Opinion
Open Letter To Goodluck Jonathan (I)
I admire and salute your courage to withstand the
mounting pressure on you for some time now to declare stand on the forthcoming 2015 general elections. By this impassive act you’ve proved to political sycophants that you are no push-over and of no simple estimation. You’ve rendered their insidious political permutations redundant and places same in abeyance. Let me also appreciate your sincere intention to render governance delivery to Nigerians who voted you into office in 2011 with great enthusiasm and expectations.
I also hope that you would welcome and appreciate a sincere and frank expression of mind, and a conveyance of the total mind of common Nigerians on your administration. Your Excellency Sir, common Nigerians here refer to the majority group of Nigerians that depends totally on public facilities for their entire welfare and whose powers form the authority class but usually find themselves in constant frustration and lamentation of dashed hopes and expectations of good welfare in the face of hyper affluence of the authority class from the corporate wealth of the nation, the real voting class in elections, the real power owners but the perpetual suffering group.
Since your position is one of intense pressure there is every tendency that a lot of salient issues, beyond sycophancy, may elude your imperative attention and you might wish that some one had drawn your attention to them. It is borne out of this consideration that this humble letter is written.
Yes your Excellency Sir, your silence so far on 2015 gives the impression that you are seriously bearing your mind on a lot of national issues and measuring your journey so far regarding the axiom that “one good turn deserves another”. So before you speak on 2015, I would like you to note the fact that in 2011, you were the next political figure after late Moshood Kasimowo Abiola, popularly called MKO, of cherished memory, to occupy the enthusiastic hearts of Nigerians who clearly demonstrated same in a massive turn-out in the elections.
Both of you are the political figures in Nigeria so far that Nigerians ever believed, trusted and strongly, anchored upon their corporate hope and expectations.
If you recall the spirit of Nigerians in 2011 national voters registration exercise and the subsequent general elections that brought you to power again, you would be restless in Aso Rock as to how to very satisfactorily serve Nigerians in adequate appreciation of this corporate faith, confidence and trust so enthusiastically demonstrated in a political leader in this country. The turn-out for that national voters registration exercise was massive and impressive. Massive because those who confessed that they had never before registered and voted, or had in many years not participated in the exercises, turned up. Impressive because never in the history of Nigeria’s national exercise had Nigerians exhibited such sincere spirit of patriotism and cooperation.
Recall also how the common Nigerians voluntarily carted with joy their generating sets, tables, chairs etc, to the voters registration centres and spiritedly battled to forestall the threatening failure of the exercise by the Direct Data Capture (DDC) machines that refused to function properly at the commencement of the exercise, by providing mythelated spirits, cotton wool, water, detergents, etc, to clean fingers to aid easy capture. Your Excellency Sir, all this was done because of your individual person.
In my Jonathan’s Presidential Candidacy Reawakens National Patriotism published in the National Point Newspaper of March 21, 2011, p20, I presented a graphic picture of this unique spirit of commitment of Nigerians in a national exercise, of an old woman at one of the registration centres in Port Harcourt, who bluntly refused to live her seat for another person after the data capture machine consecutively failed to capture her finger prints.
Considering the passionate plea to her by the registration officers to stay aside a while for another person as a plot to rig Jonathan out of the election said, in vehement reaction, “Una no want mek I vote Jonathan wey God bring mek im come helep poor people?”. She later felt comfortable and left the seat after being well convinced that the exercise wasn’t Jonathan’s election proper yet to come.
Again, recall the common Nigerians unique spirit of commitment on the day of the presidential election. As early as 7am they had all formed up at their different registration centres and would not live until after the counting of votes, Jonathan was rigged out.
This was a unique corporate resolve to ensure that all was well for your person in that election. This was also a unique corporate demonstration of faith, trust and confidence in a political leader.
