DOCTORS AND OTHERS ARE LEAVING UK, USA, CANADA, INDIA, ETC. NOT JUST NIGERIA.

THE CABAL OR NIGERIANS.

Some years ago, if a church leader was importing an American Evangelist, other Pastors in his neighbourhood would quickly organise a retreat for their members to prevent them from being stolen at the crusade ground. Retreat was only for the church. At that time, I used to wonder aloud why Christians needed to retreat rather than progress or revive. 

I was therefore, taken aback and to say the least, very disturbed when President Jonathan started off this phase of his leadership of Nigeria, with a retreat. It would have blown past for me if the retreat did not include Olusegun Obasanjo. I sat at my PC wondering what Obasanjo, one of the architects of the many woes of Nigeria was doing with a leader who promised a new beginning for Nigerians. My heart sank and I knew we have been had.

It’s true that Jonathan was not my choice to win the 2011 election for the simple fact that he had been part of Nigeria’s inglorious past. I knew he was tainted, I desperately yearned for a new start for my beloved country men and women. I was like a lone voice crying in the wilderness. He was able, and easily too, to convince Nigerians especially from the South that he was their man. I had this nagging and tugging feeling that this nice, humble, Christian and southern Jonathan could not be different from those who made him, those who brought him from obscurity into political prominence. He learnt at the feet of the masters.

What little reservations I had, simply vanished when Nigerians all over the world glued themselves to the television sets to watch the presidential debate and this guy gave us all the middle finger. At that point I knew his heart was in ice storage. I lost all hope and so far he has not disappointed me.  

Jonathan has no plan to embrace the people of Nigeria whatsoever. Many of the problems confronting Nigeria are very obvious even to the blind and in my myopic opinion, needed President Jonathan to start taking decisive actions. His inaction and inability to take charge of the affairs of governance have left Nigeria like a nation without a commander in chief of the Armed Forces. Kidnappers are running free, terror groups are springing up because they cannot be challenged, gang-raping is now common and armed robbery is rampant. These renewed threats to lives and properties have become paramount in the hearts and mouths of Nigerians so much  that no one is talking about the lack of basic amenities that other nations take for granted. How could we be talking about inadequate and epileptic supply of electricity, bad roads, dilapidated classroom blocks with no sitting provisions for our children and the tower of corruption that has rendered our teeming youth jobless, when we are confronted with suicide bombers and kidnappers?

Sometimes I am tempted to think that this might be part of a grand design to further punish Nigerians for the magnanimous way they have endure years of torture from those who asked to serve them. After all, they have been pushed to the wall so many times and each time, they have managed to go through the wall only to be confronted by more walls. Nigerians are the only people whose resilience appears to have no limit. I quickly snapped out of this evil thought reminding myself that President Jonathan was a Christian! In Nigeria, as long as you have God and Jesus on your lips, your heart could be made of ice, you are a Christian! Anyone who at this point,  in Nigeria, does not FEEL the pain of Nigerians must have a cold heart; we must be afraid of such a person.

I refuse to side with those who make sentimental excuses for the lame-duck administration of President Jonathan. Nigeria is on the brink so has no time for teething problems. Teething problems are for babies; Jonathan is a seasoned administrator with enviable curriculum vitae in governance. He is not a novice like Barack Obama or David Cameron. At some point in the recent history of America, Al Qaeda was faceless but through intelligence and painstaking security work, Al Qaeda was unmasked.  When some hapless youngsters took to looting in the UK a few weeks ago, the government threatened fire and brimstone and they delivered. Consequently, we saw a peaceful Nothinghill Carnival. When Boko Haram reared its little head, that’s when President Jonathan should have acted decisively. Now it has grown and its still growing yet we have a President, a Commander in Chief of the collective Armed Forces of Nigeria telling us that it’s merely Nigeria taking its turn in being terrorised. How insensitive! 

I do not support terrorist activities in any shape or form but we cannot deny that the terrorist groups in Nigeria are reacting in the way they know how to the dire situation in our nation. 

There is no man with more power and authority in Nigeria than President Jonathan. I do not care what he promised or contracted to do with some interest groups. President Jonathan needs to weigh seriously the needs of the Nigerian people as against those of these interest groups who represent only their selfish ends. This is the time to resolve to do things that are in the best interest of Nigerians. He has a chance to write his name in the hearts of Nigerians; he has this once in a lifetime chance to be their hero! This is a lifetime opportunity to wipe away the tears, pains and sorrows that have been the hallmark of Nigerians for decades; this is the time to let in a ray of sunshine in our lives so we can be proud again of our national identity. NOW IS THE TIME.

Nigerians are very forgiving people. President Jonathan must choose this day whose side he belongs. He has only two options. He must choose between the cabal and all the other interest groups on one side and Nigerians on the other! If he doesn’t side with Nigerians now, he will catch a cold from the ice inside his soul.