I believe this is Jonathan flying a kite for an extension of his tenure or providing an excuse to contest the 2011 election under the pretext of completing things he started and so on. Why would any leader who truly has a vision say 12 months is too small to achieve anything? Why is he on and on about “roadmap”? Hasn’t it been clear for years now that Nigeria has the best plans on paper
One Year Not Enough By Kennedy Emetulu
President Goodluck Jonathan has said the remaining 12 months of this administration is such a short time to achieve set targets. Should we allow him to continue after 2011 then? According to THISDAY of May 17, 2009, Jonathan added:
“We cannot achieve much under these 12 months,” said the President. “But one basic thing is that we must set a clear road map that everybody should know where we are going so that we can set targets and time line for you to achieve your targets.”
I believe this is Jonathan flying a kite for an extension of his tenure or providing an excuse to contest the 2011 election under the pretext of completing things he started and so on. Why would any leader who truly has a vision say 12 months is too small to achieve anything? Why is he on and on about “roadmap”? Hasn’t it been clear for years now that Nigeria has the best plans on paper and that implementing them has always been the issue? What roadmap does he need for electoral reform more than the Uwais Report? What roadmap does he need for power, when the first thing he did on coming to power was to go take a World Bank loan? What roadmap does he need for Niger-Delta other than to begin to implement the Niger Delta Master-Plan and the recommendation of the Niger-Delta Technical Committee?
Since he’s been Acting President and now substantive President, all he’s been doing is welcoming one group of supplicants after another, one group of congratulators after another, one group of sympathisers after another and so on and so forth. The appointment of a Vice-President that should have been done and dusted shortly after his own swearing-in is taking ages. Nothing, absolutely nothing is coming out policy-wise. And now he tells us 12 months is not enough to meet targets. So, why doesn’t he set targets he can meet in 12 months or at least tackle the problems head on and in 12 months we take a look to see where we are? Why this defeatist, soporific rendition this early in the day? To me, this does not augur well for his leadership. He’s not giving me reasons to believe he understands what he should be doing.
Of course, Nigerians will not wake up now and see through this crap. They will go on their knees and harass God with supposed prayers when God has actually done His bit and the facts stare them in the face. They always think that God is going to fly down and help them, rather than help themselves. From now on, expect to see people who would raise this as authority to demand that Jonathan be given more time. The same worn-out excuse used by all political failures in leadership in Nigeria is what he’s recycling. From Gowon through Babangida to Obasanjo, we’ve seen it before. So much for hope….
SEE MY ARTICLE; Jonathan: Paradise Regained?
In that piece I wrote among other things:
“I do not see Jonathan as capable of pulling his weight. I think he is too timid, provincial, uninformed and totally lacking in courage. I don’t think he has proper vision for leadership. Jonathan would rather wait for his godfathers to seize the initiative again from him in the name of protecting him. They will be interpreting Yar’Adua’s death as strengthening them and they will simply keep Jonathan in front of the curtain as they gladly play the ventriloquists behind. For Jonathan to succeed, he will have to do a big personality transformation and move like a whirlwind. It may look stressful at the beginning, because every sector and every power block will put pressure on him. But he really should not bother with them or fear them if he has his goals and if his conscience is clear. Yes, he has nothing to fear, because no matter what he does, they will still let him complete the remaining term in which he was elected along with Yar’Adua. It’s what happens in 2011 that is their problem. He shouldn’t even bother with that. He should think about Nigerians and how much he can do for them in this short time before the locusts return. If he does that, Nigerians would be the ones to bring him back to complete the good job he started and keep the locus away. Yet, as I said, I don’t see it in him. But I would be the happiest mortal if he proves me wrong”.
God Bless Nigeria!
Kennedy Emetulu
London