A self-effacing, humble, selfless
and deeply religious personality, Jonathan is said to be naturally inclined to
the ambience of a quiet commemoration, often spent in private reflection and
commune with his family and maker.
““This is the innocence he lost 16
years ago when providence fished him out, like the Biblical David, and put him
up for an epoch-making stint in public service and national leadership, which
spanned all the critical positions from deputy governor to President.
““It is quite telling and gratifying
that his first birthday out of the Presidential Chair, is coinciding with his
visit to the United States where he is currently being celebrated by some
strategic American“pro-democracy institutions that are obviously enthralled by
his story as the conscience of Africa’s democracy and transparent elections.
The development is pertinently
symbolic of Jonathan’s deserving profile as a true African statesman, a
towering totem of transparency, fair election, and good governance in
Africa.““Jonathan’s invitation to the United States to visit and share his
experience in governance with the famed Presidential Precinct and other
pro-democracy institutions, in the same week he was appointed by the
Commonwealth to lead the negotiations for the resolution of the political
crisis in Zanzibar clearly points to one thing.
It underscores the fact that, in a
world where true leadership heroes are in short supply, the former President
has become a global brand with irresistible democratic credentials. He stands
today as the most eligible advocate of peaceful and transparent polling on the
African soil.““In appointing him as Special Representative to lead the charge
for the international mediation efforts in Zanzibar, the Commonwealth
Secretary-General, Mr. Kamalesh Sharma had described him as a leader whose
experience and guidance is sufficient in building the necessary “political
bridges in a challenging mission.
““The mediator role was indeed a
follow up to an earlier assignment where the former President had chaired the
Commonwealth Observer Group to the October 25 general elections in Tanzania.
This was a task Jonathan had excellently discharged, putting up a sterling performance
“that earned him the trust and respect of all the stakeholders in Tanzania’s
political setting. Not minding that it was his first time on such mission,
Jonathan was said to have been so good at the job that he naturally became the
face of the international observer missions which had groups from the European
Union (EU), the African Union (AU), the East African Community (EAC) and the
Southern African Development Community (SADC).
““It must be said that as a former
President of Africa’s most populous country who rewrote the narrative of
Africa’s leadership struggles by chivalrously handing over power to the
opposition, despite a beckoning opportunity for contestations, Jonathan
intuitively built a soar-away” continental profile for himself. That alone set
him apart in Tanzania, and obviously showcased him as the most prominent high
profile international personality on election duty.
““Not a man to be encumbered by
labels, the former President was said to have put aside this lofty status to
display an unusual sense of humility and accommodation; a trait that earned him
the trust, confidence and endearment of all the political leaders.
It was
therefore predictable that when the need arose to appoint an international
mediator in the effort to quell the tension brewing in“Zanzibar, following an
unpopular polls annulment, Jonathan emerged as the natural choice of that
persona that would be acceptable to all the sides.““In September 2015, Jonathan
had dispatched letters to friends and close associates including Nigeria’s
former heads of state, African leaders, foreign missions in Nigeria as well as
well known “international figures availing them of his decision to return to
work.
In the letter, he had said: “On
Friday, 29th May, 2015; I completed my term of office as the President of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria and successfully handed over government to
President Muhammadu Buhari. I“immediately proceeded on a long deserved break; I
have enjoyed a delightful time with my family and close friends. Now, well
rested, I am back to work; to continue to serve and dedicate my life to
“promoting peace and prosperity for all…Furthermore, I will be devoting the
rest of my life and energy to making the world a better place.”
Hardly had the ink dried on those
letters than the world came knocking on his door. The fact that the former
President could be invited to discharge critical international assignments,
only one month after announcing his return to public life, showed that the
world had actually been waiting for him.
What many may have missed was that
Jonathan’s trip to Tanzania was the biggest international election duty to have
ever been handled by any Nigerian leader, especially as the Commonwealth which
the former President represented has its 53-member nations drawn from all the
“continents.
The only other leader that comes
close, in terms of reputation and global acclaim, is former Head of State, Gen.
Abdusalami Abubakar (rtd) who earned for himself, a place in the sun by restoring ''democratic rule after spending less than one year as head of a military junta.
