The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Goodluck Jonathan

  • Fed Govt votes $1b to curb crude oil theft

    Fed Govt votes $1b to curb crude oil theft

    President Goodluck Jonathan said yesterday that the Federal Government has earmarked $1 billion to check crude oil theft, vandalism of oil and gas infrastructure and prosecution of crude oil thieves.

    He disclosed this while speaking at separate meetings with the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mr. Mark Rutte and the Chief Executive Officer of Shell International, Mr. Ben van Beurden at The Hague. He is in the Netherlands for the 2014 global Nuclear Security Summit.

    According to him, a technical committee has already been set up to look into all aspects of the implementation of the programme.

    The programme, he said, will include further action to enhance the security of pipelines and other oil industry infrastructure, resolve community-related issues, boost youth empowerment in oil-producing areas and enhance the commitment of oil companies to the discharge of their corporate social responsibilities.

    Jonathan said the new moves against oil theft by his administration would require the co-operation of the international community, especially countries such as the Netherlands, which are major stakeholders in the oil industry.

    He said: “Oil theft is an aspect of global terrorism, which has become a big industry on its own. It has become a major threat to the Nigerian economy and we need to work with all stakeholders to curb it. The thieves must be traced, apprehended and prosecuted.”

    The Dutch Prime Minister assured the President of the commitment of the Netherlands to curb crude oil theft and global terrorism.

    Rutte said Jonathan’s visit affirmed the strong ties between Nigeria and the Netherlands and assured the President of the willingness of The Netherlands to collaborate more with Nigeria on environmental and security issues, particularly in the Niger Delta.

  • ‘No alternative to oil subsidy removal’

    ‘No alternative to oil subsidy removal’

    The call for the removal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) is growing louder with the states insisting that there is no alternative to its removal.

    Chairman, Finance Commissioners Forum, Timothy Odaah was optimistic that President Goodluck Jonathan would approve the recommendation to remove subsidy when their letter is submitted to him after next month’s Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting.

    Odaah insisted that there is “no alternative to subsidy removal,” stressing that its removal would ensure that “states develop at paces commensurate with their strength. If subsidy is removed, it will help states create better jobs.”

    He expressed displeasure at the current job creation efforts of some state governments that engage university graduates to cut grass by the road side and trim trees.

    He said: “What we are advocating is that the subsidy should be removed so that every state or any member of the federating unit sharing from FAAC will take its own money then decide to use it or grant subsidy in a level that it will be able to afford.

    “The states will grow their own industries, there will be much more employment.  A situation where subsidy alone takes away much of what could be used for the purpose of industrialisation is not acceptable; there will be investment; there will be employment and in that respect, you will discover that the vicious cycle of poverty will be eliminated.”

    He described SURE-P job creation as retrogressive, lamenting that Nigeria ought have grown beyond the use tricycles (Keke NAPEP) as a means of transportation.

    Though Odaah did not say that all state governments were in support of the planned removal of subsidy, he said governors were responsible people who listen to the voices of their people and will act in the overall best interest of their people many of whom he said are now in favour of the removal of subsidy.

    “The voice of the people is the voice of God, every responsible government does what is good for its people. It is what the people say that they will do.

    “The intended benefit of SURE-P is not getting to the poor people. It is not helping the average poor man in Nigeria. It’s been diverted by organised few and all the members except the leaders of labour unions were deceived into going against the removal of subsidy in 2012,” he said.

     

     

  • Here’s “The 2014 Declaration”

    Now what mischief is Hardball getting to, you are quick to ask with your antennae up like the ears of an agitated rabbit’s? Has Hardball cottoned on to the great declaration for 2015 unbeknown to the rest of the world? Yes, the much awaited bombshell declaration by President Goodluck Jonathan. Yes, the contest-or-not-to-contest declaration. Yes, that declaration that could make or mar us for good. Perhaps Hardball has a lead on it; perhaps he has scooped it with his extra-sensory devices?

    Well, sorry to disappoint, Hardball is not in possession of any such hot, news property and if perchance he has, such stuff is never consigned to the back page; that would be sheer journalistic sacrilege. So what is this tempting amour with “declaration”? Hardball is only pussyfooting and playing the game of the Federal Ministry of Health, FoH. You may have noticed the two-page newspaper advertorial by the FoH recently in which it showcased its: “Presidential Summit on Universal Health Coverage in Nigeria: THE 2014 DECLARATION.” The headline of the FoH’s newspaper supplement (as above) was so bold you would be quick to accuse the ministry of deliberate mischief. In fact, were the message from the Ministry of Information it would have been nothing but a sublime piece of propaganda.

