Few hours after the bombing of the United Nations building at Abuja, in which hundreds of Nigerian and International public servants tragically lost their lives, I went to my Facebook wall and I effusively vent my spleen.
My anger or rather comment read thus: "I have said it before and will say it again ....this Bros is weak-kneed! His docility has cost us so much. Nigeria has been reduced to a theatre of terrorism under his watch. It is now obvious that this guy is not fit for the throne!!!!!!!! May the souls of the victims rest in peace.!!!!!!!
So that nobody will accuse me of negative characterisation, I tried to couch my comment in innuendo. Of course any discerning Nigerian reader would know that my anger was directed at Mr President, the commander in Chief of the armed forces of Nigeria, Dr Goodluck .E. Jonathan
The first reaction to my comment came from Elo, my journalist friend, who asked tongue in cheek " Are you sure you didn't vote for him?". Another friend of mine, Frank, said "I dey laugh".
To say the truth, I was expecting some of my friends to jeer at me or derisively say "we told you".
Well, like I stoically told Elo and the rest of Facebookers who knew I rooted for Mr President before and during the Presidential election, I am not ashamed to admit here that I voted for him. There were two evils as far as I was concerned and I went for the lesser one. I went for a fresh blood, an individual still in his mint condition (or so I thought) who at least held out a measure of promises for Nigerians across all strata instead of a recycled generation of spent horses who had brought Nigeria down at the the heels. I opted for a breath of fresh air as against a geriatric leadership and its miasma of despotic disposition which General Muhammadu Buhari represented.
But in the light of the violence being unleashed on Nigerians by Boko Haram (an Islamic sect with no clearly defined ideology other than terrorism) on a daily basis and with the latest bombing of United Nation building in Abuja last friday, 26th of August 2011, I am not sure anybody in Nigeria would like to fondly call President Jonathan a breath of fresh air. Of course by no stretch of the imagination could he be described as such at the moment. In point of fact, to many Nigerians, uncle GEJ is fast becoming a sickening stench of incompetence; a halitosis of cowardice that is choking everybody and driving them up the wall.
From all indications, one thing is incontestable and which has become a settled knowledge: Nigeria with her intricate network of complexities and peculiar paradoxes is just too hot (to govern) for a passive and introverted Dr Goodluck Jonathan, whose ilks are in Research Institutes, in sleepy rural towns. He just seems to me like a lost ball in high weeds; a lead actor who has completely lost the plot.
A friend of mine who was also responding to my emotional outburst on Facebook reminded me that the war on terror is a difficult one to fight. He went on to tell me that, even in America with all the money, muscle and mania at their disposal, they find it difficult to win the war on terror. Well, my reaction was that, what USA is doing about terrorism is a common knowledge to all. But can we say the same thing about our beloved country, Nigeria? While USA go after terrorists using both human and technology driven intelligence and annihilate them, Nigeria government allegedly go into negotiation with these savage criminals who had bombed several police stations in the North East of Nigeria and even Police Headquarters in Abuja (to make a point). Worse still, I overheard that amnesty is being proposed for them. The argument is, if the Niger Delta militant group in the creek could be given amnesty by the Federal Government, the right hand of amnesty should be extended to these bunch of criminals. God, that is sickening!!!! Retch!!!! The proposition is not only parochial, it is also illusory and can only come from sick minds.
Again, contrary to assertions and impressions in some quarters that this Islamist rebel group is faceless, there are empirical facts and verifiable evidence to prove otherwise.The allied Security agencies of the Nigeria nation can not tell me, they have no single clue from all the several arrests they have made so far. They can not tell me, members of this deadly Islamist group do not use means of communication like phones and internet, in this era of telecommunication advancement, where records can be requested and investigated. They can not tell me these criminals and their sponsors are ghosts that can not be traced and fish out, unless they want to tell me they are inept or hopelessly out to lunch !
However, I have some advice for our Mr President. First and foremost, let him forget the provincial notion that because 'goodluck' brought him to power then he's going to govern Nigeria or deal with this touchy and slippery issue of insecurity, using his 'goodluck' charm. If there is anytime in his checkered life that he needs to prove to all that he is not laid-back and weak-kneed, like some of us think of him, this is the time. This is the time to step out of line, break the mould and for once, swim against the tide of godfather-ism, tribalism, partisan politics and smoke out all the enemies of our beloved nation. This is the time to shun the line of least resistance and beard the Lion (Boko Haram and their sponsors) in its den. And if he has not assembled and addressed his security think tanks, he should do so now and foster a synergy between them and foreign security outfits that are ready to assist. GOD BLESS NIGERIA.
ADEDAYO GABRIEL FATOKI
My anger or rather comment read thus: "I have said it before and will say it again ....this Bros is weak-kneed! His docility has cost us so much. Nigeria has been reduced to a theatre of terrorism under his watch. It is now obvious that this guy is not fit for the throne!!!!!!!! May the souls of the victims rest in peace.!!!!!!!
