10/1/13

An Outbreak of Political Worshippers By Sonala Olumhense

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AnOutbreakofPoliticalWorshippersBySonala Olumhense
Posted:September29,201311:26 Postedbysiteadmin AdminFields Highlightonhomepage:HighlightonHomepage TopItem:HighlightasaTopItem SOSLogo.jpg Columnist:SonalaOlumhense LastSunday,IwasoneoftheNigerianprofessionalsintheUnitedStateswhoansweredaninvitationtolunchwith PresidentGoodluckJonathaninNewYork. Iwonderedifwewouldbetreatedtocassavabread,orUmuoffiastylehighelevationsofpoundedyam.Wouldtherebe peppersoupogbono,bushmeat,isiewu,afangorohaorsuya? Itturnedouttherewasnosuchsubtlety,noattempteitheratsymbolismorsuggestion.NoNigerianrestaurantinthe UnitedStatesgotaphonecallaskingifitcouldfeedafewhundredNigerians. Lunch,itturnedout,wasprocessedOmahasteak:whatdoyoumeanyoudonoteatbeef? Theotherpartoftheevent,talk,wasfarmoreNigerian,andthatwaswhyitbecamethedayIlearnedPresidentJonathan suffersfromacripplingdisease:adulation. ItisanopensecretMr.JonathanisaweakPresident,buttolistentothesonganddanceofthepeoplearoundhim,the manisHercules,ahero,asavior.Whatthismeansisthatevenwiththebestofintentions,theNigerianleadercanbarely hear,seeorsmelltheagonyoftherealNigeria. ProfessorAdeAdefuye,NigeriasambassadortotheUnitedStateswhowelcomedthePresident,spokeabouthisheart andhiswonderfuldecisionmaking,includinghisinsistencethatqualifiedNigeriansabroadbebroughthometohead someofthenewuniversities.HespokeaboutNigeriasrapidproductionlineofhighlevelachieversinthecountry10of themwerepresentedtoMr.Jonathan. Dr.NgoziOkonjoIweala,theCoordinatingandFinanceMinister,describedhowwelltheNigerianeconomyisdoing, whileIndustry,TradeandInvestmentMinisterOlusegunAgangaputinapulpitshakingPentecostalMinisterstyleshiftas hepraisedJonathanswisdom,leadershipandachievements.Sosuccessfulwashisearthquakeinthebackyardthat Mr.Jonathan,whenhespoke,repeatedlyquotedhim. OneoftheMCsbraggedaboutNigeriasachievementasMr.Jonathanwouldspeakin4thplaceattheUnitedNations GeneralAssemblydebate(Clapsyourhands!)thatMr.JonathanwouldringtheclosingbellattheNewYorkStock Exchange(Clap!!!). HealsocelebratedNigeriastakingover,in2014,asAfricaslargesteconomy.Mr.Agangadidnotappeartohavebeen sosureitwasagoodideatonailsuchadatetothemast,butheassuredNigeriawouldtakeover,althoughperhapsnot in2014. SpeakingoftheMCs,letmedismissthemostannoyinglanguageusageinNigerianofficialdom:Mr.President. Eachtimethisformofaddressisusedoutsidetheintroductionoftheincumbent,itisanattemptatsycophancy,and

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An Outbreak of Political Worshippers By Sonala Olumhense

