Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe
Jonathan is Nigeria’s 14th head of state and current president, but
that’s all common knowledge. It’s also common knowledge that he
originally came into office after the former president fell ill. Here
are some lesser-known things worth learning about.
Jonathan was born to a family of canoe makers
Jonathan was born in what is now Bayelsa State to a family of canoe
makers. In the oil-rich Niger Delta region, this was a somewhat unusual
occupation, and Goodluck made the even more rare decision not to follow
in his parents’ footsteps.
His middle name means “God’s wish”
Jonathan’s middle name, Ebele, means “God’s wish,” suggesting his
parents had pretty high expectations for him from the get-go. I mean, if
your name is Goodluck God’s wish, you’ve got some high hopes to live up
to, right?
He has a Ph.D in Zoology
Which might be a bit of an oddity for a sitting head of state. But
Jonathan began with a bachelor’s degree in zoology, and followed up with
an master’s in hydrobiology and fisheries biology and a Ph.D in zoology
from the University of Port Harcourt. Who knows, maybe the Nigerian
presidential office has a ton a pets!
He worked as an environmental protection officer before taking office
Among other things. Before entering into the political arena in 1998,
Jonathan worked as an education inspector, a lecturer, and more
memorably as an environmental protection officer. It was in this latter
capacity that he stepped into the public light, serving as a watch dog
on many corporations in the country.
Jonathan seems to have a penchant for being in the right place at the
right time
It’s common knowledge that he assumed the presidency following
then-President Olusegun Obansajo’s illness, but that wasn’t the first
time he had to lead. In 1999, he was deputy governor for his home state
of Bayelsa when the governor was impeached on corruption charges.
Jonathan moved into the open position, beginning his more illustrious
political career.
His fedora is one of his more memorable signature features
The fedora has character, but a former U.S. ambassador made the
unfortunate comment that Jonathan lacked charisma and possessed an
“underwhelming personality,” a slip of the tongue uncovered in the
WikiLeaks scandal.
As vice president, he kept a low profile but was instrumental in several
key moments
One of Jonathan’s niche roles was as a negotiator with his fellow Ijaws.
He managed to help forge an agreement with militant groups in the Niger
Delta to stop a rash of violence and encouraged them to lay down their
weapons in exchange for amnesty, a move celebrated both by his
administration and by citizens country wide.
Jonathan tried to ban the Nigerian national soccer team after a poor
showing at the 2010 World Cup
After the Nigerian soccer team didn’t progress past the group stage at
the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, Jonathan tried to implement a
two-year ban on the team’s participation in international competition.
He later backtracked due to pressure from FIFA, but it was pretty clear
he wasn’t pleased with the performance.
Jonathan became the first sitting Nigerian president to have his own
Facebook page
Jonathan launched his Facebook page in June 2010 to help better interact
with the Nigerian people. He used it as a platform to announce his run
for office in 2011, which would represent his first actual run for
political election.
His wife has been investigated on money laundering allegations
Though she was never found guilty or convicted of any wrongdoing,
Jonathan’s wife, Patience, was investigated by an anti-corruption
committee in 2006. It was alleged she had tried to launder more than $13
million, but the evidence wasn’t strong enough for a conviction.
Read more at:
http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/?articleID=2000098395&story_title=10-things-you-didn-t-know-about-nigerian-president-goodluck-jonathan
Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe
Jonathan is Nigeria’s 14th head of state and current president, but
that’s all common knowledge. It’s also common knowledge that he
originally came into office after the former president fell ill. Here
are some lesser-known things worth learning about.
Jonathan was born to a family of canoe makers
Jonathan was born in what is now Bayelsa State to a family of canoe
makers. In the oil-rich Niger Delta region, this was a somewhat unusual
occupation, and Goodluck made the even more rare decision not to follow
in his parents’ footsteps.
His middle name means “God’s wish”
Jonathan’s middle name, Ebele, means “God’s wish,” suggesting his
parents had pretty high expectations for him from the get-go. I mean, if
your name is Goodluck God’s wish, you’ve got some high hopes to live up
to, right?
He has a Ph.D in Zoology
Which might be a bit of an oddity for a sitting head of state. But
Jonathan began with a bachelor’s degree in zoology, and followed up with
an master’s in hydrobiology and fisheries biology and a Ph.D in zoology
from the University of Port Harcourt. Who knows, maybe the Nigerian
presidential office has a ton a pets!
He worked as an environmental protection officer before taking office
Among other things. Before entering into the political arena in 1998,
Jonathan worked as an education inspector, a lecturer, and more
memorably as an environmental protection officer. It was in this latter
capacity that he stepped into the public light, serving as a watch dog
on many corporations in the country.
Jonathan seems to have a penchant for being in the right place at the
right time
It’s common knowledge that he assumed the presidency following
then-President Olusegun Obansajo’s illness, but that wasn’t the first
time he had to lead. In 1999, he was deputy governor for his home state
of Bayelsa when the governor was impeached on corruption charges.
Jonathan moved into the open position, beginning his more illustrious
political career.
His fedora is one of his more memorable signature features
The fedora has character, but a former U.S. ambassador made the
unfortunate comment that Jonathan lacked charisma and possessed an
“underwhelming personality,” a slip of the tongue uncovered in the
WikiLeaks scandal.
As vice president, he kept a low profile but was instrumental in several
key moments
One of Jonathan’s niche roles was as a negotiator with his fellow Ijaws.