Your Excellency Sir, in 2011, you were the most appreciated president ever in re-election exercise in this country. The common Nigerians hoped and trusted that the elusive governance delivery of age-long would finally come to pass in your continued administration since the then just ended two years of completing late President Yar’ Adua’s tenure was considered not long enough for obvious achievements in your short leadership.
The tempo and euphoria of your Excellency’s re-election soared higher and higher as the hope and expectations of the arrival of the common Nigerians era kindled through out 2011. But while the manifestation of this dream was faithfully awaited, you dashed this nascent hope, faith and trust in a public leader by thanking common Nigerians for your re-election in your removal of fuel subsidy on 1st January, 2012 against all popular voices.
Ukutumoren, a public affairs analyst, writes from Port Harcourt.
Open Letter To Goodluck Jonathan (II)
Ukutumoren E. Ukutumoren
In reaction to Nigerians cries and lamentations on this, you haphazardly rolled out vehicles on public display for distribution to states nationwide, to cushion the effect of the subsidy removal. These vehicles soon disappeared from sight before states could receive them. Since then, the common Nigerians had been greatly hit by increasing high cost of living occasioned by this fuel subsidy removal. As if that was not enough, you soon against increased the electricity tariff in the country against all popular voices who cautioned that if the power tariff increase was at all necessary that should be only after the hitherto dismal power supply situation had improved and after the prepaid meters had been available to every household in the country.
Again you promptly assured Nigerians that the prepaid meters had already arrived the country and soon every household would have them.
So before you speak on 2015, your Excellency Sir, know that up till the moment of this letter, common Nigerians are continually sending save our souls (sos) message cries to who cares, about the gross and constant exploitations by power operators nationwide through incredible, unjustified and fraudulent electricity bills in the face of dismal services and their cries for prepaid meters, which you had promised, are yet to reach you.
In January 2012 during Nigerians stiff reaction to your removal of fuel subsidy you commented that the strong reaction of Nigerians to that policy was due to the fact that previous governments had deceived them. That sincerely, the subsidy gained would be used to repair the existing refmeries to full capacity utilization and new ones built to end fuel importation. Through this you would, amongst other things, build and equip new hospitals, thus creating business and employment opportunities and also improve health care delivery. Your Excellency Sir, before you speak, please note that common Nigerians are still expectant of these and are asking and would continue to ask about the states of the old refmeries and the number of new ones built and why Nigeria is still importing fuel, and unemployment level. Imagine also the fate of these Nigerians to learn that you would rather want to sell out the said refmeries whose fate brought them the present excruciating suffering. This constitutes nothing other than a grand deceit by a leadership.
Corruption has been identified as the bane of Nigeria’s corporate progress. You appreciated this fact and promised to fight it to at least the barest minimum. Common Nigerians so believed you. Unfortunately, your action in this direction is nothing to write home about and your administration is widely seen as the worst in corruption with the dangling rope of the EFCC fmding the necks of some of your indicted ministers.
This national cankerworm pervades all nooks and cranies of the country. Private sectors not excluded. Product manufacturers flood the markets with inferior products. Product containers and sachets contain increasingly lesser quantities of core products and weights against the declared specifications.
The church leaders become insidious champions, wining ‘medals’ in immorality, dubiousness, marriage breakings, family disunity and psychic manipulations. All this unabated. Before you speak, Your Excellency, note that common Nigerians feel so disappointed in your corruption fight and very uncomfortable with the frequent news of missing billions of dollars from the federation account in your administration; and the whole dwindling state of values in the country.
You also promised a functional power supply and they strongly believed you but up to this moment the state of power supply nationwide is no far departure from the immediate dismal past and is characterised by outrageous and fictitious charges that prompt the current save our souls (SOS) message cries nationwide from consumers and the end is not in sight.
Nigeria is the richest nation in West Africa or Africa and has spent so much trillions of Naira on fruitless power supply over the decades. Common Nigerians are no longer happy with the present state of power supply and see no reason why Nigeria after spending so much could not have functional power by now.
