laurent - Blogs - TheBlackList Pub2024-03-29T07:59:07Zhttps://www.theblacklist.net/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/laurentAfrica Needs More Goodluckhttps://www.theblacklist.net/profiles/blogs/africa-needs-more-goodluck2011-01-06T05:09:12.000Z2011-01-06T05:09:12.000ZRaynard Jacksonhttps://www.theblacklist.net/members/RaynardJackson<div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><b>January 6, 2011</b></font></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Calibri"><font size="3"><span> </span></font></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><b><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">Raynard Jackson</font></font></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><b><span style="font-size:12pt;"><font face="Calibri"> </font></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">Current Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan is considered a rising star among many in the international community.<span> </span> Good luck seems to be the hallmark of his life.</font></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">He ascended to the presidency last year with the untimely death of his predecessor, Umaru Yar’Adua.<span> </span> Mr. Jonathan, a zoologist by training, is not your typical Nigerian politician.</font></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">Upon completing his education, he worked as an education inspector, professor, and environmental protection officer.<span> </span> He has only been involved in politics since 1998.<span> </span> He served as Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State in 1998 before becoming governor later that year.<span> </span> The incumbent governor was impeached on charges of money laundering.</font></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">In 2006, Jonathan was chosen by Yar’Adua as his vice presidential running mate and they won election in 2007.<span> </span> In 2010, during his role as acting president of Nigeria (while Yar’Adua was medically incapacitated), Jonathan was elected chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).<span> </span> ECOWAS is a regional group of 15 West African countries founded in 1975.<span> </span> Its mission is to promote economic integration across the region, as well as to serve as a peacekeeping force in the region.</font></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">Since becoming president, Jonathan is seen as being totally committed to eradicating the culture of corruption that has plagued Nigeria for most of its existence.<span> </span> He is well thought of by the international community and his own people seem to be very optimistic about his leadership.</font></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">Jonathan is facing reelection in April.<span> </span> As of this writing, he is expected to win reelection, but in politics, fortunes change very quickly.</font></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">This is why I am quite surprised that Jonathan has not taken advantage of the platform he has as chairman of ECOWAS.<span> </span> They have been the lead mediator in the current post election controversy in Cote D’Ivoire (a West African country with Liberia to the west and Ghana to the east).<span> </span> The current president of Cote D’Ivoire, Laurent Gbagbo refuses to abdicate his office even though every neutral observer has concluded that he lost the election.</font></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">Jonathan has been given the opportunity to demonstrate his leadership on the world’s stage, but he seems a bit shy about injecting himself; instead he is delegating the heavy lifting to other members of ECOWAS.</font></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">Politically, this is a huge mistake.<span> </span> If he is seen as major instrument for peace in a country like Cote D’Ivoire, he can then make the argument that he has the same skills to bring peace to his own country of Nigeria. <span> </span></font></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">This is a goldmine for a political consultant—to have a client who can use a foreign crisis to bolster his own standing back home this close to an election.<span> </span> There is no downside to Jonathan for his personal engagement.<span> </span> He would be acting as the leader of ECOWAS, not as president of Nigeria.</font></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">Jonathan has made very few public comments during this crisis, but rather, allowing others to speak on behalf of ECOWAS.<span> </span> I find this is not uncommon for African leaders.<span> </span> They don’t seem to fully grasp the necessity of engaging the global media in their efforts to affect public opinion.</font></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">Africans constantly complain about how they are portrayed in the world, especially in the U.S. and Europe, but they never pursue a media strategy to change this.</font></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">Jonathan has a bright future, not only in Nigeria, but also on the world stage.<span> </span> He is a very likable person with a great deal of charm.<span> </span> But, he is going to have to display more political and media savvy.<span> </span> If he learns to appreciate the role of the media in the pursuit of his agenda, he can not only bring good luck to himself, but more Goodluck to Africa.</font></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><i><span style="color:#0000FF;font-size:10pt;"><font face="Calibri">Raynard Jackson is president & CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates, LLC., a D.C.-public relations/government affairs firm.<span> </span> He is also a contributing editor for ExcellStyle Magazine (</font></span></i><a href="http://www.excellstyle.com/"><i><span style="font-size:10pt;"><font face="Calibri">www.excellstyle.com</font></span></i></a><i><span style="color:#0000FF;font-size:10pt;"><font face="Calibri">) & U.S. Africa Magazine (<a href="http://www.usafricaonline.com">www.usafricaonline.com</a>).<span> </span></font></span></i></p></div>