You’re Encouraging Corruption Too, Nigerians Tell President Jonathan

Nigerians reacted on Wednesday to a report alleging that President Goodluck Jonathan accused the citizens of encouraging corruption in the country.
While declaring open the 54th annual conference of the Nigerian Economic Society in Abuja on Tuesday, the President had reportedly said that if Nigerians did not “reward corrupt practices” through their actions, those involved would have no need to continue.
Responding to the statement on the social media, many Nigerians applauded Jonathan’s position and then, cautioned him against putting the blame for corruption entirely on them.
The respondents said the President, through his inability to lead by example, had failed to provide a lasting solution to corruption.
Some of those who disapproved of Jonathan’s statement said he goofed by casting the first stone.
They went on to accuse him of promoting corruption by granting state pardon to a former Governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, who had been convicted on charges of corruption.
A respondent on punchng.com, Yemy, said Jonathan had demonstrated his tacit support for corrupt Nigerians by granting pardon to Alamieyeseigha.
The reader said, “No doubt that President Goodluck Jonathan is spot on. However, he who comes to equity must come with clean hands. GEJ seems to me a bad advertisement of the product he wants to sell. How would you describe the pardon granted Alamieyeseigha? Is that not rewarding corruption?”
A Facebook user, Prince Oyelola Timothy-Adesanya, argued that since the President inadvertently gave a pass mark to his former boss, who was indicted for corruption by a competent court, he was not morally fit to lecture other Nigerians on the need to shun corrupt individuals.
“Hello Mr. President, it seems you don’t know who stands on the wheel chair of corruption. The case study is Alamieyeseigha and the public fund of Bayelsa State. Don’t forget your office gave him a pass mark for the wrong doing? Oga Jonathan, who is deceiving who?” Timothy-Adesanya said.
Another respondent on nairaland.com, Batman, noted that since the President encouraged corruption through his actions, he was not in a vantage position to cry foul.
Batman wrote, “He (Jonathan) encourages corruption. So what do you expect everyone under him to do? Why is he the leader? Doesn’t he know he is the number one person that should serve as an example? A body always goes where the head tells it to go.
“The moment he (Jonathan) stops waving and smiling sheepishly and takes a tough stance against corruption in high places, see if the chain reaction won’t transmit to the grassroots.”
But, just as Jonathan urged Nigerians to “frown on people who come up with what they are not supposed to have” with a view to checking corruption, a Facebook user, Bam Olugbenga-Odugbesan, asked, “When your mother (Eunice), a dependant for that matter, donates multimillion naira block of hostels to the Federal University, Otuoke, Bayelsa State and you applaud her without asking where she got the money from, is that not corruption?’’
Meanwhile, Jonathan was also rebuked for stating that he would not reveal the identities of those engaged in corrupt practices in both the private and public sectors citing concerns that he could be “attacked.”
The statement was described by many people as the President’s own way of admitting that he is afraid of fighting corruption.
They hinged their argument on the fact that since he has the state apparatus at his disposal, he should not hesitate to wield such powers rather than express the fear of being “attacked.”
“Jonathan, you are the number one citizen of Nigeria and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. Are you scared of some individuals and groups in the public and private sectors?
“If you can’t mention their names and punish them, then you are encouraging them with a pat on the back,’’ another Nigerian, Okafor Nolly, said on Facebook.
One Abiodun Johnson also noted, “He doesn’t have to name names. He could easily arrest and prosecute them. But he is afraid of being attacked! Nigeria is in trouble.’’
However, one Tony Are on punchng.com disagreed with Nolly saying, “If the President should mention names. Many of us will say he is attacking his enemies because of his 2015 ambition. Now he is saying nothing and you still call him names.” -Punch