You further promised common Nigerians affordable housing as cost of cement would not exceed one thousand naira (1,000.00) in your tenure. But today only the authority class can afford the cost of building materials in the country.
The basic expectations of the masses from any leadership are safety of live and property, good roads, electricity, supply portable water, and health care! These still remain grossly elusive to them. But the degree of loss of lives and properties coupled with the colossal trillions of naira expended so far on the current insecurity challenges, to no abate, is unprecedented in the history of democratic leadership of this country and the common igerians are very uncomfortable with the inability of the leadership to contain the situation due to delayed and inadequate action.
So before you speak: on 2015, your Excellency Sir, please note that the afore stated are the agitating issues in the core minds .of common Nigerians and do not constitute a condusive atmosphere for the breath of fresh air which you promised them in 2011. They are more uncomfortable also when they count that by 2015 you would have spent six (6) and eight (8) years consecutively in the Executive Presidency of this nation and all they have is explanatory achievements for this long Executive Presidential tenancy. In fact, the enthusiasm that greeted your presidential candidacy and election in 2011 has really gone.
Finally, Your Excellency, you acknowledged the fact that you are the most criticized and condemned democratic president so far in this country. This is very true Sir. But your reaction that you would be the most praised and appreciated president at the end of tenure in 2015 rekindled the hope and expectations of common Nigerians. Your Excellency Sir, I believe you could be if only you can successfully midwife the National Conference by
subjecting its report to a referendum, and give Nigerians the age-long elusive Funtional Power Supply.
Ukutumoren, a publisc affairs analyst, writes from Port Harcourt.
Ukutumoren E. Ukutumoren
The events that unfolded in Abuja on Tuesday November 11, 2025 between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike and a detachment of soldiers guarding a disputed property, led by Adams Yerima, a commissioned Naval Officer, may go down as one of the defining images of Nigeria’s democratic contradictions. It was not merely a quarrel over land. It was a confrontation between civil authority and the military legacy that still hovers over our national life.
Nyesom Wike, fiery and fearless as always, was seen on video exchanging words with a uniformed officer who refused to grant him passage to inspect a parcel of land alleged to have been illegally acquired. The minister’s voice rose, his temper flared, and the soldier, too, stood his ground, insisting on his own authority. Around them, aides, security men, and bystanders watched, stunned, as two embodiments of the Nigerian state clashed in the open.
The images spread fast, igniting debates across drawing rooms, beer parlours, and social media platforms. Some hailed Wike for standing up to military arrogance; others scolded him for perceived disrespect to the armed forces. Yet beneath the noise lies a deeper question about what sort of society we are building and whether power in Nigeria truly understands the limits of its own reach.
It is tragic that, more than two decades into civil rule, the relationship between the civilian arm of government and the military remains fragile and poorly understood. The presence of soldiers in a land dispute between private individuals and the city administration is, by all civic standards, an aberration. It recalls a dark era when might was right, and uniforms conferred immunity against accountability.
Wike’s anger, even if fiery, was rooted in a legitimate concern: that no individual, however connected or retired, should deploy the military to protect personal interests. That sentiment echoes the fundamental democratic creed that the law is supreme, not personalities. If his passion overshot decorum, it was perhaps a reflection of a nation weary of impunity.
On the other hand, the soldier in question is a symbol of another truth: that discipline, respect for order, and duty to hierarchy are ingrained in our armed forces. He may have been caught between conflicting instructions one from his superiors, another from a civilian minister exercising his lawful authority. The confusion points not to personal failure but to institutional dysfunction.
It is, therefore, simplistic to turn the incident into a morality play of good versus evil.
*********”**** What happened was an institutional embarrassment. Both men represented facets of the same failing system a polity still learning how to reconcile authority with civility, law with loyalty, and service with restraint.
