Many christian worshippers at the National Christian Centre in Abuja today mocked and laughed at President Goodluck Jonathan when he described his government as second only to the United States of America in its commitment to fighting corruption.
The President was speaking during the church service, during which several of his ministers, advisers, women organisations, political apologists, chairmen of commissions, and former Heads of State Yakubu Gowon and Olusegun Obasanjo were in attendance.
“Our commitment to the fight against corruption is second to that of America’s commitment. We are very commitment to it and everybody knows.”
As soon as he said this, members of the congregation looked at him incredulously and began to chuckle and laugh, as if they had just heard the punch line to a new joke.
But his appointees and friends tried to save the moment by clapping. It was unclear whether they were clapping for the joke, or in cheers, but a senior member of the government who spoke anonymously with newsmen after the service, said Jonathan was merely deceiving himself.
“Who does not know that this government is weak when it comes to fighting corruption? I think Jonathan is deceiving himself and not Nigerians,” he said smiling.
Coming ahead of his address to the nation tomorrow on the occasion of Nigeria’s 52nd anniversary as an independent nation, President Jonathan’s statement about his commitment to combating corruption seems certain to lead to a new round of jokes among Nigerians.
Asked to comment on the statement today, a New York based analyst simply described himself as “FHLA.” Asked the meaning of that, he said, “I am Fighting Hypocrisy Like the Americans.”
It would be recalled that last Monday at a conference of the Nigerian Institute of Management in Abuja, President Jonathan told Nigerians he is now ready to fight corruption with everything at his disposal.
“My administration will fight corruption and associated social vices until they are exterminated from our body polity,” he said, opening the conference.
He then left for the United Nations General Assembly, where the American press promptly identified his delegation as one of the most financially reckless, his Pierre Hotel suite alone costing Nigeria $10,000 per night. The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, occupied suites in two different hotels, one at the Four Seasons Hotel for $5,000 per night; and the other at Mr. Jonathan’s hotel for $3,000 per night.
Reporting on Nigeria’s squandermania, America’s National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), said, “Nigeria’s delegation is keeping five vehicles parked outside the Pierre Hotel where the cheapest room is about $800 a night – or roughly what most Nigerians earn in two years."
A SaharaReporters investigation found that the NNPC delegation actually rented a total of 10 limousines in New York for its seven visiting officials, at a daily cost of $1,800 per day. It was five of those vehicles that NBC found idling at Pierre.
“If Mr. Jonathan is going to ‘fight corruption and associated social vices until they are exterminated’,” a Nigerian newspaper columnist said today, “he is going to have a very large battlefield, and also a lot of opportunities for Nigerians to laugh at a bad joke.”
SaharaReporters
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All he promotes is corruption and crime... Imagine paying Asari Dokubo millions of naira instead of slaughtering d terrorist, we would soon hear Boko Haram too is on FG payroll after negotiation. Jonathan is just a ugly nightmare
ReplyDeleteOkkkk he wants to bribe all the corrupt officials, political thugs n terrorists with nigeria's pocket so they can calm down. And then spend more of our money celebrating the victory over corruption?
DeleteLying with impunity in Gods house? Ppl don't fear n respect God anymore,his watching u Mr Goodluck
ReplyDeleteGod's sent messiah,the shoeless fisherman son who want every Nigerian to walk without feet.
ReplyDeleteWow. That's a new one.
ReplyDeleteWhat a deluded donkey....
The writer of this news article is either been paid by an opposition party as the media is daily been used against GEJ administration. If any of you were to be the president I believe you wouldn't have done any better. Atimes I wonder where our media houses and journalism are heading to? With few millions the opposition can use them to fight anybody! Its a shame! For me despite the challenges in the country GEJ administration has performed well and I can only criticize him after his tenure and not after just one or two years! Pls, I am warning all sponsored journalist against GEJ govt to be warned or face the consequences!
ReplyDeletewhat a pity..hypocrisy at the highest order..i wouldn't blame Mr. Goodluck, corruption has been legalized and written into the constitution of Nigeria. This expenditures are what account for recurrent expenditures that eat very deep into our budget every year..thank God we are opportune to know all this (Thank God for technology),that is the way they waste our tax payers and oil money abroad all in the name of attending meetings and conferences..may God help NIGERIA...
