveness. With Jonathans very mediocre political history , what is it that suggests he is now an effective Politician being prevented from performing the Messianic turn around of Nigeria?

Beaf:

The bolded text is an incredible argument to make. It is truely mind boggling and makes me fear for your understanding of Nigeria.
Jonathans name is not written into our constitution, so how could you have gone out to demonstrate so that "he must be given what constitutionally belongs to him"?
It is an eye-poppingly fundamentally flawed statement.

Nigeria does not belong to either Jonathan or any person or group of persons. The rest of your argument beats itself up and dwells heavily upon you as a person. . . Its all seriously wrong man!

Beaf:

The bolded text is an incredible argument to make. It is truely mind boggling and makes me fear for your understanding of Nigeria.
Jonathans name is not written into our constitution, so how could you have gone out to demonstrate so that "he must be given what constitutionally belongs to him"?
It is an eye-poppingly fundamentally flawed statement.

Nigeria does not belong to either Jonathan or any person or group of persons. The rest of your argument beats itself up and dwells heavily upon you as a person. . . Its all seriously wrong man!

Katsumoto:

I think he means that by being VP, Jonathan has right to be sworn in as acting president in the event that the president is unavailable.

mikeansy:

Nigerians must learn to avoid supporting politicians who hide their mediocrity and docility behind humility. We must also stop supporting Presidential candidates who did not sought to be President.

Elite politicians intentionally install weak politicians from other regions in order to teleguide this must also stop.

The Nation is hurting from this kind of cynical politics. we are 50years this year and its time to want something different.

We must elect politicians ready to lead, who love to debate issues, appear in public, talk about policies publicly, engage in open debate, go on TV and answer hard and tough questions, understand the importance of their office.

These are the ingredients of politcal leaders in the 21st century. NOT camera shy, do nothing know nothing, docile people, who don't wish to be President but yet running for the office of President.