So that nobody will accuse me of negative characterisation, I tried to couch my comment in innuendo. Of course any discerning Nigerian reader would know that my anger was directed at Mr President, the commander in Chief of the armed forces of Nigeria, Dr Goodluck .E. Jonathan
The first reaction to my comment came from Elo, my journalist friend, who asked tongue in cheek " Are you sure you didn't vote for him?". Another friend of mine, Frank, said "I dey laugh".
To say the truth, I was expecting some of my friends to jeer at me or derisively say "we told you".
Well, like I stoically told Elo and the rest of Facebookers who knew I rooted for Mr President before and during the Presidential election, I am not ashamed to admit here that I voted for him. There were two evils as far as I was concerned and I went for the lesser one. I went for a fresh blood, an individual still in his mint condition (or so I thought) who at least held out a measure of promises for Nigerians across all strata instead of a recycled generation of spent horses who had brought Nigeria down at the the heels. I opted for a breath of fresh air as against a geriatric leadership and its miasma of despotic disposition which General Muhammadu Buhari represented.
But in the light of the violence being unleashed on Nigerians by Boko Haram (an Islamic sect with no clearly defined ideology other than terrorism) on a daily basis and with the latest bombing of United Nation building in Abuja last friday, 26th of August 2011, I am not sure anybody in Nigeria would like to fondly call President Jonathan a breath of fresh air. Of course by no stretch of the imagination could he be described as such at the moment. In point of fact, to many Nigerians, uncle GEJ is fast becoming a sickening stench of incompetence; a halitosis of cowardice that is choking everybody and driving them up the wall.
From all indications, one thing is incontestable and which has become a settled knowledge: Nigeria with her intricate network of complexities and peculiar paradoxes is just too hot (to govern) for a passive and introverted Dr Goodluck Jonathan, whose ilks are in Research Institutes, in sleepy rural towns. He just seems to me like a lost ball in high weeds; a lead actor who has completely lost the plot.
A friend of mine who was also responding to my emotional outburst on Facebook reminded me that the war on terror is a difficult one to fight. He went on to tell me that, even in America with all the money, muscle and mania at their disposal, they find it difficult to win the war on terror. Well, my reaction was that, what USA is doing about terrorism is a common knowledge to all. But can we say the same thing about our beloved country, Nigeria? While USA go after terrorists using both human and technology driven intelligence and annihilate them, Nigeria government allegedly go into negotiation with these savage criminals who had bombed several police stations in the North East of Nigeria and even Police Headquarters in Abuja (to make a point). Worse still, I overheard that amnesty is being proposed for them. The argument is, if the Niger Delta militant group in the creek could be given amnesty by the Federal Government, the right hand of amnesty should be extended to these bunch of criminals. God, that is sickening!!!! Retch!!!! The proposition is not only parochial, it is also illusory and can only come from sick minds.
Again, contrary to assertions and impressions in some quarters that this Islamist rebel group is faceless, there are empirical facts and verifiable evidence to prove otherwise.The allied Security agencies of the Nigeria nation can not tell me, they have no single clue from all the several arrests they have made so far. They can not tell me, members of this deadly Islamist group do not use means of communication like phones and internet, in this era of telecommunication advancement, where records can be requested and investigated. They can not tell me these criminals and their sponsors are ghosts that can not be traced and fish out, unless they want to tell me they are inept or hopelessly out to lunch !
However, I have some advice for our Mr President. First and foremost, let him forget the provincial notion that because 'goodluck' brought him to power then he's going to govern Nigeria or deal with this touchy and slippery issue of insecurity, using his 'goodluck' charm. If there is anytime in his checkered life that he needs to prove to all that he is not laid-back and weak-kneed, like some of us think of him, this is the time. This is the time to step out of line, break the mould and for once, swim against the tide of godfather-ism, tribalism, partisan politics and smoke out all the enemies of our beloved nation. This is the time to shun the line of least resistance and beard the Lion (Boko Haram and their sponsors) in its den. And if he has not assembled and addressed his security think tanks, he should do so now and foster a synergy between them and foreign security outfits that are ready to assist. GOD BLESS NIGERIA.
ADEDAYO GABRIEL FATOKI
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ReplyDeleteThe consuming criminality of Boko Haram has found an encouraging accomplice in the ineptitude of government. You have spoken the minds of millions of Nigerians who lack the voice and medium to express their views.
ReplyDeleteWhat is called amnesty is primarily the duty of a reasonable government; providing employment for the people, creating infrastructure and restoring the dilapidated ones. These are some of the reasons a government exists. A government that fails to meet the basic needs of the people is expected to be banished or dissolved.
That the policy of Amnesty is multiplying the number of amnesty-demanding groups has shown the underbelly of that conservative and reactionary policy of amnesty.
Thanks for this informed opinion coming from a patriotic mind and concerned Nigerian.