    But what was the FoH up to? It apparently had a summit on what it terms Universal Health Coverage (UHC), a Presidential Summit (PS) for that matter (please don’t ask me what constitutes a PS) and how it is different than an ordinary summit. But from the full page colour photo splash it was a grand talk-shop with so much colour, so much grandeur but of an indeterminate outcome. For instance, after reading through the full page of “THE 2014 DECLARATION”, Hardball could not make head or tail of it. There is no proper articulation or explanation of what UHC is all about (probably a new fad from our foreign donors).

    For instance, one of FoH’s 23-point declaration states that it is “DEEPLY CONCERNED that Nigeria’s attainment of the target of 30% health insurance coverage by December, 2015 is threatened by the non-institutionalization of universal Health Coverage.” How is this so? Who is to be blamed? Health insurance has been with us for nearly two decades and we have visited that albeit efficient concept of health care management with our usual mendacity mixed with toxic insouciance; thus ideas that blossom in other climes meet their graveyard in Nigeria. Yet we are creative at shifting blames for our failings.

    Another phony example in this declaration is the one (No. 14) on “STRENGHTENING and expanding financial risk protection mechanisms for the poor and vulnerable groups as part of the broader social protection efforts in the country.” Phew! Utter gibberish! It is sad to say that the FoH under the current minister, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu has been lackluster and sucked up by mundane stuff. The dashing professor has shown neither creativity nor a desire for legacy.

    About the time this odious presidential summit was going on, it was World Kidney Day (March 13) and it was reported by experts that about 16 million Nigerians suffer from kidney disease. Thousands of hapless Nigerians are being worsted by this near-terminal ailment without even a word of succor from FoH. There must be something we can do beyond vacuous summitry and photo-ups. Ordinary generation and dissemination of basic health information for poor Nigerians can go along way. Let’s get serious please.

     

  • Pupils’ killings: Visit Yobe now, APC advises Jonathan

    Pupils’ killings: Visit Yobe now, APC advises Jonathan

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has advised President Goodluck Jonathan, as the father of the nation and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, not to be afraid to visit any part of the country for whatever reasons.

    In a statement in Lagos yesterday by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party reminded the President that he has not yet visited Yobe State, one month after the killing of many school children in the state, to commiserate with the government and the bereaved families.

    It said the first month of the killings, which is tomorrow, provides another opportunity for the President to visit the state.

    APC said since the President’s planned return from his latest foray abroad on Tuesday coincides with the first month of the killings, he should fly straight to Yobe.

    ‘’As we said in our earlier statement on this issue on March 10th, ‘far from being a mere formality, such a visit will provide great succour to the families of the victims, reassure them and other residents of the state that their government has not abandoned them to their fate, and also serve as a morale booster for our gallant troops who are battling the terrorists, against all odds’,’’ it said.

    APC reminded the President that since the killings, he has hosted a wasteful centennial celebration, travelled across Nigeria to illegally kick-start his campaign for the 2015 elections and journeyed to Namibia, Italy and The Netherlands, in a needless junketing that belies the massive security problems facing the country.

    ‘’Mr. President, charity begins at home. You cannot be engaging in photo-ops abroad when your country is burning,’’ the party said.

    It said President Jonathan’s insensitive junketing and law-breaking campaign rallies across Nigeria best illustrate the old saying ‘’Nero fiddling while Rome burns’’.

    APC advised President Jonathan, as the father of the nation and Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian armed forces, not to be afraid to visit any part of the country for whatever reason.

    ‘’In this case, President Jonathan’s pointed avoidance of Yobe, where the death of innocent school children highlights the senseless nature of the Boko Haram insurgency, is a morale booster of sorts to the cowards who murdered those children

    ‘’If however the President has any reason why he does not want to visit the scene of the gruesome murders to commiserate with the bereaved families, he should tell Nigerians who have continued to wonder why he has been avoiding the state,’’ the party said.

  • Nigeria, Netherlands sign MoU on migration

    Nigeria, Netherlands sign MoU on migration

    The Federal Government and the Netherlands yesterday signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on migration matters.

    President Goodluck Jonathan is currently leading Nigeria’s delegation to Netherlands for the 2014 global Nuclear Security Summit.

