By Dele Sobowale

“Liars ought to have good memories”.
Algernon Sidney, 1622-1683.

To some people in Nigeria, you hate someone when you tell the truth about him simply because they want those truths buried. I received so many text messages about my hatred for Jonathan instead of people disputing my facts that I now know why people fail exams.

They don’t address the questions raised! However, that is their problem; not mine. The issue today is power supply and the lies that are being peddled by the President’s campaign committee and other fellow travellers. Surely, you must have read in the adverts that Jonathan has increased the power supply to 4,000Mw – a feat we are told which had never been achieved before. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
 
On June 10, 2009, after the Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting was delayed on account of power failure, then President Umaru Yar’Adua, (now late) not only confirmed that “The Power Holding Company of Nigeria has the capacity to generate over 4,000Mw,” but he also announced that the government “had set a target of generating 6,000Mw of electricity by December 2009,” according to a report by THE PUNCH on June 11, 2009, p.2.

 That was not the first promise to Nigerians on power by the PDP governments of Yar’Adua/Jonathan/Sambo. Those with short memories might fail to recollect the following. In February 2008, Yar’Adua startled the entire world by disclosing that “the $10 billion invested in the power sector between 2000 and 2007 (Obasanjo years) did not translate into improved power generation, transmission and distribution,” according to the SUN, Sunday, February 17, 2008. It was further disclosed that “He (Yar’Adua) regretted that of the 79 power generating units across the country only 15 were working, adding that the last transmission line was built in 1987.”

 In that same year, the Yar’Adua/Jonathan/Sambo government promised to increase national power supply to 10,000 Mw by 2011 i.e. this year. Well, 2011 is here, and President Jonathan is now promising 6,000 Mw but in 2012. Why then are we asked to celebrate what in reality is a failure of the Yar’Adua/Jonathan/Sambo government?

Why is Jonathan building a monument to a battle badly lost?

 Would you believe that in 1999, when PDP assumed power at the centre, no single pensioner died on queue while waiting for his entitlements? The price of crude oil was less than $30 per barrel then and the budget about N2 trillion. Today, the budget is close to N4.5 trillion. Meanwhile, pensioners are owed five or six months arrears and 21 staff of the Pensions Office, in the Presidency, are in court for embezzling N14 billion -enough money to pay all pensioners up to date.

 In 12 years, the PDP government, at the Federal level, would have spent approximately N30 trillion – if this year’s N4.5 trillion is added to the previous years. That includes money spent under the table like $24bn from the illegal Excess Crude Oil Account and amounts unaccounted for accruing to the Petroleum Development Trust Fund, PDTF. All the other governments since independence in 1960 spent approximately N5 trillion, or one-sixth, in 39 years.

 Yet, all the Federal Government universities; all the unity schools; all the research institutes; all the teaching hospitals; all colleges of education; all nursing schools; all the power stations; all the refineries; all the federal roads; all the airports; all the seaports; all the federal health centres etc, in Nigeria today were established before 1999. In the 12 years of the PDP government, not one single new secondary school had been added neither have existing ones been expanded even when the population of school age children had increased by more than 30 per cent.  No new airport has been constructed even as the population of Nigeria since the last one built had gone up by more than 100 per cent.

Our power requirements had exceeded 15,000 Mw even before Obasanjo came into office. Today, to stop Nigerians from using generators, at least 25,000 Mw will be needed. Yet, in 12 years, PDP added not one Mw to our supply. The failure of any political party with respect to the things that promote economic and social welfare could not have been more total.

 Let me now turn to the things “achievements” in which PDP excelled. Corruption is first. Of the approximately N30bn which passed through their collectively corrupt hands, at least N10bn cannot be traced; the money just vanished. Obasanjo came into power shouting transparency and accountability.

Yet, the accounts of the Federal Government have not been audited since 1999. The only attempt to issue an audited account in 2001 ended the career of the Auditor-General; but not before we have told that even the Presidency was a den of robbers in designer clothes. And, Nigerian governors have slept in prison custodies abroad only since 1999. All of them PDP governors!

 Insecurity is another; before 1999, kidnapping, either political or economic was rare; now it is an unusual day when one does not occur. Bombs were even a more remote possibility. How they governed Nigeria to this state of insecurity is a question for them to answer  -after they are thrown out of office.

 Recently, the nation had been treated to a Supreme Court judgment about 86 oil wells transferred from Akwa Ibom State to Rivers State. What most people don’t know is the fact that there were 172 oil wells involved – most of them producing oil and the crude output some which were not included in the production figures announced to Nigerians. Till today, nobody but a handful of people in the grimy corridors of Nigerian powers really knows how much oil is exported everyday from Nigeria. That again is the legacy of the man who had wrapped himself around President Goodluck Jonathan. If we want all of our oil revenue accounted for, we must remove those who have shrouded the accounts in secrecy for so long.

 In the 1980s, at least 60 per cent of students seating for the WASC exams passed. The latest result is 20 per cent despite the unprecedented fortune governments had to spend. But, go to Europe, Dubai, South Africa. In 1999, no Nigerian official had buildings in those places; now one single individual owns estates; virtually all PDP members. The funds for the kids are being diverted by looters to help develop other countries.

 In the end, the choice is for all of us to make. But, if you have ever complained about bad roads; unemployment; inadequate power supply; corruption in government; abysmal health services; insecurity of life and property; poor shelter, ad nauseum, and you vote for PDP, you must ask yourself which you are; a hypocrite? A traitor to Nigeria; or one who needs a straight-jacket. Insanity has been defined as doing the same thing over again and expecting a different result. Nigerians must demonstrate they are not insane. They must punish PDP with their votes.