Goodluck and God

President Jonathan cannot use God as an excuse for incompetence

The disturbing tendency for President Goodluck Jonathan to utter statements which amount to a virtual abdication of responsibility made an unwelcome reappearance at the 2012 Holy Ghost Congress of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), where he announced that he had entrusted Nigeria to God’s care.

In addition, he reassured the congregation, comprising thousands of worshippers, public office-holders and prominent clerics that he would continue to ensure that his administration is transparent and expressed the conviction that the nation would overcome its challenges. He also attributed his victory at the 2011 elections to the RCCG’s respected General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, and the support of the church’s teeming followers.

At first glance, it would seem that the President did not do anything out of the ordinary. National leaders routinely invoke the protection and blessings of God upon the countries they lead. Regular reassurances that a people will eventually overcome difficult times are a staple of committed governance in most participatory democracies. If the country in question is one in which strong religious beliefs are common, as is the case in Nigeria, the constant invocation of God’s name is certainly in order.

However, as is so often the case with President Jonathan, a virtue has become a vice. At the RCCG event, he appeared to have forgotten that while Nigerians fervently worship God, He was not on the ballot in 2011. The person they voted for was Goodluck Jonathan. The President did not remember that he made several promises on the campaign trail. He forgot that he swore a solemn oath to work for the upliftment of Nigeria and its people. Instead of taking responsibility for his extremely well-paid office, he sought to turn the burden of governing over to the Creator, while keeping the considerable perks of office for himself and his cronies.

Turning his presidential responsibilities over to God is only the latest in a continual stream of statements in which Jonathan has sought to dodge hard choices and avoid responsibility. When Abuja was bombed during the Independence Day celebrations of 2010, he claimed that terrorism was a global phenomenon and that it was now Nigeria’s turn to experience it. When the Boko Haram menace began to spread, he complained that the fundamentalist sect had infiltrated his government without giving any indication of what he was doing to resolve it. As disappointment with his policies became widespread, he told the nation in a recent media chat that he never promised to end poverty.

Far from reassuring a populace that is becoming increasingly sceptical about his capacity to lead, the President’s remarks at the RCCG convention simply increased growing doubts about his leadership. He spoke about a continuing commitment to transparency and to doing “what is right,” but has lamentably failed to demonstrate this commitment in practice.

Throughout 2012, a succession of scandals in pensions administration, the capital market and the oil subsidy programme provided Jonathan with golden opportunities to demonstrate his adherence to transparency, accountability and the rule of law. Instead of grasping them with both hands, he has shamefully failed to live up to expectation. As can now be seen, his main tactic is to deflect attention from the issues and play for time by setting up committees to investigate scandals, only to undermine them and thereby ensure that their findings are never implemented. It happened in the Dana crash report, the Lawan-Otedola subsidy bribe scandal, the privatisation of power stations and the Ribadu committee report.

To make matters worse, President Jonathan decided to turn a purely religious gathering into a political convention by his dubious references to the alleged support of Pastor Adeboye and the RCCG as a whole in his political campaign. Regardless of what he may think, neither Adeboye nor the RCCG is on record as having endorsed Jonathan’s presidential campaign; to imply that they did so is disingenuous and dishonest. His poor judgement is all the more amazing, given the tensions which currently characterise Nigeria as a multi-religious entity.

Such manipulations like this should serve as a warning to the nation’s religious leaders not to get too close to politicians, especially those holding public office. Such is their fixation on elections that they will use anybody whom they think can help them to achieve popularity. Nigeria’s clerics should follow the example of an individual like South Africa’s Bishop Desmond Tutu, whose commitment to political freedom and social justice was not tainted by any intimacy with those in power.

As for President Jonathan, he should realise that the citizenry is tired of promises, excuses, explanations and committees. He was elected in his own recognition to lead Nigeria to a brighter tomorrow of freedom and prosperity. It is time for him to start leading. God is a hard-working God and He has been playing His part in the country’s affairs; President Jonathan should play his.

TheNation