{"id":5919,"date":"2017-11-20T08:30:08","date_gmt":"2017-11-20T08:30:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/?p=5919"},"modified":"2017-11-20T08:30:08","modified_gmt":"2017-11-20T08:30:08","slug":"jonathan-at-60-a-statesmans-quiet-entry-into-the-diamond-pantheon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/?p=5919","title":{"rendered":"Jonathan at 60: A Statesman\u2019s Quiet Entry into the Diamond Pantheon"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Ikechukwu Eze<\/strong>
\nFormer President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, marks his 60th birthday this
\nweek. Many other politicians, especially those of his soar-away
\nstatus, would otherwise seek to bring down the sky, to loudly let the
\nwhole world know they have entered the Diamond pantheon.
\nBut in his characteristic modesty and exceptional self-effacing
\ndisposition, ex-President Jonathan had resisted all entreaties to mark
\nthis important milestone, in a formal ceremony. Quiet commemoration
\nhad always been his style until a successful foray in politics and
\nnational leadership peeled off his cover, like the proverbial gold
\nfish.
\nOn November 20, the very day of his Diamond Jubilee, Goodluck Jonathan
\nwill be in his country home in the sleepy idyllic ambience of Otuoke,
\nhis village, in the wetlands of Bayelsa State, surrounded only by family members. There might also be a handful of close friends andwell wishers who may personally call to offer their felicitations and prayers. But that is as far as it will go, as there will be no formal dinners, banquets or spectacle linked to this event.
\nFor him, the quiet time with family on this occasion, will also serve
\nas a welcome break from the grind of an unending run of international
\nengagements, as the world continues to seek his attention. For instance, in a time span of about a month, beginning from September this year, ex-President Jonathan had had a busy run, beginning from Malaysia where he delivered a keynote address at a World Peace Summit,
\nand Greece where he served as a key panelist and main media attraction
\nat the 2017 Rhodes Forum Dialogue of Civilisations; to South Africa
\nwhere he moderated the main session at an education conference that
\nbrought together many former African heads of Government. Two weeks
\nago, Jonathan was just getting ready to travel to Liberia as head of
\nthe National Democratic Institute Election Observer Mission to the
\nPresidential run-off when the supreme court of Liberia suspended the
\nprocess.
\nThere is no doubt that ex-President Jonathan is being courted and
\nserenaded like an A-list celebrity by the rest of the World,
\nostensibly because of his great achievements and deep democracy
\nfootprints while in office, even if the story is different at home. If
\nsome Biblical verses equate the former President\u2019s post office
\nexperience, they have to be those sections that dwell on how a prophet
\nis without regard at home, and how the world did not understand the
\nmission of Christ until they hung Him on the Cross.
\nSince Jonathan left office on May 29, 2015, he has remained a hot item
\non the global invitation list, winning numerous awards, performing
\nelectoral duties and speaking at several high profile international
\nevents. It appears an appreciative world can\u2019t get enough of his aura
\nand attractive narrative; that of people-centred governance and
\npolitics without bitterness; both rare commodities in African
\ncorridors of power.
\nNo matter how some people may view his time as President, the truth is
\nthat the Nigerian political space may not remain the same for a very
\nlong time after the tenure of Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. Dr. Jonathan at
\n60 casts on the public space a bright ray of light that illuminates
\nthe dark recesses of the nation\u2019s dirty and divisive politicking. It
\nis an account of the life of a man who has been there, seen it all and
\ndone it all, and at the end of the day, gave it all up for the good of
\nthe country.
\nThe former President is by all accounts, a child of destiny. This is
\nbecause at 60, Jonathan\u2019s leadership experience, political trajectory
\nand record of achievements, uniquely surpasses that of any other
\npolitical actor in Nigeria. He had uniquely been Deputy Governor,
\nActing Governor, Governor, Vice President, Acting President and
\nPresident. Amazingly, he wears no air of self-importance around him,
\ndespite his astounding and exceptional political odyssey. Goodluck
\nJonathan has remained enigmatically human and humble.
\nThere is no doubt that Jonathan emerged from the crucible of Nigeria\u2019s
\nleadership pressure-cooker a better and stronger man. In his wake, he
\nleft a united and peaceful country. Under his watch Nigerians remained
\nhappy, proud, united and prosperous, at least up to the time he left
\noffice.
\nAfter his record-breaking stint in governance and massive
\ninfrastructural development across the country, Jonathan\u2019s engaging
\ndays in the Nigerian political space did not only positively impact
\nthe nation but also changed the narratives of politics in Africa.
\nHe remains today the most adored and recognizable face of all the
\nliving African statesman; not just because of his exceptional
\naccomplishments and the ease with which he gave up power, but also as
\na result of his rare candour and selflessness.
