by Tola Adenle
It would be great if readers who have questions pose them as comments so that other readers who may have the same questions could read whatever answers I may have or other readers may have to contribute other.
A reader who signed ‘anonymous’ wants to know “the relevance” of the essay,
http://emotanafricana.com/2011/11/28/an-essay-from-the-obasanjo-years-shows-situation-on-ground-casts-a-cloud-on-transformational-change-occurring-in-nigeria/
to situation on ground which is against President Jonathan”.
One of Candidate Jonathan's expensive huge billboards in SW Nigeria during the campaign. Date picture taken deliberately left in.
Thank you, ‘Anonymous’.
While President Jonathan’s term is technically not a continuation of the Obasanjo Presidency, both administrations are PDP-led with all that THAT implies. The economic policies are more of the same and Jonathan’s supposedly “transformational agenda” implies – apart from his stressing the point during his campaign – that “change” was coming.
The old essay merely re-aired the subject of government borrowings which Jonathan, who has apparently completely left the matter of the economy in the hands of Okonjo-Iweala, has accepted.
Mr./Ms. Anon., the re-airing of the essay is right on the mark and not ”against President Jonathan”.
Nigeria’s old loans were settled in an arrangement that purportedly saw Nigeria paying off much of the contentious figures but interestingly, the champion of the old causes: cancellation, paying off loans, etcetera, Ngozi Okonjo Iweala is back in her old position as Finance Minister. This time, she’s also Econoomy Director or a title to that effect which is supposed to give her a very free hand to run the economy. This time around, she’s championing external borrowings.
Finally, one of the main goals of my Blog is to create a home for my past newspaper and magazine writings so that more people can have access to them and the readership which even the old writings have continued to attract shows emotanafricana.com is achieving that goal. What I try to do is bring an old essay in as time and situation around in Nigeria – or elsewhere dictates.
On Candidate Jonathan’s promised transparency, fresh air, transformational agenda, fighting corruption, etcetera, he has not delivered nor begin to show he’s willing, capable or able to deliver on any of those promises.