Nigeriansareverygoodatit.Wesay,Mr.PresidentsaidasthoughheanswersPresidentforaname.ItoldMr. PresidentAndthenMr.Presidenttookasipofhiswater ThecorrectusageistosayMr.Presidentonlyifyouareintroducinghimthatis,callingonhimoraddressinghim directly. NobodywasguiltierofthisonSundaythanthetwoMCswhodidtheirgrovelingbesttomakeMr.Jonathanlookasifhis wifeobtainshermedicalcareinAbuja. Wewerepermittedfourquestions,anumberIconsideredtobesomewhatunfairbutperhapsunderstandableinthe circumstances.Ididnotthinkanyonereallywantedtofireuncomfortablequestionswewerehonoringacountry,notan individual. Mr.JonathanansweredthequestionshimselfhisMinisterswerescheduledtodothat.Tohiscredit,hewentbeyondthe threequestionsthatwereraisedthefourthwasamedicalinventorscommentabouthisproductandrespondedtoa coupleofhangingquestions.Inmyview,hedemonstratedanewlevelofcomfortabouthisjob. Thetwoextraquestionsheaddressedwerenationalsecurityandcorruption,buthewasnotchallenged,andhesaid nothingsubstantial. Intheend,itwasclearthatthecurrentgovernmentwillremainmediocre,promisingplenty,deliveringlittle.Attheevent, forinstance,weheardthatin2014,Nigeriawillhave10,000megawattsofelectricity. ThestreetsofNigeriaarelitteredwithbrokenpoliticalpromises,andMr.Jonathanisproofofhowthecountryspoor,the unwaryandtheuneducatedcaneasilybeseducedwiththem.Googlemylistofhis2011electoralpromises,forinstance: despitecompletelyignoringitsimplementation,thePresidentseemstobelievehewillrunagain,andwin. Promises:InaspeechinKadunainNovember2009,hepromisedNigerianstheywillhavefullandunfetteredelectricity in2010.InSeptember2010,hepromisedelectricityin2012,justashepromisedNigerians,in2012,theywillbeginto enjoytheperformanceofhisgovernmentin2013. People(critics)willbegintochangeafteroneyear,thepresidentsaidduringhisMediaChat.Well,2013isalmostover, whichmightexplainwhythosearoundhimarenowswearingby2014and2015. Evidently,JonathangotSundaywrong,premisedonancientHistory:thatNigeriansabroadareignorantabouttheir country.ThatluredanunimaginativegovernmentintogatheringadistinguishedwattageofNigerianssimplytotellthem muchlessthantheyalreadyknew. Nigeriansabroadknowthechallengeofsupportingalonglistofrelativesathome.Butitisalsotruethattherewasnone ofthemonSundaywhocouldhaveconfidentlystatedthatwerehetotraveltohishomeStateinNigeriatoday,hewill return. Andthinkaboutit:noNigerianpresentcannameanyfriendsorthathasgone,orispreparingtogotoNigeriaasa tourist.ThatisbecausethefrontdoorintoNigeriaispracticallylockedandbarred.ItisnotthesamewithGhana,South AfricaorEthiopia. ThisisnotaboutthepotentialofNigeriaitisaboutourdebilitatingkleptocracywhichmasqueradesasademocracy:itis incapableofboldvisionsandnovelsolutions. Nigeriahasbrightprospects,buthowcanwebetakenseriouslywhentheleaderchoosesoneofNewYorksmost expensivehotelstodemonstratehispower.ForMr.Jonathantopay$10,000pernightinNewYorkinsultsNigeriaspoor andtheveryconceptofbattlingpoverty.Howdoestheleaderofadevelopingnationmakesuchanabominable judgmentwhenheknowsthathishotelbillalonecantakecareofentirevillagesoruniversitiesorhospitals? Whenaleadermakessuchadecision,itfeedsintothestereotypeofNigeria,butitisalsoacovertsignalforthelooters thatthebarisopen.Itfuelsthecorruptionandimpunitythathasimprisonedus.Itmeansthatwhateveranyonesayswe areachieving,wecanachieve100timesasmuch. ItmustalsoberememberedthatNigeriasimpoverishedexistinlargenumbersoutsideNigeria.Iknowmanyinthe Diasporawho,withalittlepublicpolicyencouragement,wouldreturnhome.Unfortunately,whilemanyNigeriathieves arewalkingfree,buildingmansionsandtravelingtheworld,suchreturneesareunsuretheycanaffordanapartment. Inanyevent,exactlyhowwelloffisaNigerianabroadwhenheisdisenfranchisedathome?Itisashameforsomeoneto describeyouassuccessfulknowingthatbydefinitionheisagainstyourrighttovote. AndsowecomebacktotheuglinessoftwoNigerias:homeandaway,richandpoor,strongandrich,inpowerand

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An Outbreak of Political Worshippers By Sonala Olumhense

outsideofit,theclinicwherepatientstreatthedoctors. Thereisalotoftalk,butthereisevenmorehypocrisy.Weconvenientlyforgetthatfoodpoisoningdoesnotmean someonehasputpoisoninyoureba.Youcanpoisonyourself. sonala.olumhense@gmail.com Twitter:@SonalaOlumhense Comments 21comment(s) Postacomment SourceURL:http://saharareporters.com/column/outbreakpoliticalworshipperssonalaolumhense

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