    The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Aminu Wali, who signed the MoU on behalf of Nigeria yesterday, said the agreement will improve the cooperation between the two countries.

    He said: “I am pleased to note that the long outstanding Memorandum of Understanding on Migration matters between Nigeria and the Netherlands has at last been concluded and ready for signature after many years in abeyance.”

    “The objective of the MOU is to improve cooperation between our two countries with the aim of better implementation of provisions relating to migration of person and guarantee of their fundamental rights in conformity with international norms and best practices.”

    “The MOU deals with cooperation in combating irregular migration, human trafficking, readmission and reintegration of returnees, return assistance, document fraud detection, capacity building, identification and repatriation.”

    He went on: “We are, therefore, pleased to sign the MOU with the hope that it will guarantee the fundamental human right of our people and also create new areas of cooperation to further strengthen our relations.”

    “There is no doubt that migration and development play a big role in our bilateral relations in view of the large number of Nigerians in Diaspora working in the Netherlands and vice versa. This should be encouraged as a win win situation for both countries of origin and destination.”

    Netherlands Minister of Migration, Fred Teeven, who signed on behalf of his country said that the MoU is an area that affects both countries and therefore of mutual concern.

    He said: “The fight against illegal immigration is important for several reasons. First and foremost to prevent human tragedies that can occur when people risk their lives investing in an uncertain future in an unknown country. We know of the obvious risks involved with illegal border crossings, orchestrated by traffickers.”

    “But unfortunately we also know of too many examples of illegal migrants that are exposed to dangers living as illegally residing citizens in the countries of destination in Europe or elsewhere.”

     

  • Nigeria votes $1b to curb crude oil theft, says Jonathan

    The Federal Government has earmarked one billion U.S Dollars for the implementation of a comprehensive programme to check crude oil theft, the vandalism of oil and gas infrastructure, and the apprehension and prosecution of crude oil thieves.

    Speaking on Sunday at separate meetings with the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mr. Mark Rutte and the Chief Executive Officer of Shell International, Mr. Ben van Beurden at The Hague, President Goodluck Jonathan said that a technical committee has already been set up to look into all aspects of the implementation of the programme.

    This, the President said, will include further action to enhance the security of pipelines and other oil industry infrastructure, resolve community-related issues, boost youth empowerment in oil-producing areas and enhance the commitment of oil companies to the discharge of their corporate social responsibilities.

    President Jonathan said that the fresh onslaught against oil theft planned by his administration will require the maximum co-operation of the international community, especially countries like the Netherlands which are major stakeholders in the global oil industry.

    “Oil theft is an aspect of global terrorism, which has become a big industry on its own. It has become a major threat to the Nigerian economy and we need to work with all stakeholders to curb it. The thieves must be traced, apprehended and prosecuted”, the President who is in the Netherlands for the 2014 global Nuclear Security Summit said.

    The Dutch Prime Minister assured the President of the commitment of the Netherlands to concerted action against crude oil theft and global terrorism.

    Mr. Rutte who remarked that President Jonathan’s visit affirmed the strong ties between Nigeria and the Netherlands, also assured the President of the willingness of The Netherlands to collaborate more with Nigeria on environmental and security issues, particularly in the Niger Delta.

    He praised Nigeria’s leadership role in promoting regional security in West Africa, and welcomed the signing of an agreement on immigration between both countries as well as the strong trade relations between Nigeria and The Netherlands.

    “The President’s visit is an open testimony of the strong ties between Nigeria and Netherlands. Nigeria is Netherlands’ main trading partner in Africa and the Netherlands is the second biggest European investor in Nigeria,” the Dutch Prime Minister said.

  • N10b cash on jet: Reps secure travel logs of Minister’s plane

    N10b cash on jet: Reps secure travel logs of Minister’s plane

    •Alison-Madueke suspends trip to prepare defence

    The travel logs of the jet chartered by Petroleum Resources Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke are now in possession of members of the House of Representatives as they prepare to launch their probe of the N10 billion allegedly spent by her on the plane.

    The logs, The Nation authoritatively gathered, cover the minister’s trips to China, South Africa, United States and United Arab Emirates.

    There are also indications that the House may demand movement logs of the Challenger jet from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN); Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA); and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

    One of the parastatals under the Ministry of Petroleum Resources has been fingered in the hiring and payment for the jet.

    Upset by the media attention generated by what many Nigerians see as waste of public funds, the minister has suspended a foreign trip with President Goodluck Jonathan to prepare her defence for the House of Representatives.

