FEATURE ARTICLE

Felix AmadiThursday, April 7, 2016

Maputo, Mozambique

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Forwarded by: TEMPLE CHIMA UBOCHI

I OFFER TO GO TO JAIL ON BEHALF OF GOODLUCK JONATHAN

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"For Christ died for sins once and for all, a good man on behalf of sinners, in order to lead you to God. He was put to death physically, but made alive spiritually" (1 Peter 3:18)

n the 4th of April, 2016, at exactly 22:27 pm (Mozambican Time), I switched on my computer to peruse on what was trending in the political sphere of Nigeria. On browsing through Nairaland.com website, I was confronted by a report by Reportsafrique.com posted by the Username "Islie' captioned "EFCC Fixes Date for Jonathan's Arrest". On closer glance, I discovered that the report states that an alleged EFCC source revealed that the former president Dr. Goodluck Jonathan may be arrested before the current administration clocks its first year in office. Hear the alleged EFCC source: "However, be assured that a very big fish will land in our net before May 29. We intend to make the arrest of this big fish a Democracy Day gift to Nigerians". When pressed further to reveal the identity of this big fish by the reporter, the alleged EFCC source retorted, "You are a journalist and should know better". This alleged forthcoming EFCC 'arrest' of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan may not be unconnected with the arrests of Azibaola Robert, the Managing Director of Kakatar Engineering and Construction Company Limited, whom the report described as "Jonathan's closest kinsman" and the Executive Director of the Company, Dakoru Atukpa, on charges of 40million Dollar fraud.

I read this report with every sense of seriousness in me and finally came to the full realization of the true meanings of the age-long adage that gratitude is the least of all virtues and ingratitude the worst of all vices, and the biblical assertion of Jesus Christ that "Prophets are respected everywhere except in their own home town and by their relatives and their family"(Mark 6:4). This arrest report may still exist in the realm of rumor and hear-say, but I have come to realize in life and especially in politics that there is no smoke without fire and that there is always an iota of truth in every rumor. So instead of discarding this report as an utterly piece of rumor and hear-say, I am forced to accord some percentage of certitude to this report, and this has informed my decision as it concerns the caption of this my humble essay, that for whatever reason(s) the former president of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, is arrested, transparently prosecuted and found guilty by a Competent Court of Law regarding his activities as the President of Nigeria from 2011-2015, I Felix Obilor Amadi, a native of Mbaise in Imo State, Nigeria, but currently residing in Maputo, Mozambique, will willingly, gladly and honorably take his place in the prison dungeon or worst still face the hangman on his behalf.

For any one that knows me closely, I live a disciplined and principled life style, for my father always reminded me when I was a seminarian in one of the Catholic Senior Seminaries in Imo State that 'a man without principle dies young'. This paternal injunction lends credence to what the ancient Greek Philosopher Socrates said that 'an unexamined life is not worth living' and it has remained guiding and guarding companion of my life. Again for anyone that knows me very well, a statement of fact can be made that I am not the cheap-publicity-seeking type. I am the reserved and taciturn type. I don't belong to any political party in Nigeria and neither can it be said that any member of my family is a direct beneficiary of the 'benevolence' and 'largesse' of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. My decision is solely motivated by my principled belief that Jonathan did a lot of good for Nigeria and Nigerians and that for any human frailty and reason a Competent Court of law finds him guilty of crimes committed during his tenure as the civilian president of Nigeria (2011-2015), then I will be willingly to face the consequences of any court decision as regards prison sentencing on his behalf. Like the biblical Jesus who died for the sins of the whole world regardless of the fact that himself was sinless (1 Peter 3:18), I offer to take the prison place of this honorable and great Nigerian who sacrificed a lot for the unity and stability of Nigeria. It is an act of honor I am willing to bestow on the man who placed the common good of Nigerians before his personal ambition when he publicly declared in his concession speech thus, "As I have affirmed, nobody's ambition is worth the blood of any Nigerian. The unity, stability and progress of our dear country are more important than anything else". It is a gift of appreciation to the man who resisted the diabolic pressures and machinations of the powers that be on the legalization of same-sex marriage in Nigeria to the glory of God.

