Challenges Before President Jonathan

There is no gainsaying  the fact that President Goodluck Jonathan is one of the most educated persons to occupy the nation’s seat of power. Interestingly, President Jonathan is also credited with a wealth of knowledge in governance which none of his predecessors had, having served as deputy  Governor and Governor in Bayelsa State.

President Jonathan  also served as Nigeria’s vice president, acting president and now serving as president. Jonathan’s towering credentials, many are optimistic that the good times are around the corner. The followership and number of votes garnered by the president during the 2011 general election were indicative of the confidence  reposed in him. 

However, the test of leadership does not consist in the wealth of knowledge alone especially when it comes to steering the ship of state  in Nigeria’s stormy politics.

Following the electoral victory, one would have thought that the populace would be supportive of the policy and programmes of the incumbent government. Pathetically. President Jonathan misjudged the highly volatile Nigerian electorate as he removed the fuel subsidy. The President received his first shocker when organised labour slammed an industrial  action to armtwist him to revert to the status quo ante. The protracted negotiations  brought in its wake a plethora of sufferings. The commoner were worst hit by the spiral inflation that was the order of the day. The truce between labour and the federal government helped to assuage the suffering of the people.

The Federal government promised to use the proceeds of the increase in fuel pump price to maintain infrastructural facilities and a committee was inaugurated  for the reinvestment of the fund.

Nevertheless, the nation is yet to see the result of such reinvestment. The strike must have sent a signal to the federal government that the people of the Nigerian nation could not be taken for granted.

President  Jonathan witnessed  an upsurge of Boko Haram activities. The bestialities, horrors, breakdown of law and order brought hopelessness and put the country on a precipice. These acts of terrorism  worsened Nigeria’s international relations. The explosion of locally  made bombs  in Churches, public centres  police stations made everybody a target. Nobody could and acertain the object of Boko Haram.

There was no peace in the north and Abuja, the nation’s federal capital territory was not free from menace of the sect.

Only recently that terrorism in the north subsided and Nigerians were beginning to have  a sigh of relief when the Niger River began to overflow its bank. The River Niger is quite a long one almost running through the length of Nigeria. No wonder Nigeria  simply means Niger area.

Today, the talk is no longer about  Boko Haram, its all about containing the flooding occasioned by the overflow of the Niger. Even the Boko Haram is vulnerable to flooding. The over flow of  the Niger started from the north where thousands of people had been rendered homeless and properties worth millions of naira were destroyed.

Again, the flood moved to Anambra state where it wreaked havoc. The  flooding in Kogi, Anambra Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta States are horrifying.

In Rivers State, the entire Egi clan consisting of more than 10 communities have been sacked. Residents of these communities have been  displaced and their means of livelihood destroyed. In Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government  area, their  agrarian life has been destroyed. These flood victims have become destitute living at the benevolence of others. Oil firms operating in Omoku, headquarters of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA have shutdown on the interim to allow the flood subside. There are indications that the flooding has not abated. Many communities that were hitherto not flooded are gradually being flooded.

In Rivers State, Ahoada and Abua areas are experiencing the flood. Before the Rivers State government intervened, traders had used the excuse of destruction of farmlands occasioned by  flood to hike the prices of foodstuff in the state.

Garri, the staple food of the people was sold for N4,500 a basin as a result of the flooding. But  before the flood, a basin was sold for  N2,000 in Port Harcourt. The intervention of Governor Chibuike Amaechi has helped to assuage the pains of the people.

More than anything else, the present hiking of foodstuff in the state foreshadows  the imminent famine that would ravage the country as a result of destruction of farmlands.

Again, FG has been put on its toes as  the President  visits flooded states and communities. The Federal Government has been sending relief  to the  flood victims and there is no  indication  that the flood is abating.

Unfortunately, President Goodluck Jonathan became President when he is expected to clean the Augean stable. Clearing the Augean stable does not seem an easy task. Years of misrule  of the  military have put the country on a precipice: there are limited  employment for  over youths, infrastructural delay and widespread corruption.

As it is, the President is not only confronted with crises   originating from human  persons but natural disasters  as well. In terms of the terrorist acts of Boko Haram, the President  can reach a truce with the perpetrators but  what truce can be reached with nature.

The conspiracy of nature and nurture against the  regime of our  dear president  has put a frontal  challenge before him, which he must endeavour to surmount and put his deteractors to shame.

On the other hand, if the President capitulates to those distractions then the end of our nation state looms large.

John Enyie