Good Again: The Rehabilitation of Dr Goodluck Jonathan

A Misguided Nostalgia for the Good Times Under Dr Goodluck Jonathan

Dr Goodluck Jonathan

Nine years after he left office as the President of Nigeria, some Nigerians are demanding an apology to Dr Goodluck Jonathan for how he was ousted from office by a majority of Nigerian voters during the 2015 presidential elections. These Nigerians argue  that the tenure of the former president was better than the 15 months the incumbent President Bola Tinubu has spent so far in power. Worse still, there is another cross-section of Nigerians who believe that economic policy and governance under former President Muhammadu Buhari was better than the current administration’s.

There are media reports of some Nigerian politicians calling on Dr. Goodluck Jonathan to contest the 2027 presidential elections. What all this indicates is that Nigeria is becoming a nation that keeps going back to its vomit.

The rehabilitation of former president Jonathan is not being carrier out by people far away from educated and intelligent opinion in Nigerian villages and remote creeks. It is been conducted by Nigerians who are literate and use social media. if such a demographic have such a warped understanding of the political and economic realities of Nigeria, and why Nigeria is in such a pathetic economic situation, we must begin to question the benefits of universal suffrage in our country.

 

Dr Jonathan Goodluck’s Greatest Achievement Was Enabling the Return to Power of an Inept Dictator 

Jonathan’s greatest achievement was creating the conditions for Nigerians to elect Buhari. As military  dictator Buhari showed no inclination for understanding the economic crisis that confronted Nigeria in the early 1980s. His understanding and the solutions he proposed were simply primitive. Buhari force-fed the Nigerian economy the precise cocktail of policies that caused the economic crisis.   The General brought the same lack of understanding to the job in 2015; Nigeria was unfortunately afflicted with his simplistic but ruinous economic ideas for straight eight years.

Dr. Jonathan’s cabinet had a sprinkling of competent technocrats like Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the sort of world-class economic bureaucrats that East Asian Tiger economies employed to build competitive market economies, on a fat bed of mainstream politicians who were in government to make a fortune in the Nigerian manner.

Appointees like Dr. Iweala were able to at least keep the broad direction of economic policy on the right path even as the feeding frenzy and pervasive indiscipline  battered the economy. Under former President Buhari, there was no pretence of “transforming” the economy and there was no hope. Buhari’s economic policies were very sincere – they made it crystal clear to investors – you will lose your money and lose your shirt. They wisely stayed away from Nigeria.

A succession of third-rate talents were assembled to manage the stagnation, waste and decline that the simplistic policy solutions General Buhari ordered- rigid state controls, multi billion naira subsidies and expensive foreign debts- foisted on Nigeria. What the General wanted- a state-controlled economy that bred vast opportunities for corruption such as a foreign exchange  market that operated by CBN allocation and vast subsidies for agriculture, power and petroleum that blocked domestic and foreign investment was not to be debated.

Hence, though Dr. Jonathan’s incompetence and the out-of-control corruption under him paved the way for the election of Buhari, Buhari’s regime was much worse. But it is still clear that Dr. Jonathan’s government was also a disaster for Nigeria, despite the high oil prices during his time.

A Misguided Nostalgia 

Let’s remind ourselves of President Jonathan’s gross incompetence and the havoc that he wreaked on the economy. He was for the most part not in control. The huge damage he did was both to the economy and to the polity (by further degrading Nigerian politics. The oil sector was mismanaged, with a prevalence of scams and fraudulent deals. The proceeds of corruption tied to Dr Goodluck’s Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison- Alison-Madueke, and her many cronies and business partners have been lavishly exposed in the Nigerian and international media.

Jonathan’s attempt to obtain the affection and votes of Nigerians, not through improving their economic lot but through purchasing the support and endorsement of a host of “leaders of opinion” elevated all sorts of questionable characters to the level of “presidential interlocutors” who had access to Aso Rock and presumably a piece of the national coffers.

One Day , One Corruption Scandal

How can we forget the procurement scandals under Jonathan’s administration? One of such is the DasukiGate/ArmsGate, an arms procurement deal that resulted in the embezzlement of $2.1 billion through the office of the National Security Adviser under the leadership of Colonel Sambo Dasuki.

