Once Upon a Time in Gambia by Reuben Abati

I have very vivid memories of my last visit to The Gambia. This was in 2013 when President Goodluck Jonathan paid a two-day visit to the country.  In the course of that visit, President Jonathan commissioned the new Chancery of the Nigerian Embassy in Banjul, and also met with the Nigerian community, in addition to the usual bilateral meetings. Nigeria and The Gambia have very strong cultural and diplomatic relations.

       We were quartered at a very nice, hospitable sea-side hotel, the Coco Ocean Resort. One of the first things I noticed was the large population of female tourists, lounging by the pool-side and the sea-side, with biceps-wielding, six-packs-flaunting young dark-skinned men on the prowl, with gigolo-ish gait and mien. A female member of our entourage who had gone to the restaurant alone, later returned - visibly shaken and alarmed and what was her problem: one of the male ushers in the hotel had asked her if she would need a man to keep her company so she could have a real taste of Gambian hospitality. 

Photos: Fmr. President Jonathan's 58th Birthday

Fmr. President Goodluck Jonathan and Reuben Abati

Fmr. President Goodluck Jonathan

Fmr. President Goodluck Jonathan and Family

Fmr. President Goodluck Jonathan and Family

Fmr. President Goodluck Jonathan and Family

Fmr. President Goodluck Jonathan's 58th Birthday Cake

Fmr. President Goodluck Jonathan and Family

Fmr. President Goodluck Jonathan and Family

Fmr. President Goodluck Jonathan and Family

Biafra, O’odua, and the 7th lesson, by Reuben Abati

Democracy does not necessarily translate into the disappearance of crises and dilemmas, (even trilemmas, quadrilemmas or more) in a country, either developed, developing or perhaps evolutionary. Built into the fabric of the right to choose is also the right to make mistakes and so, across Africa at this moment, in Nigeria, Tanzania, Cote d’Ivoire, Burundi, Guinea Conakry, Rwanda, the lessons are being driven home, as elections are being held or have been held or will be held, that even as democracy spreads within the continent, the tension between stabilization and consolidation, trade offs and efficiency, pessimism and optimism, ethnocentrism and nationalism, remains a major concern.      Whatever the challenges may be however, both local and international authorities have a duty to ensure that the people learn from their mistakes, build on those mistakes positively, and prevent a relapse to either militarism or militarized democracy disguised either as benevolent democracy or charismatic autocracy, or ethnic revanchism as an option for national movement.  The people’s right to make mistakes, oxymoronic as it may seem, is part of the democratic challenge. In Nigeria, our biggest mistake lies in the strange assumption that our problems will disappear simply through intra-elite displacement or the symbolism of grand gestures.  And so, we end up with a boringly repetitive national life cycle.

Six lessons we have learnt by Reuben Abati

THE democratic experience in Nigeria has definitely been a continuing learning curve, and the more lessons we learn at various active centres: people, platforms and processes, the richer our democracy, the stronger the society evolves to deliver a brighter future for the sovereign.

The greatest residue of our democracy in the last 16 years (1999–2015), I think, is the manner in which our community has been enriched by lessons that have practically changed our lives. The democratic deficit is less than the gain; for us, democracy is essentially liberative and should endure.

PRESIDENT JONATHAN CONDOLES SENATE PRESIDENT ON SISTER’S DEATH AND PEOPLE OF PLATEAU STATE ON PASSING AWAY OF FORMER GOVERNOR

President Goodluck Jonathan has, on behalf of himself, his family, the Federal Government and people of Nigeria, written to condole the Senate President, Senator David Mark on the death of his younger sister, Mrs. Mary Onma-Adakole.

"It is with great sadness that I write to express my heartfelt condolences to you, the Adakole John family, and the entire members of the Mark family of Oturkpo on the untimely death of your dear younger sister, Mary Onma in the prime of her life. 
 
"My heart especially goes out to you in your moment of grief considering the unfortunate circumstance of her passing. 
 
"I pray that Almighty God grants you and all whom she has left behind the fortitude to cope with the pain of this irredeemable loss.

OBASANJO’S LETTER UNBECOMING, SELF-SERVING AND HIGHLY PROVOCATIVE

We have noted the publication on several websites today of a letter recently written by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo to President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.
The Presidency acknowledges that it has indeed received the said letter from Chief Obasanjo.

We however find it highly unbecoming, mischievous and provocative that a letter written by a former Head of State and respected elder statesman to President Jonathan  has been deliberately leaked to the mass media in a deplorable effort to impugn the integrity of the President and denigrate his commitment to giving Nigeria the best possible leadership.

While many patriotic, objective and well-meaning Nigerians have already condemned the leaked letter as self-serving, hypocritical, malicious, indecent, and very disrespectful of the highest office in the land, President Jonathan has directed that none of his aides or any government official should join issues with Chief Obasanjo over it.

Police kills two NSCDC officials, shoot five

Gabriel Adaji

Policemen in Ikorodu area of Lagos State have been accused of killing two officials of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps.
It was learnt that five other NSCDC officials sustained gun shot wounds during the incident which occurred around midnight.
Reliable sources at the NSCDC told our correspondent that the slain officials, Gabriel Adaji and Innocent Akegbe, were on duty with their colleagues when they had an altercation with the police.
A senior NSCDC official, who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, said, "Around midnight, a team of NSCDC officials had just arrested some suspected vandals during a raid.
Punch
 

Photos: President Jonathan's visit to Mali

  
FROM LEFT: PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN, INTERIM PRESIDENT OF MALI, MR DIOCOUDE TRAORE AND THE

NIGERIAN AMBASSADOR TO NIGERIA, MR ILIYA HUHU AT THE BAMAKO SENOU INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT DURING THE

PRESIDENT'S OFFICIAL VISIT TO MALI ON FRIDAY IN BAMAKO

 

 

   

PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN (L) WITH THE LEADER OF THE COUP OF 22ND MARCH 2012 IN MALI, CAPT. AHMADOU AYA SANOGO AFTER A MEETING IN BAMAKO ON FRIDAY (19/10/12)

Reuben Abati photo

Reuben Abati SA Media

Photos: President Goodluck Jonathan at United Nations General Assembly

President Jonathan discussing with the President of the Swiss
Confederation, Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf in New York.

President Jonathan conferring with Prime Minister Patrice Trovoada of
Sao Tome and Principe in New York on Wednesday.

   

President Jonathan, Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, Bill Clinton and
others at the UN Headquarters in New York.

President Jonathan addressing the Nigeria Investment Forum in New York
on Wednesday.

State House Photos