ReplyDeleteplz lets see sometin good in this governance, give the president some credit & stop all this critism.
ReplyDeletesay & sspeak sometin gud about him dt can go a long. Long Live the ppl of Nigeria!!!!
It is fitting and appropriate for our Mr. Pressy to go to church and do as he has been said to have done. Follow country men and women, please do not forget that it was also in a church that he knelt down before man, our one and only GO, to be anointed as Nigeria's Messiah.
ReplyDeleteits a wake up call for him. The laugh is a good one. Its high time we stop clapping for pple in pretence
ReplyDeleteAn american has already referred to him as an hypocrite. How can you be fighting corruption and you and your delegate to UNGA are going on a spending spree, wasting resources ought to be used for profitable ventures or solves some minor problems. Thousands are homeless, hungry and devastated due to the flooding in most part of the middle belt and northern Nigeria. Some farmlands has been destroyed as a result of the floods nothing is been said or done about that. You are claiming you are fighting corruption. CORRUPTION MY FOOT.
ReplyDeleteWell 4 watever a man sow shall he reep,let's check ourself properly as an individual B/4 we judge others.God'll judge mankind on de last d
ReplyDeleteI don't blame Jonathan I blame the pastor of that church Who never told Him the truth all these while that He can nt deciev God
ReplyDeleteHw did Nigerians expect GEJ to solve Nigerian problem within one and half yr in d office, d nation dat spoiled since 38 yrs ago. Remember dat it is easy to spoil dan to repair.
ReplyDeleteOn what strength was Adenuga awarded a GCON, to mention only one of the national honours recipients? How transparent were the bidding of PHCN substations sold to questionable politicians? What has become of Farouk Lawan's case? He who weeps still sees clearly. Nigerians are weeping, groaning under the yoke of poverty, but we still see clearly. Do your math before chattering in public, GEJ. If your public comments ever made sense, we'd have seen the proof at your New York address. No one gives any thought to your glib talks.
ReplyDeleteI think we need to cut our president some slack. Personally, I have never seen in 9ja a year when so many corrupt people were investigated like this year. We need to work with our president, because a divided nation cannot stand!
ReplyDeleteAM A NORTHERNER FROM BENUE STATE AND HE IS BETTER THAN ANY NORTHERN LEADER EVER . WHAT HAVE THE NORTHERN ELDERS DONE IN THE 30YRS THEY HAVE BEEN RULING ? S I PITY ANY PERSON INSULTING JONATHAN BEFORE YOU DO THAT GO AND READ THE BOOK .......... WHO IS THIS ALLAH BY .G.J.O MOSHAY OR EMAIL..... firelineinternational@yahoo.co.uk ...request for the book.
ReplyDeleteTHEN YOU WILL KNOW WHAT THIS MAN IS PASSING TRU AND WHY THEY ARE FRUSTRATING HIM .
IF YOUR FROM SOUTH SOUTH,WEST OR EAST AND YOU ARE INSULTING THIS MAN YOU ARE A FUCKING DUMMY GO N READ THAT BOOK AND COME BACK HERE N INSULT HIM .
Akor, there is a maxim that says, "if you cannot stand the heat, don't go to the kitchen."
ReplyDeleteHunnn God, it is only God that knows the best and he will surely save us one day
ReplyDelete9jaguy, what use is an investigation without conviction. Since the subsidy wahala, Pres. should have made that his only focus and we would have been sumwhere by nw. There is no sincerity in this Gov. This basically is an issue that affects the life of every Nigerian. And if handled right would have improved the life of Nigerians. But nothing has been done to those accused of the subsidy scandal. Now that they are saying that light is becoming steady, have u heard of the astronomical increase in bills? That is the only thing that seems to have improved and we are paying more than a minimum wage for it. Guy, Nobody listens to or go to A Night of a Thousand Laughs and frown. They just laugh it all out.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking heresy in the house of God.......Jeroboam, Oh I mean, Jonathan, be careful
ReplyDeleteI guess he just read the speech as was written by his experts...I guess it was when the congregation started to clap that he probably checked the paragraph to discover what was actually written in it.If it's funny you can laugh na?...if Nigeria is a joke...it's me and you that is the joke...is it not Nigerians who make up Nigeria? Or was it not our vote that brought in this administration?? Think before you laugh...as you may be the bigger joker at the choice you have made...
ReplyDelete