Why I Want To Continue In 2011

Presiddent Goodluck Jonathan at Eagle Square, Abuja yesterday

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President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday formally declared his ambition to run for president on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in next year’s elections, promising to transform the country if elected and called on the electorate to only vote “uncontaminated leaders” into offices in 2011 elections.

Jonathan, who disclosed how he defied pressure from unnamed people to declare soon after he became president, following the demise of President Umaru Musa Yar’adua, said he refused to declare earlier because he needed time to consult properly. “After the consultations, thorough self-examination and prayers with my family, I decided to offer myself as a candidate in the presidential primaries of the PDP.”

He stated this at a grand ceremony at the Eagle Square, Abuja attended by 26 state governors, Senate President David Mark, Speaker Dimeji Bankole, ministers, party top-notches’ and thousands of supporters.

“From the moment I was sworn-in as President, I came under intense pressure to make a declaration concerning my political future, but declined to do so because it would have immediately distracted us from all the development initiatives we have accomplished so far.

“As President and leader of this government, I decided not to place partisan politics above the immediate needs and priorities of our people. I therefore told Nigerians to give me time to concentrate on my work, and that at the appropriate time, I would make a public statement on my political future after widespread consultations.

“Those consultations have now been concluded. The Independent National Electoral Commission has recently announced a time table for the 2011 general elections in the country. My party, the Peoples Democratic Party, has also published a timetable for its primaries

“The past four months that I have served as President of Nigeria have opened my eyes to the vast potentials of this office as a potent instrument for the transformation of our country. I discovered that by sheer willpower, I could end the long queues and price fluctuations in our petrol stations. Today, all our refineries are working, saving us huge amounts of funds spent on importation of petroleum products.

He pledged to conduct free and fair election despite being a candidate in the election.

He said Nigeria was on the threshold of a new era; an era that beckons for a new kind of leadership and as such, the electorate should vote for “a leadership that is uncontaminated by the prejudices of the past; a leadership committed to change; a leadership that reinvents government, to solve the everyday problems that confront the average Nigerian,” a statement observers say was a veiled reference to his political rival, former Head of State, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida.

Jonathan, who listed his achievements, said, “ I discovered that by insisting that the right things be done, we could begin a turn-around in our power sector by involving the private sector in power generation and distribution. As you can see from the lower quantities of diesel that you are buying today, power generation has significantly improved.

“I have put in place new gas policies and very soon, we will be saying goodbye to gas flaring in our oil fields. Working with the National Assembly, we rolled out a law that requires companies operating in the oil and gas sectors of our economy to utilize an appreciable percentage of their goods and services from local sources. We saw to it that normalcy began to return to the Niger Delta by ensuring government’s fidelity to its promises, and this has helped to stabilize our national revenue.

“In the last few months, I embarked on monumental projects in our road infrastructure to end the carnage on our federal highways. I began several projects to make our water resources available for drinking and farming. I targeted our educational system to return quality and competitiveness to them. I re-addressed our drive for self sufficiency in food production. I have taken bold steps to confront our security situation. In this regard, we are pursuing the revision of our laws to be more responsive to international conventions and more punitive to criminals.

“I set the stage for free and fair elections by constituting an electoral commission comprising of Nigerians with impeccable credentials for firmness and incorruptibility. I charged our anti corruption agencies to speed up the war against corruption, and respect no sacred cows in the process. In the management of the economy, I advocated a more transparent banking industry, price stability, low inflation, and aggregate increase in productivity as a way to drive us to a more prosperous economy. In international relations, I advanced the respectability accorded our country by effective engagement in global fora.”

Jonathan also went down memory lane and narrated how he rose from lower cadre to the echelon and called on Nigerians not to lose hope in life.

“I was not born rich, and in my youth, I never imagined that I would be where I am today, but not once did I ever give up. Not once did I imagine that a child from Otuoke, a small village in the Niger Delta, will one day rise to the position of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I was raised by my mother and father with just enough money to meet our daily needs.

“In my early days in school, I had no shoes, no school bags. I carried my books in my hands but never despaired; no car to take me to school but I never despaired. There were days I had only one meal but I never despaired. I walked miles and crossed rivers to school every day but I never despaired. Didn’t have power, didn’t have generators, studied with lanterns but I never despaired.

In spite of these, I finished secondary school, attended the University of Port Harcourt, and now hold a doctorate degree.”