2015: Why The North Will Vote For Jonathan
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| Jonathan |
By Francis Ede
Unassailable
facts show that President Jonathan has given the centre stage in the affairs of
his administration to the People of Northern Nigeria. Whether it is in the
areas of political appointments to its seasoned sons and daughters or to massive infrastructural development, the northerners are reaping great benefits for its
support to his administration this first term and so they are expected to vote for him again in few days when Nigerians go to the polls.
areas of political appointments to its seasoned sons and daughters or to massive infrastructural development, the northerners are reaping great benefits for its
support to his administration this first term and so they are expected to vote for him again in few days when Nigerians go to the polls.
In the order of national protocol, the north takes from
second to sixth positions, from Vice
President, Arc. Namadi Sambo, to the Senate President, Distinguished Sen. David Mark, the Speaker House of Representatives, Right Honourable Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, the Chief Justice of the Federation, Hon. Justice Mohammed Mahumud, the President of the Court of Appeal, Hon. Justice Zainab Adamu
Bulkachuwa. The National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) Alhaji Adamu Muazu is a Northerner.
President, Arc. Namadi Sambo, to the Senate President, Distinguished Sen. David Mark, the Speaker House of Representatives, Right Honourable Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, the Chief Justice of the Federation, Hon. Justice Mohammed Mahumud, the President of the Court of Appeal, Hon. Justice Zainab Adamu
Bulkachuwa. The National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) Alhaji Adamu Muazu is a Northerner.
The leadership of the National Assembly is a northern
affair, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of
Representatives, and the Chairman of
National Assembly Service Commission and even the Clerk of the National
Assembly are all Northerners. And as is obvious from the list earlier-on, the
echelon of the Judiciary is in the hands of northerners. The Chief Registrars of
the apex Courts of the land are from the North, and so are the Chairman of
Judicial Service Commission, and the Executive Secretary of National Judicial
Council.
National Assembly Service Commission and even the Clerk of the National
Assembly are all Northerners. And as is obvious from the list earlier-on, the
echelon of the Judiciary is in the hands of northerners. The Chief Registrars of
the apex Courts of the land are from the North, and so are the Chairman of
Judicial Service Commission, and the Executive Secretary of National Judicial
Council.
The security apparatus is no different,
from the National Security Adviser, Col
Dasuki Sambo, Minister of Defence, Gen. Aliyu Gusau, and the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, Chief of Naval staff, Rear Admiral Ibrahim, the
Acting Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba, DG Defence Intelligence
Agency (DIA), DG Directorate of Military Intelligence (MIA), DG Defence Industries
Corporation (NDIC) Kaduna, the National Coordinator on Counter Terrorism to the CSO to the President are all from the north.
Dasuki Sambo, Minister of Defence, Gen. Aliyu Gusau, and the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, Chief of Naval staff, Rear Admiral Ibrahim, the
Acting Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba, DG Defence Intelligence
Agency (DIA), DG Directorate of Military Intelligence (MIA), DG Defence Industries
Corporation (NDIC) Kaduna, the National Coordinator on Counter Terrorism to the CSO to the President are all from the north.
Ministers of Justice, Mohammed Adoke
SAN, of Internal Affairs Hon. Abba Moro, of Foreign Affairs Amb. Aminu Wali, of
Youth Affairs, Mr. Boni Haruna, of Federal
Capital Territory (FCT) Sen. Bala Mohammed, of Education Mallam Ibrahim
Shekaru, of Transport Sen. Idris Mohammed, of Environment Mrs. Lawrencia Labran, of Solid Minerals Arc. Mohammed Sada, are some of the bright brains from northern Nigeria that are making great contributions in the government of President Goodluck Jonathan.
Capital Territory (FCT) Sen. Bala Mohammed, of Education Mallam Ibrahim
Shekaru, of Transport Sen. Idris Mohammed, of Environment Mrs. Lawrencia Labran, of Solid Minerals Arc. Mohammed Sada, are some of the bright brains from northern Nigeria that are making great contributions in the government of President Goodluck Jonathan.
So also is the Chairman of Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC), Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC), the Chairman of Nigeria Railway Corporation, Alh. Bamanga
Tukur, the most visible and influential Special Adviser to the President, i.e.
Political, Prof. Alkali is a Northerner, Chairman of PENCOM, Head of Service of
the Federation, including about 2/3 of the Federal Permanent Secretaries, the
Auditor General of the Federation, Chairman of NAPEP and chairmen of a host of
other Statutory Commissions, Boards, Agencies, Parastatals, and schools who are
all from the north.
There is a harvest of Executive
Secretaries and Director-Generals of strategic
agencies of government, all of whom are of northern origin, that one is tempted
to think that the scale for appointment to these lucrative positions is tilted to the favour the north. Some of these positions are the Group Executive Director,
Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Executive Secretary, Tertiary
Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Executive Secretary, Federal Capital
Development Authority, (FCDA), Executive Secretary, Expanded Programme on
Immunization (EPI), Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), the
Comptroller General of Customs, Comptroller of Immigration Services and the
Registrar General of Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC)
agencies of government, all of whom are of northern origin, that one is tempted
to think that the scale for appointment to these lucrative positions is tilted to the favour the north. Some of these positions are the Group Executive Director,
Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Executive Secretary, Tertiary
Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Executive Secretary, Federal Capital
Development Authority, (FCDA), Executive Secretary, Expanded Programme on
Immunization (EPI), Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), the
Comptroller General of Customs, Comptroller of Immigration Services and the
Registrar General of Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC)
Others are the Director General of National Agency for Foods
and Drug
Administration (NAFDAC), Acting Director General, Federal Inland Revenue
Service (FIRS), until a few days ago, Director General, Director General of Federal Inland Water Ways, Director General Bureau of Public Enterprises, SMEDAN, FERMA, Technical Cooperation in Africa, Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Executive Secretary, Prison Immigration, Fire Service and Civil Defence Board, and the DG Voice of Nigeria, and Federal Radio Corporation (FRCN).
