President Goodluck Jonathan has been said to be the architect of Nigeria’s bleak future and this is coming from former Vice president and APC presidential aspirant, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
He made this statement through the Director-General of the Atiku Campaign Organisation, Prof. Babalola Borishade, while closing the two-day Atiku Abubakar policy review summit held at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Atiku said Jonathan had been running a government of ‘clientelism’, in which only his cronies benefit.
He said many Nigerians had sold their birth rights for a plate of porridge to belong to the network of beneficiaries to whom the President bestowed patronage.
He said, “In essence, what we have now in Nigeria is a form of patrimonial democracy. This is posing serious threats to the durability of democracy.
“Thus, for both of those who are inside and outside the network, the future is bleak.”
According to Atiku, the presidential system of government under Jonathan had been turned to ‘presidentialism’, in which the President wields enormous power and favours only his cronies.
He said, “As a result, effective accountability and representation through popular democratic participation is giving way to personal rule and single party dictatorship rooted on politics of clientelism.
“Clientelism refers to the awarding of personal favours among patrimonial cronies. These favours take the form of public sector jobs, appointments, and distribution of resources through licenses, contracts and tax waivers.”
Atiku said the cronies, in return, mobilised political support and loyalty for their patron, citing the example of the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria.
He noted that those who stayed out of the network of cronies did not only remain excluded from the decision making process but also from allocated benefits of democracy. He explained that this was the reason why more people surrendered principles so that they could be integrated into the network.
He said, “Corruption, nepotism and official impunity have brought our country down to the bottom three per cent in the world in terms of political stability.
“Not only because it erodes civil liberties of citizens, thus creating a culture of political apathy and disenchantment among them, it also severely limits the extent to which government can be pressed to be responsive and accountable towards the citizens.”
I cannot categorically say that the GEJ administration has done nothing but the negatives are far more than the positives achieved by the administration.
Considering the kind of funds at the FG’s disposal I don’t think Nigerians should be crying for power, good health and unemployment in the 21st century because the means to do all this are available but our so called leaders lacks the well power to effect positive CHANGE to her citizens.
Atiku is very correct and we are saying enough is enough, We are ready to embrace the CHANGE Atiku is preaching.
Nigeria has suffered enough and time for CHANGE is now.
#ANigeriaForAll. #CHANGE2015!
Democracy must survive in Nigeria.