The victim president
By Sam Omatseye 14/11/2011 00:00:00


It is not easy to defend Goodluck Jonathan. Even when he enjoys apparent advantage, he commits what tennis fans call unforced errors. He is the yanga that wakes up trouble.

When I draped him in serpentine prose and called him His Excellency the Snake, readers’ reactions were mixed. Some said it was a felicitous metaphor, hitting the bull’s eye. But a few others endorsed the point while asking for milder animal metaphor. If the man said he was no lion, and no tiger, and one needed an appropriate animal metaphor, the sly ways of the serpent fit like a slough.

Last week, I felt vindicated. When the shadowy religious group known as Boko Haram struck again and took down over a hundred lives, his reaction upset good conscience because of its cowardice. Rather than take responsibility, he acted the victim. He evinced the quality of the coward. He said most of the countries in the world were assailed with terrorists, so it was excusable.

Not long after, the United States issued a warning over three hotels in Abuja as targets of terror. They included the Transcorp Hilton, the Sheraton and Nicon Luxury, which are frequented by the foreigners, including Americans, and well-heeled Nigerians.

Rather than show gratitude, his government lashed out at the publication of the warning. They should have warned them in private, they insisted. It became obvious that the United States had shared information with them before in private and they probably pooh-poohed it. That was why the Federal Government said it was nothing new. If it was nothing new, why did they not respond when it was new, when they first received the intelligence? The Americans obviously did not want to play poker with the lives of their citizens. If the Nigerian government recoiled from action, they did not. What is wrong with making such augury public anyway? They learned from the United Nations building tragedy.

The purpose of intelligence is not to make it secret. That would be intelligence for intelligence sake. The purpose is to save lives and hound down the culprits. In the United States, once there is an inkling of an attack, the public is alerted with a view to co-opting the cooperation of the civil society since security is a collective endeavour.

But Jonathan’s men acted like Jonathan. They pushed the blame elsewhere, and wanted to smear the Americans as if there was a great breach of diplomatic behaviour for exposing the incompetence of Nigeria’s intelligence officers.

Jonathan wanted to act the victim. It was not his fault, he went on; blame the hoodlums. Is that how the commander-in-chief should respond to such a matter? I forget that he claims he is not a general even though he is a commander in chief. Talk about farce!

He has a police chief called Hafiz Ringim whose men reportedly mix with the Boko Haram folks, yet no helpful arrest has happened. How can Ringim handle this when he could not save his convoy from the infiltration and bombing by the group? It is obvious we have an incompetent police chief. Jonathan deployed soldiers all over the place. They went to war without intelligence. War without knowledge is a waste of brawn and calories. A day after a report that arms were recovered from day-to-day searches in Borno State, the sect struck. It made the security services look absurd, like jokers in a grand scale. We have an incompetent secret service.

Jonathan has done nothing to ask from them a grand idea and strategy for dealing with the problem. How can he find that grand idea? He does not think grandly. No one can pick one grand idea he has espoused since he took over the country over a year ago. A coward has no bold ideas. A snake is one of the cowardly animals. It does not think big or strike far. It strikes as though it has not stricken. You feel the bite but you don’t see the assailant.

That is what Jonathan is trying to do, and we see this everywhere including in the handling of the PDP governorship screening in his home state of Bayelsa. It is all about the process. The governor was cleared by the only legal body with the power to do so. This was made clear by the lawmakers from the state. Even if the National Working Committee is to clear the group legally, it has turned what is a simple process into an abracadabra. Why can’t they clear Governor Sylva? If they have a reason, why can’t they come out with the reason?

The president has received several groups, including the governors, and he says he is not involved and only the leadership of the party should handle this. Who is the leader of the party? In a democracy, once a party produces a president, he or she is the party leader. Can Jonathan say the NWC is not reporting to him? He should stop kidding us. That again is the quality of the snake, striking furtively, in the dark. Finally they disqualified him out of frustration from Saturday’s mammoth rally. They could not even wait till Monday. They did it on a Sunday as though it were an emergency.

Look at the issue of oil subsidy, and you see President Goodluck Jonathan playing the victim again. Those who oppose him want to derail his government, topple him and bring him down. Would that also include the majority of Nigerians who do not want it? That would mean he understands that he is unpopular. He wanted to place the blame on somebody else. There was nothing wrong with subsidy, he wanted us to believe. It was just the case of some subversives who want him out, he Mr. Goodluck, the man with the most magical meteoric rise in the firmament of Nigeria’s political history. He went as far as to lie in the name of Muhammadu Buhari, saying the former general and rival in the presidential race wanted the removal of the so-called subsidy.

Buhari responded promptly through his spokesman, Yinka Odumakin, and showed that Jonathan had again committed an unforced error. He wanted to hide under Buhari like a green snake in a shrubbery. But it did not work. Odumakin explained that Buhari only questioned the mathematics of the so-called oil subsidy claims, propounding questions such as how much do we produce and sell the oil per litre abroad, why endless demurrage charges, why round tripping, etc. How did questioning the logic become an endorsement?

