See President Jonathan’s 2015 Covenant With Nigeria

Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do
not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’
–Matthew 5:33 KJV
'You shall be careful to do what has passed your lips, for you have
voluntarily vowed to the Lord your God what you have promised with
your mouth. –Deuteronomy 23:23 ESV
'When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no
pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. It is better that you should not
vow than that you should vow and not pay'. – Ecclesiastes 5:4-5 ESV
O you who believe! Why do you say that which you do not do? It is
most hateful to Allah that you should say that which you do not do. -
Qur'an 61:2-3
Quoting President Goodluck Jonathan, in Addis Ababa on January
31st, 2011, while meeting with Nigerians working in the UN and the
AU, as reported by Daniel Idonor in an article in Vanguard of 1st
February, 2011, captioned, I‘ll not contest 2015 election – Jonathan:
“President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, said he has no ambition to
stay in office beyond 2015 , assuring Nigerians in Diaspora that while
he will not contest the 2015 election, he will ensure that this year’s
election is free and fair.” not-contest-2015-election-jonathan/
This particular article was viral. Over 5000 people shared it on the
Vanguard page alone. This translated to hundreds of thousands
reading it online and many more in the print version. It was one more
of many instances in the run up to the April 2011 election where the
serving President of Nigeria assured the country’s people that if re-
elected; he will not contest in the elections in 2015, him being
strongly of the opinion that “four years is more than enough to make
all invaluable changes to a nation.”
By 2015, Jonathan would have been in Aso rock and the executive
governance of Nigeria for 8 years total. 2 years 9 months as Vice
President under a very ill and regularly absent President, 3 months as
acting President, 1 year as President in a first short term, completing
the term of late Yar’adua, and 4 more years as President and
commander –in-chief for a second, full term.
Not a novice to the possibilities of the office, the President had
already experienced considerable time as President and Vice (4 years)
and made enough executive decisions to appreciate and understand
the full context of his promise. He knew what could be done in 1+
year he had served as President and 2+ years as Vice; and
consequently understood properly better than any of us, realistically
how the 4 years he solicited and promised will be enough, and all
more time he needed to give Nigeria fresh air.
Was this promise to complete his work for Nigeria by 2015 and not
contest re-election, the word and bond of Mr. President? We have
heard that he signed this same promise. We have seen several
different copies and instances of the same promise at other times in
all other major Nigerian editorials.
Verily if this was not what the President said and promised Nigeria as
a covenant to woo and court our support to vote him in, in the April
2011 Presidential elections, he would have refuted these headlines
spread in all Nigeria’s top dailies.
Reno Omokri, Reuben Abati, Doyin Okupe or whoever was Mr.
President’s media and publicity person at the time, did not come
forward to dissociate Mr. President from this covenant, as is the case
in more trivial perceived misrepresentations. Clearly this is the word,
bond and covenant of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan with the
people of Nigeria, made before God and man.
This was the covenant upon which the Nigerian masses agreed to
select him and vote him into power.
These simple, fresh-breezy words, the promise to not deathly cling on
to power but to rather ensure he establishes a free and fair playing
ground come 2015 for whoever might contest, made many of us
support his candidacy. This was not just another political promise.
This was his memento insignia.
We have little excuse not to give him the benefit of trust. He swore to
us that he will not be a liar:
What I do promise is this -- if I am elected president in 2011, I will
make a covenant with you, the Nigerian people, to always do right by
you, to tell you the truth at all times… –Goodluck Jonathan on
faceBook; CNN, September 15, 2010
It is 12 months to elections! Nigerians call upon our President to
fulfill the other part of his covenant, - the creation of a true and
decent election setup for the best State and Presidential candidates
who emerge from PDP, APC, LP, PDM, NCP, SNP, APGA, AD and
whatever other political platforms to contest come 2015. He will do
well by also helping Nigeria establish a decree that bans all old
politicians and their crooked friends, mentors and mentees from future
elections, participation, sponsorship or otherwise. It is time for our
Youth… a fresh start… a new leaf. Like clock-work, throughout our
history, the Military take over when we violate our promises to the
people and mess-up. Do we want this?
Mr. President has not come out to declare he will violate his word
and break his covenant. I do trust our President will not do any such
thing. I believe he is a man of honor, of truth and a man who fears
God.
Sadly and why I write this is that, I believe it is legally permissible for
him to say he is not running; what he cannot yet do is say he is
running —due to INEC stipulations. I wonder why he hesitates to say
what Nigeria is sure he will —that he won’t be running? Why toy with
us on something as serious as a covenant before God and man with a
pledge to be true and do right?
Now, indeed and in truth and from the beginning of time and surely
till the end of time, people will break their covenants to man and God
and renege on their vows.
But let those of us who do so beware, and let those of us who support
such betrayal and fraud be conscious of the consequences. “The Lord
has no pleasure in fools!”
May the anger and curse of God not be upon the great peoples and
nations of Nigeria. Amen.


By Dr. Peregrino Brimah

http://ENDS.ng [Every Nigerian Do Something]
Email: drbrimah@ends.ng
Twitter: @EveryNigerian