Hillary Clinton as boxing corner coach to Jonathan by Timawus Mathias

President Barack Obama’s first African
tour did not bring him to Nigeria. It
took him to Ghana, the harbinger in
1957 of African independence from the
colonial masters.
Ghana was already scoring new firsts,
with an unfolding enviably transparent
democratic process, good governance,
and a thriving economy to show for it.
President Obama was there to acclaim
and offer pointers to African leadership,
and teach on Nationalism, Liberty and
Democracy. This alone, made Ghana
relive history as beacon and became a
symbol of commitment to transparent
democracy, good governance and
accountability. Of course Ghana, like
Angola, was now finding oil.
The Obamas have been to Africa at
other times, Kenya, for obvious
reasons, as the president’s roots, and
to South Africa, essentially to relate
with the great Nelson Mandela, and
F.W. de Klerk, the duo that dismantled
white minority rule, and Bishop
Desmond Tutu.
United States Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton is therefore the highest ranking
American public officer to visit the
Goodluck Jonathan Administration, and
there is a lot to see in and out of this.
Of course strongman Abacha was not
on talking terms with America up to his
sudden death, and for the well known
reasons of bad records of civil rights
and social justice particularly for the
‘agitative’ Niger Delta and democracy
activists. That Mrs Clinton came to
Nigeria is the result of an open small
window — a flicker of light that seems
to say that if prodded further,
President Jonathan could turn Nigeria
around into the fullness of its potential.
I think that America feels slightly at
ease with Nigeria’s security protocol
under the new National Security Adviser
Sambo Dasuki, and can afford a whistle
stop visit for its fourth personality in its
political hierarchy.
One can therefore appreciate that Mrs
Clinton has implored President
Jonathan to take the tough decisions
that were needed in tackling insecurity
and economic problems in the country
and gain the full support of the US in
fighting the Islamic extremist group
Boko Haram.
What are the needed tough decisions?
Between Goodluck and Obama, the
picture appears clear as to who is the
real masquerade called Boko Haram. It
could not have spoken well for the
Nigerian president when he cried out
that he had Boko Haram even in his
government and yet did nothing about
it, at least did not sack or prosecute
anyone that we know, on that account.
It is well known that the Galtimari
Committee has provided a clear road
map, and must have indicted specific
persons but government has not taken
a decision on the reports at least not to
public knowledge, not even to the
taunting of opposition politicians. Yet it
has said a lot that President Jonathan
dared not attend National Day Parades,
and has not enjoyed a security cover
that would enable him summon
courage to visit the states and his
“country-people” devastated by the
insecurity experienced during his
tenure.
Hillary Clinton was not in Nigeria when
her husband President Clinton arrived
with his charming daughter Chelsea,
but President Clinton and his daughter
enjoyed the visit and even spent longer
time than scheduled in the small
Gbagyi settlement of Ashafa accepting
to be adorned in the traditional Agbada
and cap over his shirtsleeves and tie.
Hillary Clinton must have nursed hopes
for her own fun times whenever
opportunity offered a visit to vibrant
Nigeria, but the Secretary of State was
reportedly ushered straight into
President Jonathan’s office soon upon
arrival, under tight security beefed up
by her own that appeared more
prominent than Nigeria’s.
“We want to work with you and we will
be by your side as you make the
reforms and take the tough decisions
that are necessary,” she was reported
to have told Jonathan in a close door
meeting.
Said Mrs Clinton, the United States was
ready to assist Nigeria towards tackling
terrorism head on. However, she noted
that the country may not succeed using
the military and conventional warfare
only.
From the enunciated highlights of
Clinton’s address to President Jonathan,
the bi-national commission, strides in
economic matters, the improvement of
productivity in agriculture, education
and health, security, and diversification
of the economy, so much more may
have been topical. Yet we can see
clearly and expectedly that America has
issues with the level of corruption in
Nigeria. Though much of the corruption
was perpetrated long before President
Jonathan took office, yes indeed for
some curious reasons, the incidents are
being unearthed and made public only
now, no one needs underline the fact
that the volume is monumental and
ongoing — the subsidy scam, the
pension scam, and many more that
Americans know of, that Nigeria
appears to lack the courage to deal
with. What speaks volumes of how
concerned the US is about not so much
the existence of corruption, but the
nimble fight against it is the capacity of
indicted corrupt officials to dribble the
Nigerian judiciary and walk free of
crimes for which they get convicted in
the UK and US.
The statement “make the reforms and
take the tough decisions that are
necessary” is quite loaded. Nigeria is
saddled with a constitution that clearly
is defective and does not augur well for
the even development of the country;
more so, given the naivety of the
operators. It must be embarrassing
that Clinton herself earns a salary far
lower than our legislators with all her
other earnings under the x-ray and
scrutiny of the public. Bold reforms
cannot take place under our climate
without a president that has courage
and indisputable patriotism.
Our high level corruption undermines
democracy, a fundamental area of
focus for the Americans. Corruption has
virtually killed democracy to the extent
that over 95 per cent of our electable
leaders are enjoying office on account
of the decision of 5- or 7-man courts,
against the informed satisfaction and
acceptance of the voters or the
credibility of the Electoral Commissions.
Individuals or cabals own political
parties in our democracy to the extent
that leadership cannot, like in America,
emerge out of the competition of
competence and content of character
as we are seeing from the Romney/
Ryan Republican challenge of the
Obama/Biden Presidency. I doubt that
America even understands our type of
democracy and it must be a source of
worry that the US is investing a lot to
support the ideals and institutions that
we are NOT building! Many state
governors have instead subverted their
legislatures and have invaded the local
councils to the extent that no elections
are held in this vital third tier! Clinton
may not have stopped short of
expressing angst that the American
investment is not bearing appreciable
fruit. When Clinton spoke of bold
decisions, to me, she meant a
commitment to addressing the
attainment of ideals, and adhering to
the values of the majority carrying the
vote according to the wishes of the
people.
Did President Jonathan hear Clinton? Or
were her admonitions mere desperate
words of a corner coach to a losing
boxer in a fight he can and must win?
The coming weeks may reveal.
Of course Nigeria is important to the
US as a desirable military ally in the
West Coast of Africa, and a vital source
of sweet crude oil. It must cause the
US pain to see this giant of Africa
degenerate from the regional power
that it once was, capable under
Babangida and Abacha, of ferrying its
armed muscle to stabilise failing
democracies in the region, yet today,
no longer capable of ensuring the
security of its citizenry. How are the
mighty fallen.

#CONSENSUS 2015