We have mere promises, no action from Jonathan —Bakare

The Serving Overseer of the Latter Rain Assembly, Lagos and Convener of the Save Nigeria Group, Pastor Tunde Bakare, has expressed the fear that the current administration of President Goodluck Jonathan may not be different from the past. Bakare, who spoke in Lagos on Sunday, said the President had been reeling out promises more instead of taking necessary action.

Delivering a sermon in his church, Bakare accused the President of rolling out promises without facilitating necessary legislation or setting up the structures to actualise the plans.

The cleric said, “It seems we are back to the same stage where people just talk without action. We have been receiving more promises than action from this administration. As the Acting President, the President, in an interview on CNN, during his visit to America said he would work seriously on electoral reform.

“Since then, the President does not feel it is important to facilitate any legislation to enforce it, not a single legislation. Is that the way to bring about a change?”

Bakare said it was important for Jonathan to ensure credible elections in 2011.

He added that he had begun to see reasons with those who had described Jonathan’s presidency as the third term of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, saying the hand of the former president had been identified in most of the decisions taken by Jonathan.

The SNG convener said, “From the time that President Jonathan became Acting President and dissolved the cabinet, while reconstituting another, the signature of Obasanjo has become visible. Some of the ministers were picked as a form of political patronage or to settle political scores. We cannot continue that way and that is why the SNG will not keep quiet.

“That is why the SNG will be having a one-day campaign on how to ensure free and fair elections in the country at the International Conference Centre on May 31. Our votes must begin to count. “Nothing significant will happen if we all fold our arms and do nothing. On May 6, we presented to the people a contract to save and transform Nigeria, a paper that outlines the irreducible minimum standard that Nigerians must begin to demand from their leaders. That is the only way the leaders will become accountable to the people.”

Bakare explained that the SNG would soon take the campaign to different localities in the country to ensure the success of the initiative.