Sustain Nigerians’ goodwill, act now, Danjuma tells Jonathan

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Sustain Nigerians' goodwill, act now, Danjuma tells Jonathan

Acting President Goodluck Jonathan must move quickly and decisively to maintain calm in the oil-producing Niger Delta, fight corruption and organise transparent elections now he has full authority, a top advisor said on Thursday. Fears of a debilitating power struggle sprang up last week when ailing President Umaru Yar'Adua returned unexpectedly from three months in a Saudi hospital still too frail to rule.But Acting President Goodluck Jonathan has moved quickly to reassert his authority, appointing three new advisory committees this week and on Wednesday chairing his first cabinet meeting since Yar'Adua's return.  Theophilus Danjuma, a retired general and former defence minister appointed to head the main advisory committee, said Jonathan must "act quickly and aggressively" to capitalise on goodwill generated by his leadership so far."Because the times are extraordinary, the measures that need to be taken are not only urgent but extraordinary," Danjuma said in a speech to mark the inauguration of the committee. "What you did not have in the past was the authority. Now that you have been invested with the authority, the nation expects you to proceed quickly," he said.Classifying electoral reform as the major platform to moving the country forward, Danjuma said: "If all you do, as acting president, is to ensure that our elections are transparent, it shall be sufficient to endear you to the nation and you shall go down in history as one of our greatest leaders," Danjuma said.  He urged Jonathan above all to ensure that the next elections are credible, which would be a marked contrast with those which brought Yar'Adua to power in 2007, dismissed by observers as marred by widespread fraud.Inaugurating the council earlier, Jonathan charged the members to "come up with practical options that will enable this government improve the quality of life of all our citizens. This is beyond politics. It is the big call of our generation. Our citizens are expectant".  Yar'Adua did not formally hand over executive powers when he left for Saudi Arabia in November, leading to months of government paralysis and bringing Nigeria near to constitutional crisis before Jonathan assumed executive powers on February 9 with the backing of parliament and recognition of the cabinet.  The United States and former colonial power Britain have voiced their support for Jonathan and warned that Yar'Adua's powerful aides — struggling to maintain their influence — should not try to undermine his authority.The current presidential term is due to expire in May 2011 and an electoral reform bill before parliament could bring elections forward to as early as November, giving Jonathan only a short period in which to make his mark."One day is a long time in politics ... You have sufficient time to make a difference," Danjuma said.  Jonathan has made peace in the Niger Delta a top priority.Danjuma commended Yar'Adua's "effective use of stick and carrots" in addressing the problems of the Niger Delta and urged Jonathan — who is from the Niger Delta — to implement all the measures agreed under the amnesty.He also said there was a "general feeling that the fight against corruption has slowed down" and called on the acting leader to seize the opportunity to restore momentum.  Western diplomats have decried slow progress in key corruption cases against powerful political figures under Yar'Adua's administration, despite his pledges of zero tolerance for graft in a nation ranked one of the world's most corrupt.

Source: Businessday :: News you can trust

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