In fairness, Wike has shown himself as a man of uncommon courage. Whether in Rivers State or at the FCTA, he does not shy away from confrontation. Yet courage without composure often feeds misunderstanding. A public officer must always be the cooler head, even when provoked, because the power of example outweighs the satisfaction of winning an argument.
Conversely, soldiers, too, must be reminded that their uniforms do not place them above civilian oversight. The military exists to defend the nation, not to enforce property claims or intimidate lawful authorities. Their participation in purely civil matters corrodes the image of the institution and erodes public trust.
One cannot overlook the irony: in a country where kidnappers roam highways and bandits sack villages, armed men are posted to guard contested land in the capital. It reflects misplaced priorities and distorted values. The Nigerian soldier, trained to defend sovereignty, should not be drawn into private or bureaucratic tussles.
Sycophancy remains the greatest ailment of our political culture. Many of those who now cheer one side or the other do so not out of conviction but out of convenience. Tomorrow they will switch allegiance. True patriotism lies not in defending personalities but in defending principles. A people enslaved by flattery cannot nurture a culture of justice.
The Nigerian elite must learn to submit to the same laws that govern the poor. When big men fence off public land and use connections to shield their interests, they mock the very constitution they swore to uphold. The FCT, as the mirror of national order, must not become a jungle where only the powerful can build.
The lesson for Wike himself is also clear: power is best exercised with calmness. The weight of his office demands more than bravery; it demands statesmanship. To lead is not merely to command, but to persuade — even those who resist your authority.
Equally, the lesson for the armed forces is that professionalism shines brightest in restraint. Obedience to illegal orders is not loyalty; it is complicity. The soldier who stands on the side of justice protects both his honour and the dignity of his uniform.
The Presidency, too, must see this episode as a wake-up call to clarify institutional boundaries. If soldiers can be drawn into civil enforcement without authorization, then our democracy remains at risk of subtle militarization. The constitution must speak louder than confusion.
The Nigerian public deserves better than spectacles of ego. We crave leaders who rise above emotion and officers who respect civilian supremacy. Our children must not inherit a nation where authority means shouting matches and intimidation in public glare.
Every democracy matures through such tests. What matters is whether we learn the right lessons. The British once had generals who defied parliament; the Americans once fought over states’ rights; Nigeria, too, must pass through her own growing pains but with humility, not hubris.
If the confrontation has stirred discomfort, then perhaps it has done the nation some good. It forces a conversation long overdue: Who truly owns the state — the citizen or the powerful? Can we build a Nigeria where institutions, not individuals, define our destiny?
As the dust settles, both the FCTA and the military hierarchy must conduct impartial investigations. The truth must be established — not to shame anyone, but to restore order. Where laws were broken, consequences must follow. Where misunderstandings occurred, apologies must be offered.
Let the rule of law triumph over the rule of impulse. Let civility triumph over confrontation. Let governance return to the path of dialogue and procedure.
Nigeria cannot continue to oscillate between civilian bravado and military arrogance. Both impulses spring from the same insecurity — the fear of losing control. True leadership lies in the ability to trust institutions to do their work without coercion.
Those who witnessed the clash saw a drama of two gladiators. One in starched khaki, one in well-cut suit. Both proud, both unyielding. But a nation cannot be built on stubbornness; it must be built on understanding. Power, when it meets power, should produce order, not chaos.
We must resist the temptation to glorify temper. Governance is not warfare; it is stewardship. The citizen watches, the world observes, and history records. How we handle moments like this will define our collective maturity.
The confrontation may have ended without violence, but it left deep questions in the national conscience. When men of authority quarrel in the open, institutions tremble. The people, once again, become spectators in a theatre of misplaced pride.
It is time for all who hold office — civilian or military — to remember that they serve under the same flag. That flag is neither khaki nor political colour; it is green-white-green, and it demands humility.
No victor, no vanquish only a lesson for a nation still learning to govern itself with dignity.
By; King Onunwor
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