Change Has Been Here All Along
President Goodluck Jonathan typifies the change that we seek, reckons John Dania
Before I start, I would like to issue a disclaimer. I was not paid to write this neither is this geared towards any political promotion but “if you see good, it is only wise to commend.” Over (include a time period, like last 10 years, 20 years) the years I have seen transformation in Nigeria than I have ever in all my years; ideas, innovations and landmarks being made, much more than it has ever being.It is in the President Goodluck Jonathan regime we got to see 30% women involvement in politics; call him the ladies’ man. In this administration there has been transformation in the education sector with more private universities being established, more roads being constructed, more youth involvement and our rail systems functional again.One of the productive innovations has been the Subsidy Re-investment Programme (SURE-P). Though there is a high level of unemployment in the country, there are more entrepreneurs in the country than there used to be and this was the primary secret of the development of China from Third world to First world.
With the privatisation of the power sector, there has been improvement in power generation. The privatisation of the power sector will definitely bring about competition among providers just like it is in the telecommunication sector. In recent time, there have been alternatives in power generation, ranging from solar to coal and Hydro plants. These were achieved in the Jonathan administration
Under the present leadership, the Ministry of Health has made significant strides in the areas of infrastructure development, disease control and prevention, and immunisation, among others. Some of the achievements include refurbishment of 1,500 primary healthcare facilities and provision of essential drugs, reduced maternal mortality from 545 women per 100,000 to 350 women per 100,000, introduction, for the first time in the history of Nigeria, a curriculum for the training of paramedics, recruitment of 11,300 frontline health workers who were deployed to under-served communities across the country, among many others.
In line with global best practices and the principal aim of the Nigerian Extractive Industry and Transparency Initiative (NEITI), President Jonathan recently forwarded the Petroleum Industry Bill to the National Assembly for passage into law.
By the time the Petroleum Industry Bill is passed into law, Nigeria would have successfully broken the jinx of being a nation where global business rules and practices are flouted with impunity. Estimated annual earnings of 680 billion dollars would be added to our Gross Domestic product. Crude oil theft and other sharp practices are also being combated with much vigour by various security and regulatory agencies on the president’s instructions.
Furthermore, the fuel subsidy regime which had been a conduit pipe through which huge funds were siphoned from the national treasury has been subjected to forensic scrutiny by various agencies and committees set up by President Jonathan in the last twelve months. President Jonathan has led the fight to ensure that all Nigerians have access to a first class education, regardless of their background.Understanding that today’s students are tomorrow’s workforce, President Jonathan has worked tirelessly to ensure that students are properly prepared for the industries that will drive Nigeria’s economy in the future.
It is in this administration we would ever hear about the Almajiri Education. This was set up to ensure that everyone regardless of their religious backgrounds have access to education, blended with their beliefs.
The Nigerian aviation industry comprises 21 airports managed by FAAN (6 of these are designated international airports); 4 privately owned airports; 226 helipads and heli-decks; and 40 aerodromes. The sector had been characterised by decades of underinvestment, not only in the fixed assets, such as taxiways, runways and terminal buildings, but also in fire and safety equipment, training, lighting and power generation.
Apart from the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos which was operating beyond its capacity, most of the airports are operating below their designed capacity. The targets of the aviation sector under the TA are to make air transportation the preferred and safest means of transportation, creating a self-sustaining business model and driving socio-economic growth in Nigeria.
One of the first actions of President Jonathan after his election in May 2011 was the signing into law of the Freedom of Information Act. This is noteworthy considering the history of attempts by civil society groups to get this Freedom of Information Bill passed into law since 2000. Transformation is defined as a marked change in form, nature, appearance. This got me thinking, what more is the All Progressives Congress (APC) clamouring about? -Dania contributed this piece via john. dania2@gmail.com