Administration (NAFDAC), Acting Director General, Federal Inland Revenue
Service (FIRS), until a few days ago, Director General, Director General of Federal Inland Water Ways, Director General Bureau of Public Enterprises, SMEDAN, FERMA, Technical Cooperation in Africa, Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Executive Secretary, Prison Immigration, Fire Service and Civil Defence Board, and the DG Voice of Nigeria, and Federal Radio Corporation (FRCN).
On infrastructural development, the administration has
through its policy of
Transformation Agenda brought amazing development projects to
all the nooks and crannies of the nation. And being able to do alleviate
poverty and
degradation that has always been the lot of Nigerians has been the greatest story
degradation that has always been the lot of Nigerians has been the greatest story
of its legacy and process of Icon soli dating the brighter
future it hopes to bequeath to the future generation.
Be it in the areas of job creation,
wealth creation or providing a solid based
economy and in the overall improvement in the socio-economic situation of our
people through improved access to education, electricity, water, and health
facilities. And there is abundant evidence that this government has striven
ardently to provide these amenities in the north as it has done in the south if not much more.
economy and in the overall improvement in the socio-economic situation of our
people through improved access to education, electricity, water, and health
facilities. And there is abundant evidence that this government has striven
ardently to provide these amenities in the north as it has done in the south if not much more.
A few illustration will suffice to
buttress the fact that in spite of the disturbing
scourge which the activities of Boko Haram insurgents are subjecting Nigerians in the North to, particularly Northern States of Adamawa, Borno, Yobe, Kano which appears most hit by the security challenges facing the nation. But it is also in the security challenges, that the grit and indomitable spirit of the President Goodluck Jonathan led government is made most manifest as these angels of darkness have now been dislodged from those places by our gallant security forces.
scourge which the activities of Boko Haram insurgents are subjecting Nigerians in the North to, particularly Northern States of Adamawa, Borno, Yobe, Kano which appears most hit by the security challenges facing the nation. But it is also in the security challenges, that the grit and indomitable spirit of the President Goodluck Jonathan led government is made most manifest as these angels of darkness have now been dislodged from those places by our gallant security forces.
Sometime last year, President Goodluck
Jonathan commissioned the biggest rice farm in Doma, Nassarawa State. Olama
Rice Mill is an integrated rice farm at the
heart of 6,000 hectare green field integrated and mechanized paddy farm
expected to provide 36,000 metric tons of milled rice. The direct and indirect job opportunities this will provide for the teeming youths of the North is in the
thousands. And this is but a tip of all that the government is doing to improve the agriculture sector, which is the major occupation of Northerners.
heart of 6,000 hectare green field integrated and mechanized paddy farm
expected to provide 36,000 metric tons of milled rice. The direct and indirect job opportunities this will provide for the teeming youths of the North is in the
thousands. And this is but a tip of all that the government is doing to improve the agriculture sector, which is the major occupation of Northerners.
Irrigation facilities are being provided as old dams are
renovated and new ones
built by the Ministry of Water Resources, while other inputs like fertilizer and
soft loans are provided to farmers in order to make farming attractive to the
youth.
built by the Ministry of Water Resources, while other inputs like fertilizer and
soft loans are provided to farmers in order to make farming attractive to the
youth.
In spite of the privatization of the electricity sector, the
electricity distribution
company has braced up for the challenges of providing constant power for
effective industrialization of cities, and they are going to invest N55.69billon this year out of which Abuja, Kano, Kaduna, Yola would be major beneficiaries. In the
areas of transportation and road construction, the government has done
tremendously well in providing the necessary infrastructure across all the states of Northern Nigeria.
company has braced up for the challenges of providing constant power for
effective industrialization of cities, and they are going to invest N55.69billon this year out of which Abuja, Kano, Kaduna, Yola would be major beneficiaries. In the
areas of transportation and road construction, the government has done
tremendously well in providing the necessary infrastructure across all the states of Northern Nigeria.
There is a massive road construction
going on in all the three geo political zones
including the dualization of Abuja/Lokoja express road, which is nearing
completion, the Kaduna/Kano express road and the re-modeled airports in Kano, Kaduna, Yola, and Maiduguri which have achieved world class infrastructure status. The railway transport services has also been restored across some cities.
including the dualization of Abuja/Lokoja express road, which is nearing
completion, the Kaduna/Kano express road and the re-modeled airports in Kano, Kaduna, Yola, and Maiduguri which have achieved world class infrastructure status. The railway transport services has also been restored across some cities.
While in the education sector, apart from the establishment
of the Almajiri
Schools meant to provide education at government expense to the millions of
destitute children in Northern Nigeria, federal universities have been established in the states that do not previously have, including Yobe, Zamfra, Kogi and Kebbi
to add to the opportunities available to students seeking to enhance their future.
Schools meant to provide education at government expense to the millions of
destitute children in Northern Nigeria, federal universities have been established in the states that do not previously have, including Yobe, Zamfra, Kogi and Kebbi
to add to the opportunities available to students seeking to enhance their future.
Francis Ede, a Public Affairs Analyst based
in Abuja
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