Goodluck Jonathan was president of Nigeria for over five years. A lot of people criticized his administration, but most people considered him a good leader; NAIJ.com is not here to judge anybody, and this post is about his private life and the path he followed to becoming the ruler of Nigeria. We hope you get inspired by this biography of the 14th president of Nigeria.
Goodluck Jonathan Education and Early Life
Goodluck Jonathan was born to Lawrence Ebele Jonathan and Eunice Jonathan on November 20, 1957; he is 59 years. The place of birth is Ogbia, Nigeria. Did you know that his father was just a poor canoe maker? He was not the only child of his parents, but he was the one who survived. That was why he was given the name “Goodluck.” His father believed that it would give him luck.
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Goodluck Jonathan got his primary and secondary education in a local Christian school. He earned his first degree, a Bsc in Zoology, from the University of Port Harcourt in 1981.
He did not stop his educational journey when he got his BSc. As a good student, he went on to obtain an Msc in 1985 and a Ph.D. in 1995. His specialization was fisheries biology. During his days of education, he also lectured in the Rivers State College of Education.
Goodluck Jonathan Family
According to the official Goodluck Jonathan biography, he has a wife and two children. Two years ago, major Nigerian news media published reports about the illness of Goodluck Jonathan`s son – Ariwera Jonathan. Still, the family of the former president did not confirm this information. Eventually, the stories of Ariwera Jonathan`s illness and even death turned out to be mere rumors.
The life of all his children remain a complete mystery to many citizens of Nigeria; as a matter of fact, everything connected with the private life of Goodluck Jonathan seem to be kept a secret.
Goodluck Jonathan Wife
Behind every man, there is always a great woman, and Patience Faka Jonathan is that woman behind Goodluck Jonathan. She was born on October 25, 1957 and helped her husband rule the country from 2010 to 2015. She obtained her Bachelor's degree from the University of Port Harcourt and started her career at Stella Maris College. Nonetheless, she also served as a permanent secretary in Bayelsa State.
She is also known for her hotel in Bayelsa state, which is one of the most luxurious hotels in Nigeria. During the presidency of Goodluck Jonathan, this hotel was treated as a highly secured fortress. Goodluck Jonathan was one of the main guests of this hotel, so there was always a lot of security guards in the area every time he visited.
Goodluck Jonathan Career
He started his career in the Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission where he worked as an assistant director! He worked for this commission from 1993 to 1998. The ex-president started his political career in the late 1990s. As at that time, he was one of the members of the People`s Democratic Party. This party helped him to become the deputy governor of Bayelsa state.
In 1999, Goodluck Jonathan started to work as a deputy governor under the governorship of Diepreye Alamieyeseigha.
In 2007, Goodluck Jonathan ran for vice presidency of the country, with Umaru Musa Yar`Adua running for presidency. They both got sworn into office in May 2007. Goodluck Jonathan was also a member of the following councils:
- National Economic Council
- Federal Executive Council
- National Defence Council
- National Security Council
One of his main successes during his vice-presidency days was his negotiation with Niger Delta militants. Goodluck Jonathan became the acting president of the country in February 2010, due to the health condition of President Umaru Musa Yar`Adua, who later passed away in May 2010. This is how Goodluck Jonathan became the 14th President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The Roadmap for Power Sector Reform which helped to achieve the stability in the electricity supply to the country was also provided by the ex-president. Another one of his great policy was the initiation of the Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria. The main idea of this program was to create jobs and harness the creative energy of young people. He was also responsible for the removal of oil subsidies in 2012.
Goodluck Jonathan lost his position to Muhammadu Buhari after he lost the presidential elections in 2015; this made him the first sitting president to be defeated in the history of Nigeria. A lot of experts said this development did not come as a surprise as there were already signs that he would be defeated, the first and most important sign being the fact that Olusegun Obasanjo had called on him to step down from office in 2013.
Obasanjo, who was a former supporter of Goodluck Jonathan, accused him of corruption, kidnapping, piracy and oil stealing. He also accused the ex-president of failing at ruling the country effectively.
Legacy of Goodluck Jonathan
Goodluck Jonathan and his wife are known for various philanthropic events, however, his family was accused of money laundering and corruption. At the end of his presidency, he was considered a bad ruler by many famous politicians. Still, he had the support of many Nigerian citizens. The reforms and policies of Goodluck Jonathan provided a good basic experience for the development of Nigeria by the next president.
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Source: Naija.ng