Every person
in the calling of creativity sometimes experience a period in which ideas stop
flowing momentarily leading to a lag in such creative activity. It is called
different names in various fields. Writers call it writer’s block, football
teams call it moments of desperation and even travelling experiences such
difficulties known as traffic jam or better still go slow. Somehow, these lags do not last forever, they eventually
clear up within a few moments, or hours and in certain cases weeks. In the end
the person rises to new feats. One such office experiencing a lag on ideas and
action is the leadership of Nigeria.
The government
is simply put experiencing its lowest ebb in terms of ideation and action. The country
has never known this height of stagnation since its independence, not even in
the Abacha years was Nigeria this stagnant on the drive to progress. President
Goodluck Jonathan declared in self defence that the terror menace of Boko Haram
has become a huge distraction and cause of inaction for his administration.
While the
federal government is distracted by the terrorist organisation who only recently
asked Dr. Jonathan to resign and embrace Islam, the House of Representatives
became worried about budget implementation and have threatened to impeach the
president by September if budget implementation does not reach 100%. The Senate
president on his own part began clamouring for good reporting and appealed
against unguarded utterances, a call which soon earned him the applause of public
outrage.
While the
nation’s leadership is unable to get itself to focus its energy on fighting the
menace of terrorism, it had the boldness to face the people with the subsidy
issue that has brought further distractions and displeasure. But none of these
displeasures are as worrying as the rants of former FCT minister Nasiru El
Rufai and Pastor Tunde Bakare to the FG at least.
Senior
Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe has made
it clear to the duo that they are in error as it concerns criticising the
president. He chastised both men for politicising the insurgency in the land. According
to Dr. Okupe, El Rufai should offer his alternative to the present approach on
tackling the Boko Haram instead of asking for the president’s resignation. The Senior
Special Assistant went ahead to chide Pastor Bakare whom he described as unable
to decide whether to be a preacher, civil rights activist or politician. According
to him, the pastor has turned his pulpit into a podium for brainwashing good
Nigerians.
While Dr.
Doyin Okupe is playing the tune of his piper, Nigerians are on the receiving
end of such an undecided regime that is unable to act decisively on the
national issues raised by these critics. For the avoidance of doubt, critics
cannot be silenced for a simple reason as nation building. Criticism is
necessary in the interest of advancement. It is the constant watch and call to
attention by knowledgeable persons that give rise to better governance or
leadership. It appears the leadership millions of Nigerians lined up to elect
is not only distracted but unwilling to work in the face of that distraction.
A little
digression might be necessary. I used to be a goal keeper and during a penalty training
session once, one of our star players in the team came up against me but
refused to take the kick because of the girls behind who were laughing at him. He
told the coach to ask the girls to leave or he will miss the penalty. The girls
heard him and began making a huge jest of him to great worry. The coach would
have none of his complaining. There will be bigger stages with even more
hostile crowds who will boo you. It is in their faces that you must stand and
convert chances and penalties. Their distraction must never hinder your resolve
to apply the techniques of good penalty taking he encouraged. An anxious
striker eventually took his spot kick and I saved it (I was a good goal keeper).
The coach would not let him be though. He made him take spot kicks severally
while criticising him. In the face of that distraction, he learnt to calm down
and place his spot kicks.
This talk
about making guarded utterances, criticising less and calls for the un-politicising
of national issues is like the striker from my illustration above who claimed
he cannot take spot kicks because some girls in front of him were booing and shouting
at him. The presidency must realise that the job it asked Nigerians for is one
that requires ability to concentrate and deliver despite the distractions. It must
not for a fraction of a second expect the clamour to reduce or die down
completely.
One of the
reasons the Super Eagles cannot play in Lagos anymore is their inability to win
the Lagos crowd. The Lagos crowd is dynamic. It is not a crowd guilty of
hopeless optimism and reckless patriotism. It is a crowd that questions the
performer despite joining them to sing the national anthem a few minutes ago. The
Lagos crowd insists that the players on the pitch must perform for they have
paid to watch a performance and not a charade.
Nigerians
have paid through the ballot, sweat and blood to elect Dr. Goodluck Jonathan
and perhaps his wife Dame Patience Jonathan who has become apart from the first
lady a ceremonial permanent secretary. This team promised a breath of fresh air
but the gale from their misrule has been as fresh as a gale from the Holocaust.
Some persons cannot take such shameless show of underperformance and have cried
out.
Be that as it
may, there is need also for these critics to be a lot more pragmatic in their
criticism. Pastor Tunde Bakare’s criticism for many has become not only overly
passionate but distasteful especially since he is a man of God. Nasiru El Rufai
on his part as a party leader should show exactly how his party would act if
they were in power at every opportunity thus providing the viable political
alternative.
The country
Nigeria is sick with a lethargic performance on all facets. The Olympic Games
have been nearly depressing. Some Nigerians have adopted China and Great
Britain as their countries at the ongoing games. It is not that they are less
patriotic than the likes of Dr. Okupe but they are displeased at the continued
lag and block being exhibited on all aspects of national life and have decided
to fiddle a little with their dials.
Dear presidency,
this is not the time to cry for support but a time to rise up to the challenge
and earn the trust of the people again by putting an end to Boko Haram,
reviving agriculture, and restoring power. That is the way a losing team wins back
the crowd. The government in Abuja is boring Nigerians. It will be better if they did something to assuage Nigerians instead of trying to shout down the crowd. Some people think they can not, then they should take the advice of the former FCT minister.
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