What is the problem with Naija?

I love Nigeria; we are largely a people with short memory, preferring to forget very quickly. We either never remember or we choose to totally forget or learn slowly. With some 18 months gone, many are divided as to what Jonathan has achieved, will achieve and cannot achieve. In these few lines, I speak for […]

I love Nigeria; we are largely a people with short memory, preferring to forget very quickly. We either never remember or we choose to totally forget or learn slowly.

With some 18 months gone, many are divided as to what Jonathan has achieved, will achieve and cannot achieve. In these few lines, I speak for a group I choose to name as the Jonathanians. Who are the Jonathanians, what is their creed, believe and why should we believe them?

A Jonathanian believes that President Goodluck Jonathan GCFR is a good man; he is a nice man, with a good head and heart. They believe that President Jonathan has the capacity and capability to bring and sustain change in this country. They say, they believe and have keyed into his Transformation Agenda. They also believe that the Era of lamentation is over. Each day, they become lost into his promise of “I will never never fail you”!

That is the creed of the Jonathanians; this group of persons say among all the candidates during the April polls, Mr. Jonathan was the best.

The Jonathanians say he has just spent a little more than a year in office, we all need to give him time, he is not the cause of our problems, and we should stop blaming him. They say that in time, he will get into the swag, he is the Obama of our clime; and he has seen Obama twice now; Nigerians are just impatient and are not being fair.

These set of Nigerians ask that we should leave him to work on his pace. That infact a look at his performance index tells you that he has performed already: whether the fuel comes from Gabon, Ghana or Guatemala, there is fuel and that’s what matters. And on the issue of Kerosene, they ascribe its shortage first to activities of saboteurs and secondly that government is working hard on the gas project and soon we won’t need Kerosene.

The Jonathanians believe that Jonathan should be given a chance to prove himself. He is the first PhD holder to live in Aso Rock, infact one said, if not for anything; GEJ is a fresh and young man. This I could not but agree, especially after that lunch with youths at the Eko Suites in Lagos.

For those that do not know, despite all the election petition cases, give it to him, under Jonathan, Nigeria held the fairest poll in its history. Meaning we should stop all these June 12 noise.

If you do not believe that Jonathan is the real deal, I will tell you even the Clintons of America are Jonathanians. Hear Bill Clinton,… “My wife, Hillary Clinton, who happens to be the US Secretary of State, says good things about President Jonathan, including the fact that your hats are always cool”.

The Jonathanians today were those that praised Obasanjo to high heavens, some of them were part of the third term project; most of them were on television, the print, radio preaching the Yar’adua’s 7 point agenda, rule of law and law of rule.

Nigeria has not built a single power plant in the last 20 years. It barely maintained one either. But billions have gone into power projects. Today, we currently produce the same amount of electricity as New Hampshire. Alabama alone could power five Nigerias, but the Jonathanians say that will be a thing of the past.

The journey by the New Nigerian Railways Corporation takes over five hours from Lagos to Ibadan, yet, what really matters is not the time but the fact that the railway in question is that of the Royal Niger Company of the ‘luggard’. When our contemporaries are building entirely new rail systems we are renovating dead ones.

The Jonathanians need to be reminded that we are waiting for the airports, the universities, pipe-borne water and above all, the power. This would be the eighth wonder of the world and with the Nigerian soap opus currently featuring Bankole, Nafada, and EFCC, whether Mr Jonathan has the will to tackle the establishment remains to be seen.

I remind the Jonathanians that he promised just one thing, to promise less and do more; but every time he speaks, he makes another promise.

Let the Jonathanians tell Mr. Jonathan that all his so-called achievements mean nothing to the civil servant who knows that N18,000 can do little to ease his demands. The increase makes no sense in the light of expensive kerosene.

While five corp members remain in the kidnappers den in Port Harcourt city, the same city will be giving the first lady an honorary doctor of letters…and who would begrudge the woman with all the letters she has spoken?

But for all you the Jonathanians I end my admonishments with the following, Jonathan had better start because he has not started!

Prince Charles Dickson is Editor, burningpot.com 234-08033311301, 08057152301 http://burningpot.com