How do these legitimate acts of opposition amount to trying to topple his government? President Jonathan’s only antidote to such relentless pounding is performance. He has not put together any blueprint against terror. No silver bullet for power or for the economy. He pitches the removal of oil subsidy as a source of funds for infrastructure. Then he unveils a contract to build toll gates all over the country. Is he going to charge us for fuel and then for traveling in order to build roads? Haba!

But the tragedy of Jonathan’s show of victimhood is that he is so Nigerian. Most Nigerians want to blame somebody else for their woes. If it is not their in-laws, it is their enemy in the village or the neighbour’s wife or the other ethnic group or the pagan, Christian or Muslim heretic. Jean Paul Sartre probably had Nigerians in mind when he quipped: “Hell is other people.”

If Jonathan embodies this flipside of the Nigerian character, how can he be transformational? He has not risen above the nether parts of the crowd. Herbert Spencer wrote about a cadre of leaders: “Before he can remake his society, the society must first make him.” The flipside of Nigeria made Jonathan, so how can he remake Nigeria? How can he be transformational?

Transformational leaders rise above the times. Jonathan should.


http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/columnist/monday/sam-omatseye/26212-the-victim-president.html

Wow! A coward. A snake. Can he really rise above the times?

"With great power comes great responsibility" - Uncle Ben of Spiderman

Can someone pick the nations newspapers of 2010 and see if this same Sam man did not encourage GEJ to contents the election. As a journalist he must have interacted severally with GEJ, why did they give us GEJ and later turn back to complain?

All these people are lairs. Same fokes. In as much I hate GEJ and his government, I detest those that helped to create him for selfish reasons.

^

I doubt he did because Its well known fact dt The Nation is staunchly pro-ACN.

@OP

I hav an inkling dt ds man will b arrested and detained by d govt very soon.

Godman_n:

Can someone pick the nations newspapers of 2010 an

d see if this same Sam man did not encourage GEJ to contents the election. As a journalist he must have interacted severally with GEJ, why did they give us GEJ and later turn back to complain?

All these people are lairs. Same fokes. In as much I hate GEJ and his government, I detest those that helped to create him for selfish reasons.

Do you know Sam at all?

We borh know you are lying about some 2010 rubbish. Show us the story or hush .

What a knockout on Odechukwu Retardeen Jonathan

Sam Omatseye an Itsekiri man sends Retardeen to the hospital with a right hook

[img]http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSgvfMZ_nEZCx-nnK1AaXAFKwiN6PcaKFijo5esAQ4YgQmB25O-[/img]

pix

Retardeen just wants to complete his tenure, chop money and leave.

Whether corruption or Boko Haram, he doesn't want any "noise" in his class. He just wishes to chop jejely whilst "God" continues to steer the affairs of the nation.

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Great article.

But I thought I was the only who saw that Jonathan is a snake. I'm glad others can see too.

For me, the quote below represents my reason for believing that this President does not have what it takes to lead this country.

But the tragedy of Jonathan’s show of victimhood is that he is so Nigerian. Most Nigerians want to blame somebody else for their woes. If it is not their in-laws, it is their enemy in the village or the neighbour’s wife or the other ethnic group or the pagan, Christian or Muslim heretic. Jean Paul Sartre probably had Nigerians in mind when he quipped: “Hell is other people.”

If Jonathan embodies this flipside of the Nigerian character, how can he be transformational? He has not risen above the nether parts of the crowd. Herbert Spencer wrote about a cadre of leaders: “Before he can remake his society, the society must first make him.” The flipside of Nigeria made Jonathan, so how can he remake Nigeria? How can he be transformational?

Transformational leaders rise above the times. Jonathan should.

Wasted political space.

wow. . .this is quite an interesting read. Jonathan doesnt know what he's up against yet

:Dhow are my friend?

Kaí, this man has definitely bitten off more than he can chew with the Presidency! See yabbing From all directions

Godman_n:

Can someone pick the nations newspapers of 2010 and see if this same Sam man did not encourage GEJ to contents the election. As a journalist he must have interacted severally with GEJ, why did they give us GEJ and later turn back to complain?

All these people are lairs. Same fokes. In as much I hate GEJ and his government, I detest those that helped to create him for selfish reasons.

I read virtually every piece of article Sam wrote in his 'IN TOUCH' column in the last 2 years. The closest article to your claim was the one he wrote in 2010 during the 'will Jonathan contest?' conundrum where he posited that a better argument for Jonathan contesting was to 1,  demystify the unfair perception that only the majority tribes can rule Nigeria and 2, to placate the Niger Delta and perhaps solve the unrest there.