    Investigations in Abuja showed that some representatives have obtained travel logs of the minister which they intend to present to the Public Accounts Committee for verification from FAAN, NAMA and NCAA.

    A reliable source said the fact-sheet available to some members indicated that the average cost of a trip on the jet was about $300,000.

    It was also learnt that the parastatatal in question maintains the jet with $500,000 per month.

    The source said: “This probe is a result of painstaking efforts by some members in the last one year. Some of these members, including those from PDP in the House, have secured the travel logs of the minister to and from Nigeria.

    “For instance, she had been to China, South Africa, United States, the UK and the United Arab Emirates with the jet. At a point, the jet was relocated to Ghana when controversy arose on the jet in August last year.

    “Even if FAAN, NAMA and NCAA decide not to release the records of movement of the Challenger Jet, these countries will oblige the House of Representatives. Also, the leasing company is foreign owned, it cannot hide the records if it wants to remain in business.”

    Another source said: “We have identified some issues for Diezani as follows:

    • What informed the hiring of the jet?

    • Why will the parastatal be paying for the jet?

    • Why will the minister travel in a private jet while on the delegation of the president to some countries?

    • Assuming that the hiring of the jet was due to exigencies, what informed the extension of the privilege to members of her family as was the case during the 2013 Easter Break trip to Dubai in UAE?

    “We are not after the person of the minister but we want probity in government. We won’t allow a serving public officer use the public treasury for personal purpose.

    “And what we are doing is not new because a group, Crusaders for Good Governance (CGG), sent a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on the same issue last year.”

    But the probe has caused anxiety in the presidency following recurring scandals trailing cabinet members.

    A source in government said: “The presidency is worried that the series of probes targeted at ministers might be attempts to bring down the government by some forces.

    “We are waiting for the investigative process and how it will go. The government will certainly pay keen interest on the probe.”

    Mrs. Alison-Madueke has already suspended an overseas trip with President Jonathan to her enable prepare her defence for the House of Representatives.

    A source close to her said: “The minister is just upset with the allegation, she decided to cancel her schedule abroad to clear her image. She believes the allegations are too grave to ignore.

    “She is already preparing her defence; she has devoted the weekend to do this. The minister has told everyone around her that there is a total misconception and misplacement of facts and purely an act of political blackmail against this administration

    “By the time she is through with the facts and figures, Nigerians will know the truth. She was seriously upset that some people are personalizsing the issue. She said the figures they are quoting were exaggerated; when the Minister opens up, it will be revealing too.”

     

  • Ekiti: Olubolade, 14 others boycott PDP guber primary

    Ekiti: Olubolade, 14 others boycott PDP guber primary

    Mr. Ayodele Fayose yesterday emerged the PDP governorship candidate in the forthcoming June 21, 2014 election, after a rancorous primary in Ado-Ekiti.

    It was boycotted by 15 other aspirants who had alleged manipulation of the process leading to the primary.

    Also absent was the State Chairman of the party, Mr. Makanjuola Ogundipe, former deputy governor of the state, Chief Abiodun Aluko and Prince Dayo Adeyeye had faulted, in particular, the conduct of the ward congresses across the 177 centres in the state, alleging that they were “massively rigged” in favour of Fayose.

    Fayose, who governed the state from May 2003 until his exit in controversial circumstances in October 2006, got the backing of 462 delegates out of 544.

    The immediate past Minister of Police Affairs, Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade (rtd), came a distant second with seven votes, while Adeyeye got three votes and Mrs. Margaret Ogundipe received one.

    Four votes were voided, according to the Chairman of the Special State Congress Committee and former governor of Rivers State, Dr. Peter Odili.

    Fayose’s 15 opponents in the primary protested the conduct of the primary and its outcome.

    They called for the cancellation of the result and Fayose’s disqualification on the ground that he was ineligible to contest.

    Addressing reporters, Mr. Abiodun Aluko, condemned the processes which led to Fayose’s victory.

    Another aspirant, Senator Gbenga Aluko, urged the leadership of the party to “cancel the outcome of the primaries.”

    He said: “First is the eligibility of former Governor Ayo Fayose to contest. He is not a bonafide member of our party, the PDP. Legally, he cannot contest the primary and we are in court over that.

    “Also, the ward delegate congress conducted last Wednesday was seriously skewed in favour of Fayose. In five local governments including Ikere, Ado, Gboyin, Emure. Ise/Orun and Efon, no congresses took place, yet results were compiled for those areas.

