Enduring the year 2013

Those of us who write for newspapers or share our opinions over the airwaves are not immune to the mood of the country. If we are honest with ourselves, we will admit that in 2013 we spent too much time on the problems, too little time acknowledging the progress, and even less time finding solutions. […]

Those of us who write for newspapers or share our opinions over the airwaves are not immune to the mood of the country. If we are honest with ourselves, we will admit that in 2013 we spent too much time on the problems, too little time acknowledging the progress, and even less time finding solutions. This is important, because with the privilege of shaping public opinion comes the responsibility of keeping hope alive.
Hardly would anyone argue with the need for greater balance in the views expressed through the media concerning Nigeria. Keeping hope alive is difficult, particularly in a politically charged atmosphere like ours. Those who are wired to feel that the PDP can do no wrong believe that to criticize anything the Government does is anti-government, or even unpatriotic. Those who oppose the PDP believe that to see anything good in it is politically partisan or unrealistically optimistic. This ambivalence produces a stalemate in which confidence in the nation’s prospect for growth is sacrificed on the altar of politics. All of this feeds the negative perception about the underperformance of the Jonathan administration.
But there are Nigerians who have made a difference. It has been said that the race is not for the swift but for who endures to the end. There is a story of a young man who had just gotten married. On the night of the couple’s honeymoon, as they were about to retire to bed, he remarked: “Honey, let us pray for guidance.” The bride then replied, “I will pray for guidance, you pray for endurance!”
Nigeria has been called a nation of fraudsters, one-night stands and mere flashes-in-the-pan, where very little is sustainable. In this age of sudden wealth, performers and headliners appear and disappear easily. Few Nigerians keep hope alive. As 2013 ended, I have been reflecting on this. And a number of persons and institutions that have endured, emerging as jewels in the sun, came to mind. I must single out my friend Dr Chima Amadi who I know has the distinction of believing in Nigeria so much that he established the Independent Service Delivery Monitoring Group, ISDMG. His organization is charged with identifying public agencies that function and celebrating them.
I had the privilege and pleasure of being the Chairman of the 2013 occasion and I was truly moved by the fact that this was his eighth effort in writing the script for this annual ritual. This is no ordinary feat, and I suspect that sometimes he must wonder how on earth he manages to pull it through. The last one had a jam-packed auditorium that night, including representatives of the World Bank among others, thus giving legitimacy for what has become a growing Nigerian tradition.
Another enduring Nigerian is the former Minister of the FCT Mallam Nasir el-Rufai. It is my candid opinion that if there were few more el-Rufais in government, Nigeria would be truly on its way to becoming economically viable. Here is a technocrat and a ‘giant’ with a decent dose of patriotism, who puts his money where his mouth is. He is “Performance” personified, which is what Nigeria needs most, otherwise we are doomed. Of course, his many acts in office may have angered some people, but no one can deny that he has remained focused in his struggle to keep this country on the path of progress through his writing, his tweets and his engagements with the All Progressives Congress, APC. It is to Gods glory that Mallam Nasir and about a hundred others escaped death by the whiskers in an air mishap at the tail end of 2013.
Who would have thought that an accomplished newspaper columnist could become an effective sports minister? Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi has defied the beef between President Jonathan and Dr Bukola Saraki to continue to be a hard-working, committed and visionary Minister of Sports, one who is leading by example, not allowing himself to be swallowed by negativity. Indeed, Bolaji has displayed a sanguine and amiable attitude even when the going was tough and his detractors were hurling barbs at him. Blessing Okagbare, Manu Garba and Stephen Keshi belong in his squad. I doff my hat for these sports personalities.
In terms of commitment and being someone who keeps his word, Tambuwal ranks way up. Unlike some politicians who walk around with an imperious attitude, feigning God-like qualities with their swagger, Tambuwal mixes a ready smile with a combative spirit and consummate humility. Undoubtedly, here is a politician whose traits would have transformed Nigeria, if Jonathan and his handlers were not men without ears.
Yes indeed, Jonathan too endured. Any president with blood in his veins would have crumbled like a pack of cards as his party men desert him in droves. Some would even abdicate, but Jonathan is sitting pretty believing like it would be Christmas again on his birthday in 2014.
His union with Bamanga Tukur (another ‘auren zobe’) has outlived 2013. Jonathan claims to have provided 1.6 million jobs and intends to fight corruption in 2014. What Jonathan failed to tell Nigerians was that corruption was not punishable in 2013. Welcome 2014!