How Radical Is Jega?

Almost everyone is attesting to the fact that a radical man has finally come to be the INEC chairman.Most newspapers,if not all,published the arrival of a radical in INEC.Suprisingly,even the president seemed to be unaware of the calibre of person he appointed to occupy the much unstable position.

It would be recalled that,before announcing Jega's appointment after a meeting of the National Council of State,Jonathan had said his choice of Iwu's successor was an unfamiliar person.The president also restated his commitment to ensure that the 2011 general election is conducted in a credible manner.The Edo State Governor,Adams Oshiomole announced the choice of Jega after president Goodluck Jonathan got the nod of the National Council of the state at its meeting at the council chamber of the presidential villa,Abuja.

Jega,a professor of political science,an activist and former president of Academic Staff Union Of Universities(ASUU)is regarded as a very principled person who relentlessly wrestled the military government of General Ibrahim Babaginda in the early 1990s.He became the Vice Chancellor of Bayero University,Kano(BUK) in 2005.He was also a member of the Justice Uwais Electoral Reform Committee.His tenure as Vice Chancellor was due to end October this year.

Jega would replace Professor Maurice Iwu,who vacated the post on April 2008 when Jonathan,the then acting president,asked him to go on retirement leave six weeks short of his June 12 tenure expiration date.Maurice Mmaduakolam Iwu,a Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Nigeria(1984-1993) succeeded Abel Guobadia.Iwu was appointed INEC commissioner for Imo State in August 2003 by president Olusegun Obasanjo.Soon after being appointed,Iwu announced that foreign monitors could not be allowed during elections,but only foreign election observers.This decision was condemned by politicians and civil society groups who called for his immediate removal from office.

While Abubakar Rimi called on Iwu to resign from office in December 2008,citing irregularities in the previous presidential election,Michael Andoakaa,the then Attorney General,opposed sacking Maurice Iwu despite criticism of Iwu's conduct of the 2007 election...birds of same feather!Unlike Iwu,Jega is seen by many as the answer to our prayers for the conduct of a credible election next year.The results that will accompany Jega's leadership at INEC will completely depend on the level of his radical reforms with the limited time he has in his coffers.Election in this country should be seen by all as a challenge and something that needs concerted effort.The mind-set of our politicians and their do-or-die attitudes in electoral matters should be contended with.

Actually,Jega's nomination does not automatically lead to a free and fair election that Nigeria needs.He can only guarantee a credible election when he understands that INEC does not have a reliable system that can perform credibly to deliver what the people of Nigeria both home and abroad passionately crave for.Based on people's testimonies,Jega is indeed a man of integrity.I hope that he'll not be robbed of it after his tenure.He should know that a tree cannot make a forest!

Jega should be more radical,if he wants to make any headway.He should first understand the crop of politicians we have here and their ability to do and undo because of the highly coveted positions.He should begin to clean up INEC-I mean a thorough sanitation,so as to do away with those that don't want the change we need.The resident commissioners should all be suspects following the manner they were selected without being screened.

Being a member of the Electoral Reform Committee,he should as much as possible see that he puts necessary things in place before the election,working closely with Goodluck so as to actually do these things.He should ensure that the primary elections are taken as serious as the general elections.He should not allow himself to be tossed here and there like an ordinary mugwump.Never should he kowtow to higher authorities.He should not make any politician his friend per se,if he wants to preserve his much publicised integrity.

As we hope that Goodluck will faithfully implement the report of the Uwais-led committee quickly and thoroughly,thus keeping the promise he made to Nigerians,Jega should on the other hand open his eyes to see what to do and begin to work.Though OBJ ruled out a credible election in this country,even if it will be monitored by Jesus,I know that we can actually be satisfied when we put in our best.Yes,Jega is radical but is he radical enough to contend as well as face the task that lies ahead of him at INEC?Time will tell.We are no longer interested in fairy tales.Nigerians are tired of cock and bull stories,we want visible results.Seeing the great forces from every corner contending with credible elections in this nation,I ask again-how radical is Jega for them?