 

  1. Dasukigate (Arms Procurement Scandal): Perhaps the most notable corruption case from Jonathan’s tenure involved Sambo Dasuki, the former National Security Adviser. The scandal, often referred to as “Dasukigate,” revealed that over $2.1 billion meant for arms procurement to fight Boko Haram insurgents was allegedly diverted for political purposes. Funds were reportedly funnelled to various individuals, including politicians and military officials. Notably, the late Raymond Dokpesi, a media mogul, and former Governor Attahiru Bafarawa were implicated in receiving large sums of money from Dasuki.
  2. Diezani Alison-Madueke Scandals: Diezani Alison-Madueke, the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, faced numerous corruption allegations. Notably, she was accused of embezzling $2.5 billion from the Nigerian government during Jonathan’s tenure. Other allegations included awarding multi-billion Naira contracts without due process, using government funds for personal luxury, and diverting N1.2 billion into private accounts. She was also linked to the misuse of funds for private jet maintenance and lavish properties, including a $50 million apartment in New York and an $80 million yacht.
  3. $20 Billion Oil Revenue Discrepancy: Under Jonathan, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) was accused of failing to remit over $20 billion in oil revenues to the federal government. Lamido Sanusi, the then-Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, was suspended after he raised concerns about the missing funds. This led to widespread allegations of systemic corruption within the NNPC.
  4. Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Corruption: Patrick Akpobolokemi, the former Director-General of NIMASA, was involved in multiple corruption cases. He faced charges of fraud and money laundering amounting to billions of naira. Funds meant for maritime security were allegedly diverted under his leadership.
  5. $1.6 Million Car Scandal in the Aviation Sector: Stella Oduah, a former Minister of Aviation, was implicated in a scandal involving the purchase of two bulletproof cars worth $1.6 million without budgetary approval. The controversy led to public outcry and her eventual removal from office.
  6. Diversion of Funds for Political Campaigns: Reports indicated that substantial amounts of money were illegally disbursed close to the 2015 elections. Funds were allegedly withdrawn from the national treasury and diverted to support the political campaigns of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Jonathan’s party. Investigations revealed that approximately N70 billion was siphoned off in the months leading up to the election.
  7. Misappropriation of Subsidy Funds: During Jonathan’s administration, the fuel subsidy programme was marred by fraud. An investigation revealed that over N1.7 trillion ($11 billion) was fraudulently claimed by marketers in 2011 alone for fuel that was either never supplied or grossly inflated in price. The lack of proper oversight led to significant financial losses for the government​.
  8. Pension Scam: A notable scandal involved the diversion of N32.8 billion ($200 million) from the Nigerian Police Pension Fund. Abdulrasheed Maina, who was the head of the task force managing pension reform, was implicated in the scam, which caused widespread public outrage.
  9. Malabu Oil Scandal (OPL 245): This involved a controversial deal over a lucrative oil block, OPL 245. The Nigerian government brokered a $1.3 billion settlement between Royal Dutch Shell, Eni, and Malabu Oil & Gas, which was reportedly controlled by former Minister of Petroleum, Dan Etete. Allegations of bribery and corruption surfaced, with claims that much of the payment was diverted to private account.

 

Ex-President Jonathan did not pretend to have any control over his ministers. He could not move against his appointees who had multiple allegation of corruption against them. He was so inept, he couldn’t even act in his own political interests.

 

Nigerians got so fed up with him. Regardless of the political exploitation of his weaknesses by politicians who necessarily didn’t have better plans for Nigeria, the fact remains that Dr Goodluck  wreaked so much economic damage. He made himself so vulnerable, handing over the tools that equally venal politicians used to oust him.

While he may be truly a nice man, especially considering how he conceded graciously to his electoral defeat, there are no excuses for the great harm he did to the nation’s economy and polity. Being the Nigeria’s first graduate to be president and the  country’s most educated leader, so much was expected of Dr Goodluck. He became president with so much public sympathy. Nigerians cannot eat “nice”.

 

Dr. Goodluck he became the usual Nigerian president. He used his power for the benefit of “friends and family”. Niger Delta militants ran amok. Aso Rock became their playground. He used the tired Nigerian political tactic of delivering patronage to regional blocs. His administration could only be rivalled by the regime of former military Head of State, Ibrahim Babamasi Babangida, who liberally used state funds to corrupt scores of stakeholders and political leaders in his time.

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Sadly, politicians like Muaz Magaji, a former commissioner in Kano State who was sacked by former governor Abdullahi Ganduje, recently posted on Facebook: “This evening I had the privilege and opportunity to pay a visit and reconnect with my Boss and President, HE Goodluck Ebele Jonathan! I have extended our collective regards on behalf of many of us who misunderstood him apologies for our ignorance and blind opposition to his humane policies,” attaching his photograph with Jonathan to the post. One wonders what Magaji meant by “our collective apologies.”

 

Dr Goodluck Jonathan
Muaz Magaji, a former commissioner in Kano State visiting Dr Goodluck Jonathan

 

Magaji exemplifies Nigerian politicians who lack any ideology, but the ideology of self-promotion, who canonise and raise political leaders based not on any ideology, clear economic agenda, but pursuing their own narrow interests.

 

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