Secret Reporters No place to hide
If men were God; we need no soothsayer to know that President Goodluck Jonathan would have been a forgotten history, but our not being God has saddled us with the pain of having to cope with a man in love with women and corruption. Sometimes one wonders if Mr President is truly acaulescent as his many actions claim to betray that he is not from the soil of the Niger Delta; a people known for their bravery and outstanding leadership qualities. When we express our deuce about him, his supporters’ rain down the heaven and practice adhominem.
We truly wish to see him succeed and we all want to help him, but for each step we take to make him be a better leader, he reminds us that we were not there when he wrote his thesis and got his PhD in zoology and thus we should confine ourselves to our shackles. We are in for it; an unfortunate people led by her most clueless, ‘atakara’ and kindergarten President since independence. Truly with Mr Jonathan, there is no denying the truth that Nigeria is an animal kingdom. Whoever supervised his PhD thesis has a share in our current woes and pains, as his doctoral degree was one of the campaign tools he used in wooing the academicians who believed that one of their own being a President will see that there is no industrial action in the higher institutions again, but like the proverbial Shakespeare ambitious man who climb to the highest degree, he has looked down on the base and scorned the very people who helped him climb it. The President style of leadership will forever call to question the academic lifestyle of students from his Alma Mata, the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), as most of them will now be subjected to rigorous interview questions, as it will be generally believed that most of them will have dull brains like the President.
Were I his supervisor in the University; he would have spent more years in doing his Masters Degree programme and would never have allowed him to have a PhD, when it is crystal clear that his brains cannot comprehend the realities of life. Or is the University degree not given to a student after being certified and found worthy in learning and character? Forgive me, but he was not found worthy in any of them. One wonders what he always think when he answers questions before the press or gives a speech. He probably think he is talking to a group of school children or some slaves he captured from his village and thus will take whatever he tells them. Who can imagine a President saying that corruption has grade and levels in Nigeria and still has the guts to defend his mistress, Alison Madueke? To him Jesus Christ did not sack Judas Iscariot when he was stealing from the treasury and as such Alison will remain untouchable. Little wonder the ICPC boss was bold enough to open his canal to tell us that stealing is not corruption, a word he learnt from his master.
Where did we get it wrong that a country once known for a peaceful existence has suddenly become a land where bloodshed of human beings is synonymous with the killing of animals during festive period? There is no denying the fact that Nigeria has experienced its worst form of brutal killing since independence and international attention and condemnation in the era of President Goodluck Jonathan. Not even the wicked and dictatorial days of Late General Sani Abacha has Nigeria gotten the world attention like this civilian era. Most worrisome of it is that it is happening in the regime of a South South man as a President. Mr Jonathan does not know what legacy he is laying down for future South South persons who will vie for the Presidential position in many years to come. A time will come when accusing fingers will be pointed at President Jonathan for spoiling the chances of his kinsmen (I may be included).
Agreed that Boko Haram is not the creation of President Jonathan, but there is no denying the fact that the current blood being shed all over the Northern part of Nigeria is the result of the cowardice on the part of the President to decisively deal with the terrorist group when it first reared its ugly head in a deadly manner. How can a President be so weak that in a country he claims to preside over; he shares the power with some group of infidels who call themselves Boko Haram, and he has the guts to confess on broadcast media that should he venture into the den of Boko Haram, they will just kill him? What manner of leader is he that cannot hide his weakness? Do we need any confirmation on why he chickened out from visiting Chibok? While I do not support completely his going to Chibok for security reasons; couldn’t he had gone there with all the security apparatus and if possible survey the place from the top of a military helicopter? We definitely would still have criticized him for using helicopters, but it would have been better than not going at all. He has succeeded in passing the message that he cannot guarantee his own safety despite all the security at his disposal; how then can he assure Nigerians that the Soldiers who are not well fed will be able to protect the common man?
Someone should drum it into Mr President’s ears that his ambition and cowardice has claimed over 25,000 lives of Nigerians, even though he claimed that only 12,000 lives have been lost to the deadly sect. His worthless ambition which he claimed is not worth anyone’s life has swallowed many Nigerians and taken them to their untimely death and yet someone still have the guts to sit tight in Aso Rock Villa speaking English that will not solve the problem. In a true democracy, the outrage caused by the numerous killing and the climax, which is the kidnap of 234 Chibok Maidens is enough for him to come before the National television and world press and tendered his unreserved apologies before immediately submitted his resignation letter. But not this man from Otuoke who will prefer to die in power than see his Presidential ambition thwarted. For every time he is asked if he is contesting, he keeps dodging the question and fueling speculations that come 2015, and a million bloodshed cannot stop him.