    “Apart from that, the other places where the election held, there were electoral malpractices such as snatching of electoral materials. Since July last year, the leadership of the party, including President Goodluck Jonathan have been harping on the need for consensus to avoid acrimony.

    “You can see what happened today (yesterday), it was only this Fayose who opposed the consensus method and we are going to see what happens next. We are calling on President Goodluck Jonathan and well-meaning PDP leaders to right the wrong that has been done.”

    The aspirants maintained that Fayose was not a member of the PDP, as his readmission into the party did not satisfy Chapter II, Section 8 (17) of the party constitution.

    “Therefore, an appropriate candidate for the party, not Ayo Fayose will be chosen by our party. That candidate will go ahead and win the June 21 election by the grace of God,” they vowed.

    On the primary, the aspirants said; “A supposed primary is said to be going on now. But we all know that a primary election is not done by only one person. A primary is done by at least two people.

    “13 out of the 14 governorship aspirants of the PDP in Ekiti State are here present. It is only Ayo Fayose, a non-member of the PDP that is at the Eagle Centre doing the fraudulent primary.

    Some of the aggrieved aspirants, including Olubolade, Adeyeye, Dare Bejide, Biodun Aluko, Modupe Ogundipe had gone to the venue, protesting the conduct of the primary.

    The police would have none of that and proceeded to fire gunshots into the air and canisters of tear gas at the protesters and their supporters.

    One of the aspirants, Mr. Deji Ajayi, had, during the week, filed a suit on behalf of the 12 other aspirants against the candidature of Ayo Fayose while another aspirant, Adeyeye, declined participation in the party’s primary election.

    He said in a statement on Friday that in spite of the glaring flaws in last Wednesday’s ward congresses, the primary election was still going to hold on the basis of the grossly doctored delegate list purportedly generated from the exercise.

    “As we speak, list of delegates that they fraudulently compiled four weeks ago in connivance with some Abuja people are the ones they want to use for the primary. They have replaced the names of the authentic delegates elected in the 11 local councils where the ward congresses took place with those of Ayo Fayose’s men,” Adeyeye alleged.

    But in its reaction, the Ayò Fayose Campaign Organisation (AFCO) said the aspirants who went to court are bad losers who should be ignored by the people.

    Speaking on behalf of AFCO, its Director of Publicity and Research, Mr. Idowu Adelusi, said: “They are deceiving the people of Ekiti State and Nigerians. The people that went to court know that going to court is not the same thing as getting an injunction. The case has not been assigned to a judge. So, there was no injunction against the primary election. Nigerians should ignore them.”

    Another aspirant, Mr. Bisi Omoyeni said the conduct of the primary was unthinkable and unrealistic.

    In a statement at the end of a meeting with his supporters at Ikere Ekiti, Omoyeni described the purported primary as the biggest joke of the decade.

    “This is a charade and one of the biggest political jokes of the decade. It is the figment of the imagination of a clique of people whose integrity and credibility have long been thrown into the trash can, because of their self-serving and parochial interest,” he said, adding: “Ekiti people are bigger than a single individual. If 13 aspirants can come to agreement with Mr. President because of the need to maintain the unity and sanctity of our party, I see no justification for that show of shame that took place in Ado Ekiti. This is laughable, mischievous and an indication that if urgent attention is not taken by the national leadership of the party to redress the situation, PDP may be heading into a serious crisis in Ekiti”.

    •As Fayose emerges party’s governorship candidate

    Moments before the primary kicked off around 11 am, there was palpable tension especially around Ajilosun area down to Great Eagles Events Centre, venue of the event, as loyalists of all other aspirants, apart from those of former Governor Ayo Fayose, massed at the main road opposite the venue, singing abusive songs against those they perceived to be out to thwart the yearnings of the people.

    However, Odili in announcing the result of the primary described the conduct of the primary as transparent.

    He said this was done in accordance with the determination of the party leader, President Goodluck Jonathan and its National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Muazu to “reposition the PDP through internal democracy and this we have demonstrated today.”

    Fayose pledged to undertake a process of reconciliation with those aggrieved by the outcome of the primary.

    He said:”Nobody can run a government or party all alone. Losing an election or getting the governorship ticket is not the end of the world. There are other positions like the State House of Assembly, House of Representatives or Senate which they may have interest in. We have to work together for the aspirations of all of us to be met.”

