President Jonathan and his many wahala…

“Effective leadership is not about making speeches or being liked; leadership is defined by results not attributes.” Peter Drucker

Perhaps no other President has been unfortunate to be confronted by so many wahala since Nigeria independenceth than President Goddluck Ebele Jonathan. These wahala can be categorized into two:  the man-made and God made, with the latter dominating the scale.  And to be fair to the president, it has not been quite easy for him as the number one man of this great rich controversial country.

The daily challenges and wahala confronting Mr. President comprise various strikes from different sectors of the Nigerian social, economic and political fronts, which are ASSU and NLC strikes amongst others. This administration has to its credit one of the most challenging and threatening internal problems since our independence. This courtesy of the deadly Boko Haram   mayhem, the Niger Delta militancy, the Jos, Bauchi, Kaduna, Yobe, Nazarawa and Benue ethno-religious slaughtering. Not forgetting the constant political thuggery and bloody Motor Parks rivalry in Oyo and other part of the south-west environs. Worthy to also mention is the record breaking increase in dare devil robbery and kidnapping in the south –east and part of the south-south.

To be honest, my eyes just took a peep more prudently at the Nigeria nation and I can clearly see that this present administration has no option than  to buckle up and face all the man-made  challenges and problems daily  confronting it furiously. From the disgraceful Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) and its scandalous privatization exercise, and the other massive corruption cases hanging boldly like a tag on its head perpetrated by past and serving government officials and politicians.

Another burden and challenge facing this government is the pathetic state of our educational sector and the eyesore that has become our public schools. Though the administration has to its credit the record of settling up new universities across the various geo-political zones in the country, it has always failed to really look inward and behold with shame what has become some of our historical public schools, from primary, secondary to higher institutions across the country. Some of the hitherto beautiful structures are now more of relics and unfortunately still accommodate hundreds of innocent Nigerians under hash and disgraceful conditions. Some of our young pupils  and  under-graduates can still be seen sitting and squatting  in various classrooms, despite the yearly billions of naira allocated to this  important  sector of our lives.

The load on the shoulder of this administration, I tell you, is not an easy one.  How else should we describe our nose-dived sport ministry and its various shameful failures despite all the commitment of the administration and support from the Presido personally in ensuring that our sport ministry has the best, especially our corruption infected Nigeria Football  Federation (NFF) and their bunch of unpatriotic and money induced administrators, coaches and players?  I wonder how many Nigerians this cluster of failed sportsmen and women would have sent to their early graves through high blood pressure anytime they come, make their loud boastfulness and at the end fail woefully with cheap excuses. Thank God, Nigerians are now wiser, they now funnel their energy to how to get their daily bread and garri, instead of wasting unfruitful time and vigour supporting or worrying about our failed sportsmen and women, who over the years have brought nothing but scandals, corruption, infighting and shame to our hitherto number one sporting nation in Africa, and among the best in the world.

It is not easy to rule a country like Nigeria;anyone with ambition or privilege to vie or govern this rich diversified nation must and should be ready to confront all the big wahala that should be expected from a country with more than 150 million people. That person should be bold enough to confront the security challenges and massive corruption that could greedily swallow it if left untamed.

Among the loads the Jonathan administration is currently carrying on its over burdened head is the important issue of good roads across the country, steady power and water supply, modern hospitals and equipment, unemployment, closure of industries, especially in the north where almost all the hitherto vibrant textile industries, and other manufacturing enterprises have long kissed the dust. I am sure the present administration has not forgotten that on its shoulder still lies the promise of  establishing a modern school system for the battalions of almajiris  still daily roaming our town and cities, disgracefully in rags with weather beaten bowls in search of food and where to lay their  oppressed heads.

There is this popular Hausa saying: tsunsu da yaja ruwa, shi ruwa kan daka. Translate: The bird that draws rain got beaten by the rain. The president since assumption seems to have been drawing some of the thunderstorm and rain that is falling over his administration negatively. From his proposed single tenure bill, his long overdue promise of naming and exposing those behind the spate of bombings across the country, the names of the greedy cabal milking us from our oil sector and his current controversial oil subsidy removal plan.

Though I am yet to meet Mr. President in person, my eyes from afar could deduce that he seems to be someone that should be able to face these many wahala confronting his administration presently, given the fact that providence so far has been on his side and fair to him in all the battles he has so far been confronted with in life. How he does this rests squarely on his shoulders, and Nigerians and history shall only remember and refer in these words: During the administration of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, because the final buck and solutions to these loads of wahala presently, still stop on his table.