He managed to help forge an agreement with militant groups in the Niger
Delta to stop a rash of violence and encouraged them to lay down their
weapons in exchange for amnesty, a move celebrated both by his
administration and by citizens country wide.
Jonathan tried to ban the Nigerian national soccer team after a poor
showing at the 2010 World Cup
After the Nigerian soccer team didn’t progress past the group stage at
the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, Jonathan tried to implement a
two-year ban on the team’s participation in international competition.
He later backtracked due to pressure from FIFA, but it was pretty clear
he wasn’t pleased with the performance.
Jonathan became the first sitting Nigerian president to have his own
Facebook page
Jonathan launched his Facebook page in June 2010 to help better interact
with the Nigerian people. He used it as a platform to announce his run
for office in 2011, which would represent his first actual run for
political election.
His wife has been investigated on money laundering allegations
Though she was never found guilty or convicted of any wrongdoing,
Jonathan’s wife, Patience, was investigated by an anti-corruption
committee in 2006. It was alleged she had tried to launder more than $13
million, but the evidence wasn’t strong enough for a conviction.
Read more at:
http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/?articleID=2000098395&story_title=10-things-you-didn-t-know-about-nigerian-president-goodluck-jonathan
Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe
Jonathan is Nigeria’s 14th head of state and current president, but
that’s all common knowledge. It’s also common knowledge that he
originally came into office after the former president fell ill. Here
are some lesser-known things worth learning about.
Jonathan was born to a family of canoe makers
Jonathan was born in what is now Bayelsa State to a family of canoe
makers. In the oil-rich Niger Delta region, this was a somewhat unusual
occupation, and Goodluck made the even more rare decision not to follow
in his parents’ footsteps.
His middle name means “God’s wish”
Jonathan’s middle name, Ebele, means “God’s wish,” suggesting his
parents had pretty high expectations for him from the get-go. I mean, if
your name is Goodluck God’s wish, you’ve got some high hopes to live up
to, right?
He has a Ph.D in Zoology
Which might be a bit of an oddity for a sitting head of state. But
Jonathan began with a bachelor’s degree in zoology, and followed up with
an master’s in hydrobiology and fisheries biology and a Ph.D in zoology
from the University of Port Harcourt. Who knows, maybe the Nigerian
presidential office has a ton a pets!
He worked as an environmental protection officer before taking office
Among other things. Before entering into the political arena in 1998,
Jonathan worked as an education inspector, a lecturer, and more
memorably as an environmental protection officer. It was in this latter
capacity that he stepped into the public light, serving as a watch dog
on many corporations in the country.
Jonathan seems to have a penchant for being in the right place at the
right time
It’s common knowledge that he assumed the presidency following
then-President Olusegun Obansajo’s illness, but that wasn’t the first
time he had to lead. In 1999, he was deputy governor for his home state
of Bayelsa when the governor was impeached on corruption charges.
Jonathan moved into the open position, beginning his more illustrious
political career.
His fedora is one of his more memorable signature features
The fedora has character, but a former U.S. ambassador made the
unfortunate comment that Jonathan lacked charisma and possessed an
“underwhelming personality,” a slip of the tongue uncovered in the
WikiLeaks scandal.
As vice president, he kept a low profile but was instrumental in several
key moments
One of Jonathan’s niche roles was as a negotiator with his fellow Ijaws.
He managed to help forge an agreement with militant groups in the Niger
Delta to stop a rash of violence and encouraged them to lay down their
weapons in exchange for amnesty, a move celebrated both by his
administration and by citizens country wide.
Jonathan tried to ban the Nigerian national soccer team after a poor
showing at the 2010 World Cup
After the Nigerian soccer team didn’t progress past the group stage at
the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, Jonathan tried to implement a
two-year ban on the team’s participation in international competition.
He later backtracked due to pressure from FIFA, but it was pretty clear
he wasn’t pleased with the performance.
Jonathan became the first sitting Nigerian president to have his own
Facebook page
Jonathan launched his Facebook page in June 2010 to help better interact
with the Nigerian people. He used it as a platform to announce his run
for office in 2011, which would represent his first actual run for
political election.
His wife has been investigated on money laundering allegations
Though she was never found guilty or convicted of any wrongdoing,
Jonathan’s wife, Patience, was investigated by an anti-corruption
committee in 2006. It was alleged she had tried to launder more than $13
million, but the evidence wasn’t strong enough for a conviction.
Read more at:
http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/?articleID=2000098395&story_title=10-things-you-didn-t-know-about-nigerian-president-goodluck-jonathan
Sofia Petrova is a pretty typical 17-year-old, by all accounts. She's got a boyfriend, she shares poetic feelings on Facebook,
and she's experimented a little bit with alcohol. What sets Petrova
apart is the fact that she has been suffering for two years while exiled
to Siberia - yes, Siberia, the northernmost part of Russia that's
covered in ice and snow - as a punishment doled out by her mother and
step-father.
Petrova was born in Russia but moved to the US with her mother when she
was 2 years old. Petrova's mother, Natalia Roberts, arrived in
Washington, DC, and met an Iraqi man named Farid. Petrova told
The Siberian Times in a recent interview, "I thought he was my dad."
Petrova's mother broke up with Farid when Petrova was 12 and they never
saw him again. Natalia Roberts married her current husband, immigration
lawyer James Roberts, when Petrova was 14. Natalia and James sent
Petrova to Siberia a week after her 15th birthday.