    He claimed to have ‘brought’ Governor Kayode Fayemi into government in 2010 and “I am more determined than ever to return him to where he belongs.”

     

  • Immigration jobs death: Cleric calls for monetary compensation

    Immigration jobs death: Cleric calls for monetary compensation

    An Islamic scholar has called on the President Goodluck Jonathan to give monetary compensation to the families of the victims of last weekend’s Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) recruitment fiasco.

    The Grand Mufti of Conference of Islamic Organisation (CIO), SheikhDhikrullahi Shafi’i, made the call at the 5th Conference of Imams and Scholars organised by the CIO at the University of Lagos main auditorium, Akoka, yesterday.

    The revered scholar said the option of giving automatic employment to three members of the family of each of the victims is inadequate.

    “In a country that the government is serious with governance, the president or any other concerned should resign from their position because of the incident,” Shafi’i said.”In fact, from Islamic perspective the members of the families of the victims should be compensated by paying blood money. The monetary equivalent of blood money for anybody killed unnecessarily is N36, 549,289 million. “

     

    “How do you adetermine the qualifications of those compensated with the employment? Or some parents who lost their children may not have direct relatives that can substitute for the lost ones,” he added.

    The money, he said, if given to the direct families would go a long way as a real compensation. Sheikh Shafi’i enjoined government to devise more decent way of recruiting to parastatals and other offices to avoid further national embarrassment.

    He canvassed massive youth employment to save the nation from more national disaster.

     

  • The Kneeler-in-Chief

    The Kneeler-in-Chief

    IN 2011, Dr Goodluck Jonathan was elected President of Nigeria and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. Before then, and through what Nigerians mischievously termed the doctrine of necessity, the same Dr Jonathan had in February 2010 become Acting President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. Notwithstanding the dispute surrounding the 2011 elections or the cowardly invocation of the doctrine of necessity instead of doing the right thing, Dr Jonathan was in both cases effectively Commander-in-Chief, not Acting President. Barely eight months after that amazing interpretation of Section 145 of the 1999 constitution, Dr Jonathan was himself reinterpreting the meaning of Commander-in-Chief in a church.

    In October 2010, our Commander-in-Chief was at that year’s Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Holy Ghost convention, where he blissfully and joyfully knelt before Pastor Enoch Adeboye for prayers. The faithful, we learnt, were touched by his zeal and humility. Good. For after all, no one could have suggested he stand to be prayed for. But if the meaning of his kneeling was not lost on him, he would have realised that at that great moment of self-effacement, he took us all, secular and non-secular alike, to our literal knees before a non-secular authority. Surely, the God that hears openly also hears privately. So, why the open show of piety?

    But if the faithful think Barometer is just being irreverent, well, two Fridays ago, the president proved his great urge to go on his knees has little to do with religion or prayer. To him, kneeling is as religiously important as it is culturally meaningful. During his recent two-day visit to Katsina State, the president found time to visit the household of the late former President Umaru Yar’Adua. Citing the age of his host, he once again succumb to gravity by kneeling before the former president’s aged mother. Again, willy-nilly, 170 million Nigerians accompanied Dr Jonathan on his knees. If he was propelled by his love of culture to kneel, he ought to know there is also a presidential culture that clothes the office he occupies with prestige and mystique that abjure kneeling. For crying out loud, the presidency is the highest in the land, and both old and young ought properly to courtesy before it.

    And if his propensity to kneel was activated by his gratefulness to the late Yar’Adua’s for elevating him as a sidekick in the presidency, he also ought to have known that majority of us deplore the appalling process that brought him to office, a process indecently manipulated by former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Yar’Adua. If no one else will, I must strenuously dissociate myself from Dr Jonathan’s propensity to kneel when the spirit seizes him. I remember how in 1804 Napoleon Bonaparte disallowed Pope Pius VII from crowning him emperor at the Notre-Dame Cathedral. Not only that, to emphasise the separation of church and state, he ensured that while the pope entered the church from one side, he Napoleon entered through the other side of the Notre-Dame.

    When next Dr Jonathan practices his kneeling frenzy as Kneeler-in-Chief, let it be known by all and sundry that Barometer stood erect beside him in recognition of the fact that the presidency of Nigeria, notwithstanding the country’s many afflictions, kneels before no one. Indeed, if care is not taken, when Dr Jonathan finally meets the Queen of England, whom he has just honoured for leading our colonisers, he could be so awed by her presence that he would go beyond kneeling to hug her butler.