Jonathan’s Declaration: Tit Bits and Drama at Eagle Square

Jonathan’s Declaration: Tit Bits and Drama at Eagle Square

Emmanuel Bello

The Eagle Square has seen many interesting times in its chequered history. Yesterday was one of such days. It was the formal declaration of President Goodluck Jonathan to seek re-election for a second term.
Trust the organisers, they ensured the event had all the trappings of a carnival: dancing, trumpets, regalia, faces and speeches. It was a spectable to behold.

The Traffic

The entire roads leading to the Eagle Square were cordoned off. Elsewhere in the town, the entire city was on lock down. Earlier on, the police had warned that it was going to be tough for commuters.
A resident, Musa Joshua, said the federal government should have declared a public holiday. “See how we are suffering. They should have declared a public holiday. Then everyone would have rested at home.”
The Jonathan declaration clearly created more traffic snarls than all the other traffic jams caused by the other declarations.

Brisk Businesses

But for John Yanus, the event was nothing but an opportunity to sell his beautiful paintings. He told THISDAY that he had been preparing for the declaration in his own way.

“I really don’t care about what is going on here. I want to sell my paintings and I hope I make money, plenty money today,” he said.
Yanus, a graduate of Fine Art, had churned out many drawings of notable figures. There were historical figures too and other politicians. “I know there would be many dignitaries here today. So I have drawn them. I would take this one to the senate president, David Mark. He may buy it.

“I’m selling for N5,000. But anything he gives me, I would take. It is not about the money. It is about the patronage,” he said.
Is he a supporter of the president? “Not really. But I wish him well,” he said as he ran off to meet a customer.
Another trader, Mrs Jummai Benjamin, said she was at the Eagle Square to do business and show her support for the president. Her food stall paraded all sorts of snacks and other cuisines.

According to her, she has been running her food stall since the various declarations by politicians started this year. “I have recruited more hands to help out and I have expanded the stall because we now have plenty of customers.
“If I don’t finish a bag of rice today, I would be shocked because as we speak now, my people are still cooking and it is already finished,” she said.

Apart from the food stall, the area around Eagle Square was turned into a mini-market with photographers, cobblers, vendors of drinks, suya sellers and all other artisans taking up space.
The boom was so attractive that even the banks knew the cash haul would be considerable. What did they do: they sent in their bullion vans.

Entertainers

There were entertainers too. A small circus entertained onlookers. They were not invited by the organisers but Tade, their leader, said it was his idea to form the group. He said: “I decided that we can showcase our talents and make good money. So each time there is a declaration here or any event, I bring my people here. And no one has stopped us.

“So people do watch us perform. If they are happy, they give us money. At the end of the day, we could make close to N20,000.”
The musicians also gave a good account of themselves. Bongos Ikwe’s belting his old tunes was enthralling. He re-awakened the echoes of years gone past. Lovers of old school music swayed to his “What’s Gonna be, Gonna be”.

Naeto C performed his “Ten over Ten” song which took the nation by storm years back. It was not lost on the audience that Naeto C is the son of Mrs. Kema Chikwe, the PDP women’s leader.
Onyeka Onwenu also thrilled with songs that have earned her the sobriquet “the elegant stallion”.

Politicians and Sycophancy

Inside the Eagle Square itself, politicians outdid themselves to show their solidarity with the president. In the special section, where the president and his men (and women) sat, it was also drama all the way. A state governor dozed off several times.

Jonathan kept a straight face most of the time and yawned disinterestedly inbetween. He however beamed each time someone stopped to exchange pleasantries with him. The female three musketeers – the First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan; wife of the Vice-President, Hajiya Amina Namadi Sambo; and the senate president’s wife, sat looking on with an impassive visage.

The Speeches

Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State was almost hysterical as he gave his speech, which was like a declaration of war. Some of the governors standing with him on the podium appeared embarrassed with the theatrics of the chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum. Akpabio ended his speech with a song.
But above all others, it was the president’s speech that got everyone talking. Reading from two teleprompters that were positioned on his left and right, Jonathan appeared to have thoroughly rehearsed the speech.

An Abuja-based journalist, Haruna Isa, said the president appeared to be copying the United States President, Barack Obama, as he gesticulated and made emphasis on certain personal anecdotes to appeal to his audience.
His emphasis on how “ordinary Nigerians” contributed to pay his bills hit the right note. He also remembered to turn from one side to the other for the sake of the cameras, but it was still obvious to anyone who watched him on television that he was reading from teleprompters. Reading from teleprompters in a large arena is an art form that very few Nigerians have mastered.