I remember him arguing as above in one of his 2010 pieces but he was not expressly encouraging Jonathan to contest, he only said 'if at all he must contest, those are the valid grounds.'


But probably after knowing GEJ more, he has been the fiercest columnist-critic of GEJ even before GEJ eventually won.

DrummaBoy:

Great article.

But I thought I was the only who saw that Jonathan is a snake. I'm glad others can see too.

Na mate. I've been using words like "decietful" and "duplicitous" to categorize GEJ long before the elections. Not at all surprised by all we are seeing from him today. Did we not warn that a man so fervently backed by all the AGIPs and most ruinous hands in Nigeria can only be about elitism, profligacy, "more of the same" and deciet? Now that he is leading for the AGIPs , with terrible anti-people policies and directives, let those who voted for him , in defiance of logic and commonsense, enjoy their "fresh air".

Inasmuch as I applaud the brilliance of the writer and the poise with which he has written the article: I am afraid it may just be another in the list of "beautiful nonense" opinions, articles, write-ups that do not change anything. I have a suggestion: Every Nigerian on the internet shoud Like President Jonathan's page on Facebook and let him know exactly what you think of his governance. Who knows? He may begin to see a clearer picture of what he has become to the people "he leads".

Nothing new here, most of us already knew what GEJ is made of.

But the tragedy of Jonathan’s show of victimhood is that he is so Nigerian. Most Nigerians want to blame somebody else for their woes. If it is not their in-laws, it is their enemy in the village or the neighbour’s wife or the other ethnic group or the pagan, Christian or Muslim heretic. Jean Paul Sartre probably had Nigerians in mind when he quipped: “Hell is other people.”

If Jonathan embodies this flipside of the Nigerian character, how can he be transformational? He has not risen above the nether parts of the crowd. Herbert Spencer wrote about a cadre of leaders: “Before he can remake his society, the society must first make him.” The flipside of Nigeria made Jonathan, so how can he remake Nigeria? How can he be transformational?

Transformational leaders rise above the times. Jonathan should.

My best part of this article. We Nigerians, are our own problems. An average Nigerian that becomes president will behave exactly the same way. Thinking of ourselves and immediate family and nothing else. If something goes wrong pray and blame someone else.

Fine. Does he read nairaland or only facebuck?Can someone just register him as a member to only read comments and not post. .
A snake is a reptile moving about on its chest.

Godman_n:

Can someone pick the nations newspapers of 2010 and see if this same Sam man did not encourage GEJ to contents the election. As a journalist he must have interacted severally with GEJ, why did they give us GEJ and later turn back to complain?

All these people are lairs. Same fokes. In as much I hate GEJ and his government, I detest those that helped to create him for selfish reasons.

Another simpleton making no sense whatsoever.

He is preparing for presidential spokesman.

My observations

1. No Beaf/Reuben Abati in sight. E be lyk say money don dey finish.

2. Good article. Better responses. No insults yet. Doubt the streak will continue beyond page 2

3. How does this improve the cost of garri in the market? We've written and read enough. We've abused and cursed enough. The only way forward is ***.

Jonathan is a failure with those that voted for him, the worst is yet to come under Jonathan, i guess this is the price we must pay for choosing a president based on sentiments,tribal and religious reasons.

Nigeria's pres seat may seem like d most difficult thing in d world wt d laboured way GEJ is going about it,but its not bc d issues that confront us are straightforward:corruption in octoputian forms,infrastructural decay and poltical rot,poverty,tackle these& a lot of other 'problems' wi sole themselves as an offshoot.D thing that seems lacking is we having a leader that has d will to confront these issues head on

I agree. Nigeria is yet to become a difficult country to run. When we start dealing with complex issues, and making difficult policy decisions -- then we start talking of difficulty.

In trying to decipher the mind of a local politician one will discover the scariest place there is - a mind lacking substance to deal with, and bring about needed change in our space. All one hears is hollow - love for the office and its bounties but nothing of its responsibilities. Therein is the disaster.

In trying to decipher the mind of a local politician one will discover the scariest place there is - a mind lacking substance to deal with, and bring about needed change in our space. All one hears is hollow - love for the office and its bounties but nothing of its responsibilities. Therein is the disaster.

musKeeto:

My observations

1. No Beaf/Reuben Abati in sight. E be lyk say money don dey finish.

2. Good article. Better responses. No insults yet. Doubt the streak will continue beyond page 2

3. How does this improve the cost of garri in the market? We've written and read enough. We've abused and cursed enough. The only way forward is ***.

****BLOODY REVOLUTION

Sam Omatseye?Works for The Nation(Tinubu and ACN mouth Piece).Why has not also written about his paymaster (Tinubu).Sam Omatseye is a Snake who lost out in the race with Reuben Agbati, You can fool usPlease write about your paymaster too who stoles billions from Lagos State Government Coffers and billions of revenue still accrue to him from all the ACN controlled States before we can listen to you,