\nToday, without equivocation, he is seen all over Africa as the apostle
\nof free and fair elections; the one who stripped a continent of that
\nunprogressive affliction of a long-existing sit-tight syndrome. Even
\nhis traducers admit that it is a rare privilege for a past
\nCommander-in- Chief and President of Nigeria, a nation hitherto
\nreputed for flawed elections, to easily emerge as the toast of the
\ninternational community, especially in the area of democracy and
\nelectoral reforms in Africa.
\nNever in the history of party politics in Nigeria had a level playing
\nfield been created, by the main actors in a race in which they were
\ninvolved. Ex-President Jonathan did that effortlessly by reforming the
\nelectoral system and ensuring that only those with proven competence
\nserved in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
\nI had pointed out in another piece that those who make light of
\nJonathan\u2019s historic telephone call to concede the 2015 presidential
\nelection to his rival, President Muhammadu Buhari, even while the
\nvotes were still been counted, fail to realise the import of that
\ngesture, in a clime where the roots of democracy are still very
\nfragile. That conclusion, in my view and in the estimation of majority
\nof Nigerians, remains the truth. President Muhammadu Buhari himself
\ncould not hide his joy when this happened. In one of his numerous
\ncommendations of Jonathan\u2019s rare gesture, he said: \u201cWhat I will say is
\nsince the telephone call you made you have changed the course of
\nNigeria\u2019s political history. For that you have earned yourself a place
\nin our history, for stabilising this system of multi party democracy
\nsystem and you have earned the respect of not only Nigerians but world
\nleaders.\u201d
\nEarly this month, United Nations had commended Jonathan for the
\nelectoral reforms he initiated during his tenure, and for his good
\nworks towards promoting peace and stability in Africa.
\nAmbassador Mohamed Ibn Chambas, the United Nations Special
\nRepresentative of the Secretary-General for West Africa who lead the
\nUN delegation to solicit the former President\u2019s support for the world
\nbody\u2019s peace effort across Africa, also prayed that \u201cthe institutions
\nJonathan built and the high standards he established in organising
\ncredible and peaceful elections are maintained and sustained in
\nNigeria.\u201d
\nTwo years ago, just before Tanzania\u2019s presidential election, The
\nGuardian of Lusaka wrote a perceptive editorial, advising local
\npoliticians not to go below the standards already set by Jonathan. It
\nsaid: \u201cJonathan\u2019s voluntary handover of power to the opposition wrote
\na new chapter for Nigeria\u2019s democracy, given the fact that it is rare
\nfor sitting presidents in Africa to hand over power to winning
\nopposition parties.
\n\u201cIt must be said that Jonathan rewrote the narrative of Africa\u2019s
\nleadership struggles by selflessly handing over power to the
\nopposition, despite obvious reasons for contestations, a road if taken
\nwould have not only prolonged the transition process, but would have
\nalso heightened the tension in the land.\u201d
\nWe must not lose sight of the essence of the foundation of our peace
\ntoday and the new model of patriotism which Jonathan symbolises.
\nNigeria must consolidate and imbibe this rare spirit of selflessness,
\ntolerance and the love for a country, if our country is to make
\nmeaningful progress.
\nJonathan emerged from the obscure village of Otuoke and beat all odds
\nto become the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. If
\nanything, this shows the smile of the Almighty over a man is no
\nrespecter of tribe, background, time and space.
\nAt 60, Jonathan\u2019s life symbolizes the Nigerian dream. The echoes of
\nthe now iconic aphorism “My ambition is not worth the blood of any
\nNigerian”, backed by a rare courage in statesmanship; has become the
\nclarion call for responsible citizenship and patriotism. That is the
\nfoundation that has made Jonathan a reference point for democracy and
\ngood governance; it is his legacy that will outlive all of us that
\nwitnessed this change.
\nMore importantly, as he marks his birthday and the world continue to
\ncelebrates his legacies in style, it is expected that his example will
\nstir up new passions amongst the younger generation; that a life of
\ntrue sacrifice for the cause of the nation is worth it after all.
\nAs the former President devotes his time and post-presidential life to
\ninspiring more co-operation and commitment towards improving our
\nsocieties, and making a change in the lives of the ordinary people in
\nour various countries, through the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation, there
\nare obvious signs that forces out to extinguish the touch he lit, are
\nat work. However, in the face of extreme provocation, he has remained
\nincredibly calm and unfazed.
\nDespite the desperate efforts that feed into the plot to put the
\nformer President and his former appointees under unnecessary pressure,
\nthere is no doubt that history will be kind to him for all he has done
\nto uplift the status of his country and people.
\n\u25cfMr. Eze is media adviser to Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, President, Federal
\nRepublic of Nigeria (2010-2015)<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Ikechukwu Eze Former President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, marks his 60th birthday this week. Many other politicians, especially those of his soar-away status, would otherwise seek to bring down the sky, to loudly let the whole world know they have entered the Diamond pantheon. But in his characteristic modesty and exceptional self-effacing disposition, ex-President Jonathan […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":5920,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5777],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5919","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-features"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5919","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5919"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5919\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5919"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5919"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5919"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}