LAGOS — Second Republic and first executive
President of Nigeria, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, is happy
that the country has witnessed 16 years of
unbroken democratic rule and wants the trend
sustained.
The octogenarian, who will be 90 years on February
25, said the country is maturing politically and
commended President Goodluck Jonathan for
promoting the unity of the country.
The former president, who was toppled on
December 31, 1983 by the Major-General
Muhammadu Buhari (retd) military coup stressed
the need to strengthen our democratic, saying: “I
sincerely could never have imagined that in my life
time, under constitutional rule, with a deep and
broad mandate, a zoologist from Bayelsa, one of our
youngest states, could rise to become Commander-
in-Chief.
“There is no better indicator that, while much
remains to be achieved, our beloved Nigeria is
slowly but surely maturing politically. Almost
unwittingly, we are strengthening our democratic
practice. And we must acknowledge and be thankful
of the fact that Jonathan has taken it upon himself
to diligently promote one Nigeria not only in words
but in action.”
Shagari conveyed the thoughts through his foreword
to the book; “Jonathan: A Photographic Journey to
the Presidency,” which was circulated, weekend, in
Lagos when President Jonathan took his re-election
campaign to the top echelon of the country’s
business community.
In the seven-paragraph foreword to the 398-page
book, Shagari, who recalled Jonathan’s topsy-turvy
journey to power, said the president’s accelerated
electoral reforms and political will ensured that the
2011 general polls were credible and peaceful.
His words: “Without the acceleration of electoral
reforms achieved as a result of President
Jonathan’s political will, the Independent National
Electoral Commission, INEC, would not have been
able to guarantee relatively free and fair elections in
2011.
Much remains to be done
“While the Jonathan administration lays claim, and
rightly so, for assuring that INEC could carry out its
work unimpeded by what had become almost
routine ‘bottlenecks’ and practices in the
administration of Nigerian elections hitherto, we
must not forget the role popular opinion played as
well. Much remains to be done, but we are now
more confident that INEC can become an effective
and independent institution.”
On the book, he said: “As I looked through the book,
I was reminded of the responsibilities and roles our
leaders undertake daily to help move our beloved
nation forward. In the case of President Jonathan, a
lot has been said and written about his style,
strategy and keenness. Anyone who picks up at this
book will surely appreciate how hard he works, how
earnest he is and how much energy and bonhomie
he brings along with him.
“The book also reminds me of how much Nigeria’s
states and communities are inter-linked in so many
ways. This is a reminder of the role citizens play in
securing democracy and democratic institutions.
And Indeed Nigerians have been at the forefront in
ensuring that ‘things’ get better.
“Most of all, I was reminded how much, over the
past four years, our young democracy has grown in
terms of tolerance and inclusion which embraces,
accepts and celebrates our diverse cultures and
communities.”
The elder statesman hoped that the book will lead to
the production of more books with stories “that will
heighten our collective understanding of how our
democracy is being built. Stories that will remind us
of how far we have come. Stories that will inspire
us to continue to hold our political leaders
accountable for ensuring that Nigeria delivers the
basic needs of Nigerians, and that it takes on its
global responsibilities and leadership with same
sense of focus with which it is nurturing and
building its democratic traditions.”
www.vanguardngr.com/2015/01/jonathan-promoting-one-nigeria-shagari/

OBJ should learn from this real stateman.