My fellow Yorubas,<\/p>\n
Please vote for President Jonathan for a second term as he supports
\nthe agenda of self-reliance that we Yoruba people of the Southwest
\nwant.<\/p>\n
Please ignore the misleading propaganda of the opposition party, and
\nvote for the re-election of President Jonathan.<\/p>\n
1. Support a fellow southerner in office.<\/p>\n
Northerners have been in power for 38 years out of 55 years since
\nindependence. It is time for the people of the South to close ranks.
\nThe antics and tactics of divide-and-rule of the South have been used
\ntoo often by the North to dominate Nigeria. Also, the economy
\nplummeted when General Buhari was head of state.<\/p>\n
Every time a southerner was in power in the 55 years after
\nindependence, including this time, some elements in the far North do
\nall they can to frustrate him and cause problems:<\/p>\n
President-elect Moshood Abiola- denied his mandate.<\/p>\n
President Shonekan- forcefully removed from office.<\/p>\n
President Obasonjo- implementation of Sharia in the far North.<\/p>\n
Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan- prevented from taking over the
\nreigns of government after President Umaru Yar Adua died until the
\nintervention of foreign and civil society leaders.<\/p>\n
President Goodluck Jonathan- Boko Haram in states run by governors in
\nthe opposition party.<\/p>\n
This is a pattern that should persuade you to give President Jonathan
\nthe benefit of the doubt and vote for him.<\/p>\n
2. Allegations of non-performance.<\/p>\n
The state governors and local government councillors all receive
\nmonthly oil distributions, and are more responsible for the state of
\nthe local economy in each of their states.<\/p>\n
President Jonathan cannot be blamed for the governors’s failure to tap
\ninto the God-given talents and resources in the Southwest, especially
\nas, to the glory of God, the Southwest being the second largest
\neconomy in Africa, ahead of South Africa. For example, the Yoruba
\npeople worldwide had an estimated gross income in 2014 of over $500
\nbillion, but the governors could only raise for their IGR less than
\nN600 billion naira, or less than $3 billion US dollars or one-half of
\n1% of the income. Can President Jonathan be blamed for the governors
\nnot raising their IGR from one-half of 1% to 5% or 10% of the income
\nof the Yoruba people? Certainly not! If the governors of the Southwest
\nhad raised a larger IGR, and spent this money wisely, many people will
\nnot be facing so much hardship today.<\/p>\n
3. Corruption.<\/p>\n
The kettle cannot call a pot black. Corruption is a universal
\nphenomenon, but can be managed. It is present in advanced nations of
\nthe world. The root of corruption in Nigeria, however, is the
\nelephant-sized in-your-face corruption that nobody is talking about:
\nthe corruption inherent in the monthly oil distributions to state
\ngovernments, an exploitation of the God-given oil resources of the
\nSouthsouth.<\/p>\n
Corruption will become controllable when each region manages its own
\nresources under the implementation of true federalism and resource
\ncontrol.<\/p>\n
4. Godfathers.<\/p>\n
With resource control and income taxation to raise revenues for
\ninfrastructures, security, and services, the interference of
\ngodfathers in the affairs of the Southwest will end, and the governors
\ncan focus on serving the people.<\/p>\n
In conclusion, In the light of the above arguments:<\/p>\n
1. President Jonathan is not responsible for the socio-economic
\nhardships in the Southwest, the second largest economy in Africa. The
\nstate governors in the Southwest should become more resourceful and
\ntap into the God-given talents, abilities, and incomes of Yoruba
\npeople
\nvia income taxation to bring prosperity to the region.<\/p>\n
2. The state governors should stop levying taxes on the poor in the
\nSouthwest. That will bring a huge relief to the majority of the
\npeople.<\/p>\n
3. The state governors should end their involvement in the
\nexploitation of the people of the Southsouth by no longer collecting
\nthe monthly oil distributions from October this year, as it is unfair,
\nunjust, and is the root of corruption in Nigeria.<\/p>\n
4. Instead of extracting taxes from the poor and exploiting the people
\nof the Southsouth, the state governors should institute a robust
\nprogressive income taxation policy using a range of 0% to 20% for
\nYorubas in Nigeria, and 2% for Diaspora Yorubas.<\/p>\n
With this approach, up to N10 trillion naira in revenues are
\nrealizable. This is ten times more than the current revenues, and can
\nbe used to for the provisioning of services, infrastructures, and the
\noperation of 9 state governments in the region: Ijebu, Ibadan\/New Oyo,
\nOduduwa, Lagos, Oyo, Oshun, Ogun, Ondo, and Ekiti states.<\/p>\n
Since President Jonathan has started to implement the recommendations
\nof the National Conference, please vote for him for a second term as
\nhe supports the agenda of self-reliance of the people of the
\nSouthwest, the second largest economy in Africa.<\/p>\n
I thank you very much for your strategic vote for the re-election of
\nPresident Jonathan.<\/p>\n
Best wishes.<\/p>\n
Abitunde Taiwo<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
My fellow Yorubas, Please vote for President Jonathan for a second term as he supports the agenda of self-reliance that we Yoruba people of the Southwest want. Please ignore the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":36585,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-37112","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles-opinions"],"yoast_head":"\n