The outrage, Professor Ogungbemi, is that people like you want to extend to Nigerian presidents and such like the esteem that they have not earned. If a president, disregarding his exalted office, makes a habit of lying, it is our duty as citizens to point out that he is a liar--and that he has betrayed the high expectations of his office. Rather than importune citizens to "respect the office" that the occupant/incumbent has disrespected by lying, you ought to harangue holders of high office not to devalue their positions by acting abominably or deplorably.
I abhor the self-debasing self-censorship that invites us to speak untruth in the alleged name of exhibiting respect for an office that has been thoroughly devalued by an incumbent, whether he/she be a president, governor, minister, commissioner, local government chairman, chairperson of a board.
Strictures like yours, Professor Ogungbemi, have the effect of encouraging corruption and bad leadership. You'd not insist, say, that a president/governor/minister ought not to steal public resources. Instead, you'd rebuke those who--faced with incontrovertible proof--make the correct, truthful judgment by calling a thieving president/governor/minister by the proper name: THIEF!
Let's remember that Jonathan himself was in Yenogoa last Friday and mocked Sylva (who held the exalted office of governor) for being incompetent. Jonathan gleefully, approvingly recalled that Bayelsans once stoned the ex-governor, who's fallen out of favor with the president for personal reasons, not on any grounds of principle. All Sylva did was to expose Jonathan's hypocrisy--pointing out that the president, after the stoning incident, had returned and praised the now rusticated governor as an achiever. In other words--the conclusion is inescapable--Jonathan lied, then or now (or perhaps both times!).
Nor should we be in a hurry to dismiss Sylva's oblique, veiled suggestion that the contractor building the controversial Tower Hotel was building a country home for some unnamed official--perhaps Jonathan(?). If Sylva's allegation holds up, and the president is found to be the beneficiary of the contractor's largesse, then we must conclude that Jonathan is not only a bloody liar, he's also corrupt to boot.
Finally, my dear professor, why do you think it's okay for a hapless, deprived, minimum-wage earning Nigerian to be called a liar if/when he/she lies, but a scandalously privileged president should not be called a liar--even if/when he tells a manifest lie?
Okey Ndibe
From: "Seguno2001@yahoo.com" <seguno2001@yahoo.com>
To: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
Sent: Sunday, February 5, 2012 12:01 PM
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - The President lied -Sylva
I think it is outrageous to call our President a liar. We must respect the office and not disparage it whatever the provocation. Political office holders must learn some decorum because that is part of leadership and maturity.
Prof. SegunOgungbemi.
Biodun Sowunmi <sowunmi@hotmail.com> wrote:
>The President lied -Sylva
>
>FEBRUARY 5, 2012 BY MIKE ODIEGWU
>
>The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party ahead of the February 11 governorship election in Bayelsa State has snowballed into a verbal war between President Goodluck Jonathan and the deposed Governor of the state, Mr. Timipre Sylva.
>
>Apparently angry at the comments of Jonathan against him and his administration during a rally organised by PDP on Friday, Sylva in a daring move on Saturday said the President "goofed and told lies."
>
>Jonathan in the rally had accused Sylva of poor performance, claiming that the former governor was once stoned during one of his presidential visits by protesters who were angry at the lack of development in the state.
>
>The President specifically accused Sylva of abandoning a five-star Tower Hotel project at the level he (Jonathan) left it as the governor, adding that the project had become a monumental disgrace to the state.
>
>But in a swift reaction, Sylva, in a statement signed by his media aide, Mr. Doifie Ola, which was made available to our correspondent in Yenagoa, said it was sad that Jonathan would publicly justify stone-throwing which he said was carried out by a few misguided elements.
>
>He said Jonathan's statements on Friday had confirmed the speculations that the president was the brain behind his travails and his disqualification from contesting the party primary on November 19, 2011.
>
>He said if stone throwing was an indication of non-performance, the president had fallen short of international standard as he was stoned by protesters in Uganda.
>
>He said, "The world now knows better. Everyone is now perfectly well aware of the mastermind of that insult on the Ijaw nation. But let us state that it was not the governor who was disgraced by the stoning. Instead, it was the president himself.
>
>"Now, if stoning is a yardstick for non-performance, are we also right to say that the burning down of the president's house in 2007, in the run-up to that year's general elections, was also an act of rejection by the people of the state?
>
>"A lot of people believed that the burning of his house and the action of militants in 2007 were an expression of rejection. Is the president now confirming that wide belief? In addition, can we also say that the stoning of President Jonathan in May last year in Uganda was a global act of rejection?"
>
>Sylva further said it was after the stoning incident in Yenagoa in late 2010 that the president came back to Yenagoa, raised his (Sylva's) hands in public and spoke glowingly about his achievements.
>
>"It was after the stoning that he came back and voted in the January 2011 PDP governorship primaries and gave a glowing report of Sylva's performance. So what suddenly changed from January 2011 to later that year when President Jonathan manipulated all the institutions of state, including the armed and security forces, the judiciary and critical organs of democracy like the political parties leaving the security and economic challenges which he faced, to embark on Operation Remove Sylva as the sole mandate which the people of Nigeria gave to him?" the ex-governor said.
>
>On the hotel project, Sylva said the president's comments were "barefaced lies and misrepresentation of open facts."
>
>The statement said in part, "Sylva agrees that the job has been delayed, but explains that the reason it has been delayed is because the contractor, whom Jonathan himself chose and awarded the contract to, asked for a variation of N5bn.
>
>"Let Jonathan tell the world how much he paid this contractor and how much Sylva has paid the contractor. Far more than Jonathan's tenure, Sylva has performed given the challenges he faced. It is unfortunate that President Jonathan could have such a disgraceful outing last Friday."
>
>
>Sent from my BlackBerry® Smartphone, from Etisalat. Enjoy high speed internet service with Etisalat easy net, available at all our experience centres
>
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