Outgoing President Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan, GCFR, should now start preparing for the longest journey he had ever undertaken in his life. He is going home. Although, given any of the fleet of ten aircrafts at his disposal, and a military helicopter, the trip should not last more than one hour. But, to a Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces, of any country, who has just been defeated in an election, every nautical mile will appear like ten thousand miles. Each will be filled with unpleasant sensations. And, arrival at the destination will bring more pain – unlike previous visits to the small community which were joyful.

In case you are wondering why some of them will run away before May 29, 2015, consider this. On that day, the man who had been surrounded by tough-looking security people will find himself alone with the people he had ruled for eight years. Only God can save him if he still owes civil servants three or four months’ salary, as well as local contractors who might never get paid.

Although the dictionary included dishonesty among the definitions of corruption, President Jonathan had insisted that it is only stealing. I fully accept his definition of what happens in official circles. My mentor on this was the Abami-Eda himself, Fela Anikulapo – who left us with a track titled “Authority Stealing”. Jonathan, it can be assumed from his utterances and conduct, appears not to be prepared to fight corruption. But, will he wage war against stealing? Given the facts available to me, the answer is “definitely No!”

In the first part of this series, readers were reminded about three promises by military Heads of State – Gowon, Babangida and Abacha – to hand over to civilians at certain times; only for each of them to be forced out later – without delivering on their promises. Gown and IBB went out alive by palace coups. Abacha was bundled out, feet first, on account of mysterious, but divinely timed death.

“If you believe that, you will believe anything.” That was my comment on five different occasions when Nigerian Heads of State, three military and two civilians have made categorical statements about their intention to depart. And each time, events have proved me right. I remain firmly convinced that “Skepticism is the first attribute of a good critic”, thanks to James Russell, Lowell, 1819-1891. It is always sad, when Presidents and Heads of State, in Nigeria make the same promises, at very critical stages in their tenure of office, just to buy more time, while planning to disappoint the people later.

The report published in the PUNCH concerning imminent clampdown against some media houses, namely, PUNCH, NATION and Channels TV, could only have surprised and alarmed people in the media who have not accepted that when a nation is on the brink of disaster, the media, if it does its work as the watchdog of society, is always the first target of those in government.

Only a fool would have expected the presidential elections to hold yesterday. That it took INEC until a week ago to realize their error merely proves, once again, that people can be very intelligent, but not wise. Professor Jega is the author of what will follow from now on.

Next Saturday is presidential election day, and, this being the last Sunday before that “make-or-break” election, readers would have expected today’s column to be about the election. But, once in a life time, a person faces a personal dilemma; he has to choose between two vital duties. Such was my problem when Chief Olufemi Daramola, KJW, Alage II of Omuo-Ekiti called me to announce he would be 80 today. I had choice to make and this is it. Let me quickly explain.

That piece of advice for people all the way down in the value chain of the poultry industry was prelude to the modern management principle of always having Plan B. It was a lesson I learnt in 1970, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, immediately after securing a loan to purchase a house for my family. My former wife, like all the others, had depended on one plumber, admittedly the best in the County, to fix our pipes. The problem was that, this “genius of a plumber” was also everybody’s favourite fixer.

Nothing is more pathetic that when a contestant, out of hubris, and refusal to listen to all sides, loses a contest he should have won easily. President Goodluck Jonathan had just handed over Akwa Ibom State to the All Progressive Congress – on a silver platter.