Nigeria's "Missing" President

Nigeria’s ‘Missing’ President

The on-going debate regarding the President’s health and whereabouts begs further questioning, as does the nation’s condemnation of the US authority which branded the country as “Terrorist” in the wake of the attempted bomb attack on Flight 253 to Detroit on Christmas day 2009, by a Nigerian, Farouk Umar Muttallab.

The President, Alhaji Umar Musa Yar'Adua, left the shores of Nigeria about 51 days ago for medical treatment in Saudi Arabia. Nothing concrete has been heard from top officials of his cabinet since then. Many questions have been asked many times by many people about his health, and who is ruling Nigeria. All people have heard have been lies and more lies. For a public official, there should be no secret about these standard requests by Nigerians. People deserve to know the condition of the No 1 citizen. Officials should not play on the intelligence of the populace. The absence of the President, a former Chemistry teacher, has created a power vacuum since he failed to provide presidential instructions to his Vice-President, Dr Jonathan Goodluck, before his departure. This development is regarded by many Nigerians as an affront on their intelligence.
While Nigerians were clamouring for Dr Jonathan Goodluck to take over, the American Chronicles newspaper came with a divisive rumour of his death. Suddenly, BBC has him on a few seconds of interview, to break a 51 day silence. Suddenly, according to a BBC News broadcast, in which he was claimed to have been interviewed for 3 minutes, the Nigerian President (who cannot speak with Nigerian Journalists or his own Cabinet members) is well, and promises “to return to duty as soon” as he’s discharged by his “doctors”. Which should we believe; the British BBC or the American Chronicles? Many Nigerians smell some very big fat, smelly rats! How long must Nigerians wait before being allowed to move the country forward from stagnation? And why do Nigerians and Nigerian Journalists have no access to the President’s doctors? Nigerians want to know who is running Nigeria.

A Democratically elected President abandons ship for 51 days, with no end in sight. He appears to have been in an interview with a British BBC journalist for 3 minutes, with no apology to the millions of Nigerians he had abandoned, and to a nation he has failed through his continued silence. He, however, did not fail to send “good wishes to the Super Eagles football team”! If anything, this only proves, in the minds of Nigerians, that he is really sick. How does a country’s leader go on Absence Without Official Leave (AWOL), for almost two months, with no clear indication of his present state of mind or health, his precise whereabouts, or concrete hand-over arrangement to cater for his absence, but yet have the temerity to send any kind of wishes to a football team? Who is fooling who? Is he trying to play on the intelligence of Nigerians again, by using football, which is seen as a unifying factor in Nigeria?

There is no better time than now to have a President who could stand up for the citizens of this country. Nigeria has been branded a “Terrorist country” by the US, and what people have is a President sending good wishes for football, and a Senate making empty noises. Yemen was also listed as a Terrorist nation, and their leadership promptly sprung into action by going aggressively to curb terrorist activity their country. By now, Nigerians expect that the Senate should have carried out extensive investigations regarding this incident, and the news that the “boxer bomber’s” father did indeed report his son’s excesses to the USA officials, which they failed (for whatever reason) to act on. Nigerians expect definitive action, perhaps even placing embargo on Nigerians further visiting or doing any sort of business with the USA, until this matter is fully investigated and resolved to mutual satisfaction. After all, airlines and the USA embassy itself (which denies countless Nigerians visas on a daily basis) generate significant income from Nigeria and Nigerians through Tourism alone.

Nigerians demand that the Senate constitute a committee to investigate the Farouk Muttallab’s attempted bombing case, in order to determine the level of lapses in our own security system, and find a credible and lasting solution. Talk is good and cheap, but actions are more effective. This is how the country’s leaders might be seen as being serious by the international community. Some Senators have no clue as to why they even were ‘elected’. Many could be seen chatting, giggling and even laughing while a serious debate (to determine the fate of millions of lives) was going on in the House. Some are known to have handled serious issues with lackadaisical attitudes. One wonders if some of these people are just afraid of retirement, and need to be seen to be occupied with a ‘job’.

Another election is around the corner. Nigerians have a fresh opportunity to boot out all unproductive public office holders, no longer relevant in the scheme of things. We must evaluate the progressive changes that have been made, and by whom, and especially, how these changes affect our lives, and also match their performance with the number of bills they have promoted and passed in the House. Have they made good on their promises to their constituencies. Do not waste your vote this time around, and don’t be sentimental. Nigeria needs change, and only Nigerians can determine how much change the country can have.

Many Officers are now going about doing one charity work or the other, giving out bags of rice, money and other goodies. Nigerians are not fooled. How long will a family of six live on one bag of rice or a few naira notes. What will you do when the rice and money finishes? For how long will this deceptive ‘show of generosity’ continue, and will it solve the problem of the masses in Nigeria? What Nigeria needs is a lasting solution to the problems that face the majority of its citizens: no pipe-borne water supply, no electricity, no motor-able roads, no fair play or justice. Nigerians needs leaders who can address the issue of disrespect to Nigerians worldwide, the Niger Delta crisis, health care, unemployment, low standard of education, security of lives and properties etc.

Voting for the wrong person because of one stupid bag of rice and a few naira notes, means you have mortgaged the future of both yourself and that of your children. Your vote is your voice to bring about the desired change in your country. Americans have voted in a black-American president. It takes courage to make change happen. Nigerians too can vote for change. Nigeria is richly blessed with men and women of integrity, intelligence, strength and fear of God. We are where we are today, because we have allowed a few bad eggs to hijack the governance of our country. Nigerians have been offered nothing but bad leadership and management. It’s time to rise up and reject them as leaders. Nigeria is a nation where many believe so much in God, but we must take decisive action to move the hand of God. Posterity will judge us if we fail to do what is expected of us. Another wrong move would be one mistake too many. Let us all rise up against bad leadership and say with one voice, enough is enough!