Is it the bloodshed that his regime caused in the infamous Nyanya bomb blast that was yet to dry when he ferried himself in a jet for a political rally in Kano State or the birthday merry he went to have with the Olu-Ibadan that will not speak against him on the day of judgment? What about the bloodshed that was caused by his dubious Minister of Interior, Abba the Moron where scores of lives were lost in the Nigerian Immigration Service exams? Let our conscience prick us as we watch in dismay 241 dead bodies killed by bomb blast from Jos, yet the Nigerian police have the temerity that only 46 people died, while NEMA lies that 181 died. What a wretched agency of government! Are these not enough for him to throw in the towel and admit that he is not fit to be the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, when actually he cannot command even a wretched police barrack? Instead of his sycophants to drum in his ears that there are blood stains in his hands, they go to TV houses with advert comparing him with the legendary Nelson Mandela. What a grand delusion of self importance and performance!
If Late President Yaradua, a Northerner can stop the militancy in Niger Delta, what stops a Southerner from stopping the terrorism in the Northern part of the country? Mr Jonathan bears a life time burden and appreciation tag on his neck to Yaradua who helped him to solve the militants’ brouhaha in his home state. It is his albatross and he cannot pretend not to know. Were it not so, he would have been fighting a hydra headed cabal of Boko Haram and Militants, and we sure know that both would have crippled his regime. Someone should tell the President the truth that as far as his leadership is concerned; he has not only failed the present crops of Nigerians but the unborn generations. Alongside his wife, the Dame of Rivers State, they have turned Nigeria into a theatre of Nollywood absurdity, where their House Boy, Nyesom Wike is playing a leading role.
From the health sector, bloods are crying for vengeance, as the President has kept Onyebuchi Chukwu, his crony as the Health Minister despite the outcry by health workers that he should be sacked, for favoring one sector of the professions. Why are we even complaining when he derives joy in the blood of innocent patients? A man who could not act when his immediate constituency, the academic, is on strike will not even bother if all the health workers go on industrial action. But when the evil he has sown begin to haunt him and his generations and the blood begin to torment him; let him have no one to blame.
The blood on President Jonathan’s hand will forever haunt him, unless he summons the courage to deal incisively with the terrorists, while fishing out those he said were helping Boko Haram in his cabinet. He looked so gentle like a cowboy who cannot hurt a fly, but more than any leader Nigeria has ever produced, rushes of blood has flown down the country under his nose. His actions in treating Boko Haram with kids gloves is an invitation to coup by the already disgruntled Soldiers who have been cheated by the top military shots, despite laying down their lives for our beloved country. Nigerians must decide come 2015 if they still want this zoologist to keep governing them like animals and woe behold any of them who vote for him, but come back on the cyber space to condemn him and his policies. The days when he can cajole us with sweet words are over, as we have heard enough and can no longer hear more.
The Igbos who are supporting him and ready to sell their party, APGA should hide their heads in shame. Here is a man who promised to give a second Niger bridge to the region immediately he is voted into power, but refused to do so until one year to election, and they still believe that when they give him their votes, he can turn water into wine. Be not deceived, this man cannot even turn groundnut into kulikuli as he does not have the slightest idea on how governance is. An unprepared man is always bound to fail and it is what we are experiencing in Goodluck Jonathan. All his life, there are no antecedents of his performance and you cannot give what you don’t have. Call him a crippled President and you are not wrong, call him an impotent leader and you are not far from the truth. He has been in acting positions all his life and this is just one of such governance where you act the script. Unfortunately enough, the director of the movie, OBJ has abandoned the location and he has lost directions on where to go.
While he derives joy in comparing himself to world leaders, he fails to take lessons from them. A true leader who weekly experience one week, various bloodsheds would have acted like South Korea President, Park Geun-hyey, who gave a mind-blowing speech during the Sewol Ferry disaster, which killed close to 300 people thus: “As a President, I feel a sense of sorrow for not being able to protect them during their family trip. As the President who should be responsible for people’s live and security, in am sincerely apologizing to the people for having to suffer pain. I again pray for those who passed away during the incident and express my deep condolence to the families. I believe these people are the real heroes of our generation”. But for my President; when disaster like bomb blast and abduction happens and he hears it, he says, “My face change and my body do me one kind”. Shame!
As 2015 approaches and Boko Haram makes lives ungovernable, Mr President must begin to prepare his handover notes to give to the next President who will succeed him. There will be no excuse to be given for failure to get an alternative candidate even if it is from the same Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), but to allow Mr Jonathan to continue in power for extra four years is to sign a death with the keeper of the grave that we will always donate blood weekly to him. Are we ready to swell the graves with the death of Nigerians by allowing this ‘shoeless’ Bayelsa man to continue with his disgraceful acerbic style of leadership? Can President Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe ‘Mandela’ Jonathan be courageous enough like Sam Houston of Texas and say “In the name of Nigeria, which has been trampled upon. I refuse to take this oath. I love Nigeria too well to bring civil strife and bloodshed upon her”?
These little things matter…
Fejiro Oliver, a Journalist, Social Critic, Activist and Media Consultant can be reached on secretsreporters@gmail.com and +2348026797588 (sms only please). Follow me on my twitter handle @fejirooliver86 and Facebook posts; fejirooliver86. Like our Facebook page – secretsreporters
s
