[size=14pt]OBSERVATIONS:Dinner with Jonathan[/size]
By Kadaria Ahmed
October 4, 2010 02:26AMT

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So on Saturday at State House in Marina, Lagos, President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife played host to a select number of Nigerians. The state dinner was part of the events marking Nigeria's golden jubilee. Although Lagos is no longer the capital of the nation, the president decided that a dinner must be held here because as he put it, it all started in Lagos and the city remains the commercial heartland of the country.


Coming as it did a day after the carnage in Abuja, the dinner was less boisterous than it might have otherwise been. The president asked for a minute of silence for the bomb victims and the events in Abuja were discussed both on the podium by some of those who spoke but also at the various tables by dinner companions.

There is a conspiracy theory that is been whispered around and one captain of industry was more than happy to share it with me. "It is your people," he said. It is those northerners that want to do everything to disrupt the possibility of a Jonathan presidency, he alleged.

Instinctively, I wanted to dismiss the assertion. After all in their usual style, MEND had circulated an email just hours before the carnage warning people to stay away from the venues of the independence celebrations in Abuja. To do so however would be, I realised to ignore the deep distrust that plagues relationships between the different regions and tribes in Nigeria which shamefully politicians look prepared to exploit as we prepare for elections.

It is therefore imperative that the skills of our security services,

minuscule though they might be, are brought to bear on investigating the crime in Abuja. They should in fact ask for help from friendly governments whose security operations are more robust so we can be sure of apprehending those who committed these atrocities. If the culprits are found, they should be tried and if found guilty convicted. Simple.

Under no circumstances should the actions of a few ‘mad' people be used to cause more divisions among Nigerians.

The blood of ordinary Nigerians must stop being the oil that lubricates dirty, divisive politics in our land. It is hoped President Jonathan can provide the necessary leadership to ensure this happens.

This is the same reason why by now, we should also cease and desist from harping on the issue of zoning. Enough of a policy that has no place in the sort of society we hope to build, one in which merit trumps every other consideration.

[b]The president wants to run, let him contest. His place of origin should not matter, his promise and our judgment of his ability to deliver on that promise should be the yardstick.

At the dinner, I caught glimpses of why the president has convinced many that by this yardstick, he is the man for the job. He seems to have mastered the art of being easy and charming to his guests. As he stood at the podium addressing the people he had invited to dinner, from time to time, I would hear from some of those sitting near me the phrase, "I like this man," or, "he is not bad at all." This was not surprising because Goodluck Jonathan did come across as down to earth and in touch with the problems of Nigeria, in that he interlaced his speech with jokes, some at his own expense and this also endeared him to many. He acknowledged the relevance of the new generation of Nigerians in nation building. He broke protocol to take a photo at the end of the dinner with a group of young people, a band from Abuja that performed at the dinner. The clincher was when after he called for a toast to Nigeria, he walked around tables ‘clinking' his glass with as many people as possible. I got a clink, as did everyone on our table. It thrilled people to no end.

The majority of Nigerians though, will never experience this sort of intimate interaction with the president. Their judgement of him will largely depend on how his policies impact their lives:

the provision of potable water and constant power supply; the construction of motor able roads; an overhaul of our education system,  the list is long.

If the President wants to replicate the success of Saturday's dinner, among regular folks, he should note these are the things that are most likely to sweep them off their feet.[/b]

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Opinion/5626491-182/observationsdinner_with_jonathan___.csp

So GEJ should be president because he went about clinking glass with me in a dinner but cannot guarantee my safety just outside the building? If it is pro IBB article, some guys will tell us that the Minna dinner for journalist is working but this? Or do i say that GEJ had a similar strategy like IBB? My take- they are all the same thing!!!! Apart from Ribadu!!

All of them. Promise and Fail. The same lie lie lie the keep feeding us every 4 years.

Beaf:

If the President wants to replicate the success of Saturday's dinner, among regular folks, he should note these are the things that are most likely to sweep them off their feet.[/b]

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Opinion/5626491-182/observationsdinner_with_jonathan___.csp

not surprise because Nigerians are hungry, food politics

Frank-C:

So GEJ should be president because he went about clinking glass with me in a dinner but cannot guarantee my safety just outside the building? If it is pro IBB article, some guys will tell us that the Minna dinner for journalist is working but this? Or do i say that GEJ had a similar strategy like IBB? My take- they are all the same thing!!!! Apart from Ribadu!!

Well said.

we are looking for a president, not an a list celebrity

I can't see anywhere it says that Kadaria Ahmed (the writer) was 'swept off her feet'

The last paragraph is the most important. It tells you what Jonathan should be focusing on, instead of directing almost all his energy towards 2011.

Heck, even IBB knows how to turn on the charm with ease.

^^^^

sharap dia

if u were a woman, you too would be swept off you feet by the suave debonair yum yum cinc

i mean, just look at him obama has nothing on him

every gals idea of a president you can fantasize about

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let me stop now

ROFLMAO!!

If clinking of glass is the best way to know or choose a leader then try me if I will not include a peck!