I have once written on this medium (nigeriaworld) that in my humble and objective opinion, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan remains the Best President Nigeria has ever had and that with what I am witnessing in the political arena of Nigeria today, he will remain the best Nigeria will have in the foreseeable future. I still stand by my submission and conclusion. So my decision to swap prison places with him is born out of my personal conviction that this Selfless Nigerian deserves respect and honor for the sacrifices he made for the unity of Nigeria against wide spread belief that Nigeria will disintegrate come the 2015 presidential election. The election came and went and thanks to this Irreplaceable Nigerian, blood did not flow in the streets as many anticipated.

I know that there is a concentrated effort by the government of President Muhammadu Buhari to drag the good name and reputation of Jonathan to the mud. This he can do or is doing through the various investigative and security units at his disposal. But one thing Buhari and his cohorts cannot succeed in doing is to force sensible and patriotic Nigerians to dump the good name of Jonathan in the dustbin of truncated history. In the political arena of Nigeria, Jonathan remains a Superstar, an Irreplaceable Icon, a Paragon of Unity and an Iroko of Peace. When the history of Nigeria will be written, for generations to come, the name of Goodluck Jonathan, like that of the late Democratic Icon of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, will appear with a golden inscription. For me, the man Jonathan is a pacesetter in African politics, a serious contender for the Noble Peace Prize award, and an epitome of altruism. So the massive campaign by Buhari's administration to disfigure the Statesman Status of Jonathan will only succeed in catapulting him to enviable heights. If Satan knew what the crucifixion of Jesus would have done to his kingdom, he wouldn't have involved himself in such a self defeating act. If the oppressive Apartheid Government of South Africa knew what the incessant and consistent incarceration of Mandela would have done to the structures of the evil regime, they wouldn't have imprisoned him in the first place. In the same vein, if the Buhari regime knows what the continuous campaign of calumny and castigation will do to this administration in no distant time, it will have a rethink.

I have learnt from my many years of rugged dance with survival that a person is not yet a failure until he sees somebody to blame for his or her misfortunes. The constant shifting of the goal post of blame to Jonathan by the Buhari led administration is the reason for the colossal malfunctioning of the Nigerian economy today. Serious and present day governmental responsibilities are being sacrificed on the altar of blame. No nation can become great when the only path to their greatness is the route of blame and backbiting. The acceleration of the growth and development of Nigeria will become rapid when we acknowledge and celebrate the efforts and sacrifices of patriotic citizens like Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.

Come to think of it, the former president Goodluck Jonathan had a Vice in the person of Namadi Sambo. How come his name is not being mentioned in the many EFCC investigations on the 'corrupt' administration of Jonathan? Or does anyone want me to believe that Sambo was a Super Puppet of Jonathan, a dummy with no knowledge of the inner workings of the 'corrupt' government he served in for years? This appears like a resemblance of yester years drama where under the Dictatorial Iron Fists of Buhari and Tunde Idiagbon, the former civilian president of Nigeria Shehu Shagari (a Moslem) was put under house arrest in an air-conditioned environment for the same 'crime' for which his Vice, Dr. Alex Ekwueme (a Christian), was made to languish in Kirikiri Maximum Prison. Two sets of rules for two sets of people in 'One Nigeria', a Double Standard of the Highest Order, a Beatification of Maladministration, and a Canonization of Corruption. A Repeat Is Glaring Us In The Face Today.

I Rest My Case.

TIT BITS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxLzoEVM2ls&nohtml5=False

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcPJi3moI2k&nohtml5=False

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NL49m-bg4YE&nohtml5=False

THE THANX IS ALL YOURS!!!

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