For former President Olusegun Obasanjo, the terrain is different, as he had
only been leading African Union and ECOWAS teams to observe elections in few
African nations.
This, according to analysts, is
because the jury is still out on whether Obasanjo has all it takes to represent
a serious global body on election matters, given his dictatorial tendencies,
poor conduct of 2003 and 2007 elections, as well as unflattering record with a
failed third term bid.“Jonathan’s towering image as an African nationalist
didn’t come as a surprise.
Although many may wish to mischievously deny this,
his determination to change the fortunes of the nation positively impacted many
sectors of the economy. You could feel his revolutionary footprints and
landmark achievement in such sectors as power, telecommunications, financial
management, social infrastructure as well as agriculture where he made
significant contributions to food “security and job creation.
““On his achievements on the
political turf, Ignatius Okpanachi, a public affairs analyst wrote in a recent
newspaper article: “It was Jonathan who gave INEC its true independence and
subsequently opened up the political space by allowing the registration of new
parties, including the All Progressive Congress, at a time when it would have
been considered inconvenient by one of his predecessors.”““His greatest fan
seems to be his successor, President Muhammadu Buhari, who seizes every
opportunity to sing his praise, especially his roles in saving the nation from the
disaster that was to come.
While receiving the handover notes
from Jonathan, Buhari had said:““What I will say is since the telephone call
you made (conceding defeat) you have changed the course of Nigeria’s political
history. For that you have earned yourself a place in our history,
for“stabilising this system of multi party democracy and you have earned the
respect of not only Nigerians but world leaders.”““The rest of the world that
have continued to rain plaudits on Jonathan seem to have taken a cue from this.
For instance, Tanzanians were ecstatic when Jonathan was announced as leader of
the Commonwealth team.
This was because they were convinced
that his presence would “bring hope, credibility and integrity to a close and
tough contest that had left them fearing for the worst.
This feeling was
routinely echoed by the local media throughout Jonathan’s two weeks stay in the
country. Tanzanian newspapers including the Daily News, The Citizen and The
Guardian wrote very powerful editorials celebrating Jonathan’s presence in
their country, and generously praising his decision not to cling to power like
many other African leaders.
Jonathan’s voluntary handover of power to the
opposition wrote a new chapter for Nigeria’s democracy, given the fact that it is
rare for sitting presidents in Africa to hand over powers to winning opposition
parties,” The Guardian wrote, stressing that the gesture was replete “with
ample lessons for Tanzanian politicians.
Jonathan’s counsel that ‘losers
should concede defeat in the interest of peace’, resonated across the length
and breadth of Tanzania, became unarguably the guiding anthem for all interest
groups in Tanzania and, in the views of analysts, contributed immensely to the
peaceful polling process.
Many Nigerians consider the international
recognition coming Jonathan’s way at this time as quite deserving, especially
against the backdrop of what the former President’s party has termed an
“unjustified remarketing and witch-hunting of his administration by agents of
the party in power.
Even then, it appears the narrative of the blanket
condemnation and denial of the achievements of the Jonathan administration is
gradually changing, as officials of the new government are now subtly making
concessions.
Chief Audu Ogbeh, the new agriculture minister while speaking
after his swearing in last week, indicated that he would continue with the
laudable policies of Jonathan’s agriculture transformation agenda.
Ditto for the new transport
minister, Rotimi“Amaechi, who also expressed his readiness to complete
Jonathan’s rail projects.““As the former President’s marks his 58th birthday amidst rising global visibility, the message is not lost on Nigerians and
Africans that they have located a new hero. Jonathan connects easily, not only as
the youngest and most energetic Nigeria’s former leader, but also as one with
the most bankable democratic credentials.
This recognition for international
assignments, writes Cletus Akwaya, a media consultant, “should serve as a
lesson to the present and future leader on the need to serve with honour and
integrity whenever they have opportunity to offer service.
Going by the
recent spell of international assignments that have come to few of Nigeria’s
leaders, analysts are upbeat that the nation is actually on the path of
resurgence as a regional and global player. It then goes without saying that,
in the current situation, no other face is better placed to drive that agenda
than that of Jonathan.
culled from Vanguard
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