Movie producer, Dickson Iroegbu, penned a public apology to former
President Goodluck Jonathan for what he described as "ganging up" with
other Nigerians against his government in 2012 when the former
president, attempted to remove oil subsidy. Continue to read Dickson's
letter after the cut...
Dear Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, I write to apologize on behalf of
myself and the many repentant Nigerians like me who ganged up against
your government in 2012. Your government's policy to remove subsidy on
the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly known as patrol was completely
misconstrued by us. I was personally deceived by my overzealous
comradely towards millions of Nigerians who had traveled to various
locations at that time to spend Christmas with their loved ones. I was
particularly concerned about NDIIGBO who traditionally returned home in
droves during this period every year. Sir, like millions of Nigerians I
worked for your victory at the polls in 2011, but I considered the
untoward hardship the removal of subsidy on the 1st of January 2012 as
insensitive. It was simply seen as going to inflict serious hardship on
the millions who voted you to power; hence we arose against it.
Yes I
did join the protest, but my dear Sir, I did not consider the long term
positive effect it would have on the economy of our beloved nation at
that particular moment. We joined forces with the NLC and the TUC, and
alongside your political enemies we mobilized hundreds of thousands of
people in protest across the nation.
I matched with my colleagues
from my then abode in Aguda through Surulere (National Stadium), to
Ojelegba, through Maryland, to Ojota where we met a marmot crowd. The
police and all other law enforcement agents under your democratic
leadership were very civil with us; we were never harassed or molested
nor killed. In fact a certain overzealous police man who accidentally
shot at a young man in Mushin area in Lagos during that protest was not
only dismissed from service, but he was also prosecuted and jailed!
SIR, YOU ARE A GOOD EXAMPLE OF A DEMOCRATIC LEADER IN AFRICA!
There
in Ojota, Pastor Tunde Bakare and Sheik Ahmad Abubakar Gumi and Seun
Kuti, and many many others were there. Even my brother Okey Bakassi was
there too! We sang and danced, we gyrated, we cooked and slept there in
the open arena protected by the police, the civil defence, etc.
The
next day we woke up matched on to Ikoyi and converged at Falamo bridge,
where Ali Baba, Prof. Pat Utomi, and the rich men children were gathered
- we had matched through YABA and IDUMOTA, chanting the resurrected
songs of King Fela Anikulapo Kuti. We called you names like, the
shameless shoeless one, the animal in human skin, innumerable and
unprintable names!
Even when you came out in a nationwide broadcast
and addressed the people as President and father of the nation
explaining why you took that unpopular decision, urging the masses to
understand and bear with you for a while, we said no way! We remained
adamant! We booed you! We insulted you!
Mr. President Sir, please
find it in your heart to forgive us. We did not know what we were doing
then; but we understand better now. The same people who deceived us have
turned around and increase the pump price through the back door, in the
guise of subsidy removal. They have inflicted hardship on the Nigerian
masses you love so much. You were not perfect, but you were a loving
father to all of us, you were President and C-in-C to the North, South,
West and the East, but we vilified and treated you with disrespect and
ignominy.
Sir, the economy that flourished under your watch as
President which positioned us as number one economy in Africa and one of
25 fastest growing economies in the world is now at its lowest ebb in
just one year of misrule. In just one year of your exit Nigeria our
beloved country has become a shadow of herself! The picture is so
gloomy, inflation rate is so high! The masses cannot even put food on
their tables, darkness everywhere, electricity generation is at all time
very lowest - killings and maiming, evil looms; our nation Nigeria is
under attack!
May be you could just say a word of prayer sir, "May
Nigeria not erupt in flames and violence under the current draconian
administration" - Sir I say that because there is so much hunger in the
land, and as they say, a hungry man is an angry man! A HUNGRY PEOPLE NA
CONFUSION!
Please find it in your heart to forgive and forget, for
indeed we ganged up against you wrongly. We didn't know that we were
doing wrong to our-own-selves. May God bless you with long life and good
health.
Warm regards.
#CitizenNigeria
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