I wanted to be a Journalist, says President Goodluck Jonathan

President Jonathan  .......would have become a retired Journalist by now

By Prince Osuagwu

Nigeria’s President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday told a mammoth crowd that gathered to watch the debate of the Presidential candidates to the April 9, Presidential elections in Nigeria, that he actually wanted to be a journalist and perhaps, only have to change his mind when his first application at the then Nigerian Tide was turned down.
President Jonathan was reacting to a question by the President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Mr Gbenga Adefaye on how he would enthrone more freedom and end the press harassment which has become a recurrent practice among successive governments in Nigeria.
According to him, “but nobody can say that I have harassed any journalist. In fact I am a friend of the media even though some write-ups are sometimes very bitter to swallow. What you do not know is that I like journalism and would have been a journalist. I could remember that my first application for job in those days was as a journalist in the then Nigerian Tide”
He however committed himself to giving assent to the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill once it is brought before him, even as he also hinted of his plans to further heighten the campaign against corruption, by strengthening the institutions fighting corruption in Nigeria.
Dr Jonathan said that he would give more teeth to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC.
The debate where Jonathan made these comments, was organised by the Nigerian Election Debate Group (NEDG), for the presidential candidates of political parties contesting for Nigeria’s top job, come April 9 2011.
As a way of revitalizing the economic development of the country, Jonathan declared that his administration’s major focus would be on Agriculture. He explained that he would pursue his party’s the People’s Democratic Party PDP, policy on agriculture to achieve a situation where states will be encouraged to focus on two major crops, which they have better comparative advantage over other states of the federation.
He further stated that his administration will revisit the issue of dams, irrigations and power, due to harness their immense contributions to agriculture and economic development.