The general view now is that he is fast becoming the world’s most unpopular president.
The Goodluck Jonathan administration came to being after his
controversial win during the 2011 general elections. Jonathan entering
the scene at such a time was met with a mind boggling expectations on
the part of the majority of the Nigerian people. This is so because the
majority felt that they have been marginalized long enough and that it
was time for a power shift. This view easily gave Jonathan a thicker
edge and paved way for his now short-lived victory. It is short-lived
because this same Jonathan who sardonically felt he was Nigeria’s best
choice and was also seen as a jewel of inestimable price before the
present moment has now become a laughing stock. The general view now is
that he is fast becoming the world’s most unpopular president. It is so
sad that in spite of all the applause he received before and after
April 2011 and the grandstanding of not having shoes as a school boy, it
only took him about eight months to be hated by the Nigerian people
from the south to the north.The first thing he did, you will recall, was the removal of the controversial oil subsidy which led to the hike in price of fuel and subsequently the popular Occupy Nigeria movement at a time the majority of the people were away for festivities. The measure was regarded as an anti-people policy although a step to decisively deal with corruption in the petroleum downstream sector, Nigeria’s main source of income. He however missed his way completely. Ironically, the same corruption in the petroleum downstream sector is currently the most lucrative and bubbling business thriving and brooding with unshakable roots right under the nose of Mr President’s PDP’s Transformation Agenda. Interestingly, it is this same multi-faceted corruption in the country that undermines the little effort the gentleman is struggling to put through. He will need the strength of an elephant to convince any meaningful Nigerian about his achievements so far.
The transformation agenda has enlisted some achievements in the areas of aviation, road and transportation. However, the cancerous tumor is this question that kept begging for an answer: why are the criticisms and the debate about his administration getting hotter by the day?
This is clear indication that Jonathan’s Transformation agenda being shortsighted, has forgotten the weightier matters of the welfare of the happiest but suffering people of Nigeria in terms of the standard of education, security, justice and equality, power supply and most especially the everastronomical unemployment rate.
Now, every right thinking Nigerian will begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel and that Jonathan is not Nigeria’s messiah. Why? Personally, I have never seen a government that is as defensive as Jonathan’s. He is currently achieving this by arming himself with these ever garrulous, most loquacious and outspoken elements in the persons of Doyin Okupe, Labaran Maku and Ruben Abati whose only employment brief is to quickly defend every action of Jonathan’s PDP’s administration. This they do with just with a wave of hand without giving any thought to the yearnings of the Nigerian people that always come to them in form of criticism. Paradoxically, no government can be as porous as Jonathan’s. Is it the case of oil money thieves or that of pension scammers that steal and get away with it or the daily Boko Haram menace? You name it. Everybody can begin to imagine how much corruption is going on within Mr President’s cabinet supposedly directing the affairs of this God endowed but staggering nation.
It will be advisable to Jonathan and all his armored tankers in form of Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs, Minister of Information and the rest of them to pray for a humble heart and to also ask for listening ears so as to be able to give the right consideration to the reactions and the criticisms of the Nigerian people instead of being overwhelmingly defensive. This will at least, not only serve as repository of ideas for his dry government, but also score him some points at the end of his first tenure, the only tenure of which he is sure.
0 comments:
Post a Comment