By Eromo Egbejule
January 19, 2011 12:23AM
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Mr. President,

I remember that sometime in August last year as I sweated out yet another night of power outage, I promised myself I would vote for you when you eventually decided to run for the office of president. You had just launched the roadmap for the power sector and I had, typical Nigerian that I am, begun to hope afresh. At the time, there were declarations of interest and rumours of declarations of interest and I’d singled you as the best of the available candidates. I reasoned that you could probably be the one to miraculously nurse your infected party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), back to sanity; that you would be the Messiah we seek.

More than four months later, one more birthday for me, and I am now doubtful of that. Of course, I will vote; that is after all my right. Voting for you is however one action whose possibility continues to diminish. Every new day gives me reason to agree with most of my contemporaries that you are not the long-awaited saviour.

The actions and inactions of your government make me sympathise briefly with those who have chosen to take the cowardly step of fleeing this country to ironically go and help make their resident countries work. Poverty has remained our neighbour and as the rapper MI (you do know him sire?) says:”Hunger hold man for neck like say na bowtie”. There is no day Nigerians do not wake up to read or hear about something negative in the news that could have been averted but for inaction and passive governance, or something that could have been positive and benefited the masses but for the actions of government.

A few days ago, I read online that Okey Ndibe, the Okey Ndibe, had been arrested. Pardon my sentimental attachment to the name; it is same for the man himself who I first met in 2008 at a literary meet to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the release of elder statesman Chinua Achebe’s uber-classic, Things Fall Apart. We did not chat for long but our little discussion remains evergreen for me. It was an expectedly great moment for me because I had been reading his pieces in The Sun and had googled him more at the time, than any other Nigerian writer, save Niyi Osundare.

So, sir, I was shocked that in an age where freedom of speech and of the press continue to make a statement in the enthronement of justice and protection of justice, a patriotic citizen such as Mr. Ndibe who continues to play his part in national development from faraway America could be detained. In civilized places, men of his ilk are given a hero’s welcome.

I want to assume that you are not behind the dehumanising ordeal of Mr. Ndibe and that it was just the belligerence of overzealous security agents seeking instant gratification. It is, apart from being morally, socially and democratically wrong, politically dumb, so to speak, to arrest a critic or anyone whatsoever at this critical period when you are pursuing your re-election. This, sir, is 2011, probably the most significant year in Nigerian political history after 1960 and 1993. So, you may want to listen less to those who call themselves your advisers.

It is you who will face the consequences of acting on their half-baked advice and if your name is rubbed in the mud, they will find new employers. You, sir, will retire to a quiet life in your village and be content to come out twice a year to give lectures to small audiences.

I am also assuming that you are a gentleman and that like all gentlemen and leaders, you will not shy away from admitting that detaining the man was wrong. At least a simple public apology will do. It will not turn back the hands of time but it will definitely show sincerity of purpose to the people you govern. No one is infallible, sir and there is no need to keep up a show of being so.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Home/5664360-146/story.csp

Posted by Abanikonda on Jan 19 2011
No way!!!!!!! Not when the donkey starts flying in the sky; Jonathan belongs to the party that TERRORIZE, LOOT, and RAPED this country for soooooo long; he is knee deep high with all these political terrorists; he is really dancing on the mine's field; I pity him a lot.


Posted by Dongo on Jan 19 2011
When the messiah comes,everyone will know,,his approach to governance will be a departure from the past,we will see the sense of urgency in his approach to issues,the changes that the messiah bring will be seen in our life not enumerated on Facebook, Ebele Jonathan, is just the same old stale stew served in a different plate


Posted by Mugabe jnr on Jan 19 2011
Let's take a look at Tunisia. That's what we need here. Can we do it? Can we save our future?


Posted by Ebele on Jan 19 2011
Messiah my foot! One more mention of this will trigger an immediate revolution in Nigeria. What do you mean "Is Jonathan the messiah?


Posted by Victor on Jan 19 2011
There will be no other Messiah (or Moses for that matter) for Nigeria! "It is my good actions and yours, not our hypocracy that will get us to the promise land" It is insane to keep thinking the present political set-up will ever produce a selfless, people-oriented leadership. We are spiralling in a circle of self destruction and hoping help will come from outside. Give it up folks; the only messiah we will get is "the man in the mirror" Let each one of us be good, always do the right thing and demand same from his neighbour, for without these basics, salvation is a long way coming!


Posted by Q on Jan 19 2011
Can a pig stay away from dirt? No So nobody should expect a pdp candidate to be clean or have the interests of Nigerians at heart. Vote Buhari no matter what anyone says he is the only man in the current race that has served as minister for petroleum for that matter governor head of state head of ptf and come out with NOT a single issue of corruption against him. In today's Nigeria if we have a real leader who can tame corruption and send it packing it is Buhari. I got nothing against Ribadu but his tenure as EFCC boss under OBJ throws up a lot of unanswered questions. Rather than go for someone like Ribadu I would urge that we go for Buhari there is no need to test him because he has been tested in every sphere and not found wanting We need a leader that will not stand for corruption. GEJ & His PDP (the party is a true reflection of its real masters OBJ/GEJ) are a ready made excuse for corruption and we should endeavor to vote them all out of office at all levels come April 2011


Posted by moi on Jan 19 2011
well said Dongo, I couldn't agree with you more. "we will see the sense of urgency in his approach to issues,the changes that the messiah bring will be seen in our life not enumerated on Facebook, Ebele Jonathan, is just the same old stale stew served in a different plate"


Posted by reflection on Jan 19 2011
Jonathan has never been know to rock the boat. He thrives on status-quo and fears confrontations. Mark my word, we will soon become number one most corrupt country , from our current third position, a position we achieved, under Jonathan's watch!


Posted by Mr Objective on Jan 19 2011
Messa what? If you ask me about Donald Duke, we know his antecedents, if we talk of Maruwa , we remember his efforts in Lagos (tricycles are even called Maruwa in his remembrance) . If we talk of Fashola, or el-rufai, or Ribadu, or okonjo iweala, All these men have an antecedent for radical leadership, that could translate into the change we need. But Jonathan? Please stop dreaming Nigerians. Just look at the ministers he surrounds himself with.


Posted by Gringory on Jan 19 2011
The messiah can never come from the PDP.


Posted by Fola Parpars on Jan 19 2011
messsa wat? A very un charismatic leader


Posted by Peter Pan on Jan 19 2011
I'm not in the least a fan of Jonathan Goodluck, but to base your entire critic of his government on the detention of Mr. Okey Ndibe (as silly as that was), I think, was a grossly missed opportunity. I really believe columnists owe Nigeria a lot more than you have collectively managed so far. This was disappointing, really.


Posted by UnklGee on Jan 19 2011
Messiah ko! Messiah ni! He is as much the Messaiah as Obasanjo was.


Posted by Ije Ngala on Jan 19 2011
Our redemption lies in each of us doing the right thing for our collective good. Stop expecting Jonathan or anyone else for that matter to wave and usher in Uhuru. By the way, Mr. Ndibe confirms that his ordeal was in the course of over-zealousness by junior officers. Leave GEJ out of your silly blame game. The man has more on his plate that Mr. Ndibe's passport!


Posted by NativeSon on Jan 19 2011
Mr Writer Egbejule No one can save you but yourself. And that starts with your mind and aspirations. No one man can save a whole nation. Play your part constructively and all our efforts can save Nigeria. I see you place the arrest of Okey Ndibe higher than the fighting and bomb explosions that have taking so many lives in Jos, Edo, Bayelsa, Delta and Abuja. Your worry shouldn't be about some Messiah, you should be worrying about the Devil lurking outside your bedroom door.

HEHEHEHEH . No comment.

Nigerians are completely disenfranchised  - Our so called leaders operate with  different sets of rational one that is completely far from the masses. Majority of people think it is business as usual for the corrupt elites under a government of Ebele.

GEJ is too timid to upset the status quo. At this point of time Nigeria needs someone who will tip the balance in favour of the masses and not the corrupt ruling cabal.

blacksta:

By Eromo Egbejule
January 19, 2011 12:23AM
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It is you who will face the consequences of acting on their half-baked advice and if your name is rubbed in the mud, they will find new employers. You, sir, will retire to a quiet life in your village and be content to come out twice a year to give lectures to small audiences.

I am also assuming that you are a gentleman and that like all gentlemen and leaders, you will not shy away from admitting that detaining the man was wrong. At least a simple public apology will do. It will not turn back the hands of time but it will definitely show sincerity of purpose to the people you govern. No one is infallible, sir and there is no need to keep up a show of being so.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Home/5664360-146/story.csp

STILL NO COMMENT .