The term ‘bubble burst’ was devised in English law to describe a situation where things come to a head after a gradual build up, a situation where the proverbial camel’s back is broken, not by a single straw, but by the cumulative effect of several other straws that have been placed on the camel’s back. Once things continually go wrong, the end result is always predictable, one day things would go out of hand, and soon enough all hell will be let loose, and then the bubble will burst.
That Nigeria and indeed Africa appear to have been cursed with the evil of bad leadership is public knowledge. But at no time in the history of this Nation, not even at the height of military rule, where the Rulers could barely boast of secondary education, have we been exposed to such an error prone and gaffe loving President like we have in the person of the “once famous but now infamous, hat donning” President Goodluck Ebele ‘Azikiwe’ Jonathan, the first 'PHD' President in the history of Nigeria.
Since coming into public consciousness in rather fortuitous circumstances, the President has, more than anything, treated us to one faux pas after another. Like a fellow “idle tweeting child of anger” tweeted a few days ago, “when you think GEJ cannot hit any new lows with his gaffes, he disappoints you with another.” The situation came to a head this week when the President was reported to have said (in public) that the people who demonstrated during the January ‘Occupy Nigeria’ protests were not “ordinary Nigerians.”
I was depressed that night when I first read the report that I allowed my mind to wander through memory lane to reminisce over some of the highpoints of our dear President’s administration, an administration that has been filled with so much disappointment that sometimes, I have the feeling that he has been power for at least five years. I am fed up already.
The first inclination that we were in for a roller coaster ride was the bomb shell that he dropped on the eve of his swearing-in, when he said four years term was not enough for any President to make any meaningful progress. Now while the comments attracted divided opinion, my take then and now was the timing of the comments. Did he not know that the term stipulated in the Constitution is four years before contesting? If he knew he could not achieve anything in four years why did he not allow those who felt they could achieve something to contest the election? Soon enough, we forgot about the comments and gave him the benefit of the doubt.
This was the same person who had earlier delivered the most un-presidential response to a crisis I have ever witnessed. Remember the Independence day bombing that took place in October 1, 2010 which rocked the FCT and claimed 16 lives? The fire had barely died down when GEJ immediately jumped to the defence of his kinsmen and announced to the world that MEND was not responsible. This was before any investigation had been commenced let alone concluded.
According to the President, “the government of Nigeria knows the persons who masterminded the bomb blasts that marred Friday's golden jubilee celebration… It was the handiwork of terrorists and not the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) as was widely speculated.”
To his chagrin, MEND who obviously did not have him on their payroll as their spokesperson, in a swift reaction, took responsibility for the deadly bomb blasts, saying that the nation's security forces should be blamed for the avoidable loss of lives. MEND not only said that it actually carried out the attacks but gave proof that it had sent out several warning statements to the security forces several days before the attack.
Excerpts of the statement read: "The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) deeply regrets the avoidable loss of lives during our bomb attack in Abuja on Friday, October 1, 2010. Our hearts go to the families of those killed who we know were sympathetic to our cause. The irresponsible attitude of the government security forces is to blame for the loss of lives. They were given five days prior notice... The security forces were also warned one full hour to the first bomb blast ahead of the general alert sent to the media and told to steer the public from all parked cars which was not done.” Soon again, we forgot about that and forged ahead.
But can we ever forget the infamous Presidential media chat? which in my opinion has to go down in history as the worst media performance by any public office holder anywhere in the world. The media chat was so terrible that a Ghanaian Professor Ayittey described our President as a joke. If you have forgotten, let me remind you.
When asked why he traveled to Rio de Janiero in spite of the violence then taking place in Kaduna and Yobe States, his answer was “I have no regrets going to Brazil. The issue of security in this country, especially relating to the Boko Haram crisis is pathetic, I have lost people and I have lost property. I sympathize with people who have lost property and relations. I feel the pain… the day the international community gets to know that the President of Nigeria could not travel because of Boko Haram, we are finished.” He also stated that his justification for not visiting Borno State, widely acknowledged as the place worst hit by the insurgency, was that the Maiduguri Airport was bad and we all know what will happen if he goes to Borno State by Helicopter. That was from the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the biggest black nation in the world and the giant of Africa. This is the same person that confessed to us that he is no Army General. Who talks like that?
He took his infamy to a whole new level that same night when the questions shifted to his refusal to declare his asset, a requirement of law, the same law he took an oath of office to uphold and defend. Hear Mr President, “the issue of public declaration I think is playing to the gallery. You don’t need to publicly declare any asset.”
“I declared my asset when I was the Vice-President; what is the difference now that I am the President,” he said.
Then came the bomb shell. “I DON’T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT IT, (on National TV) if you want to criticize me from here to heaven. When I was Vice- President, I told the then President-unfortunately he’s late. I said, ‘look let us not start something just because we want to play into the hands of some people and create another situation in the country. I was the governor of Bayelsa State, I was investigated thoroughly. I was a governor for about one year before I became Vice- president I have nothing to hide. But because I was under someone then and because of the media, my boss, then the President, declared. The Vice-President did not declare and it was becoming an issue, so I declared. It is not because I wanted to. Channels (TV) can talk about that from morning till night, AIT can talk about that from morning till night, all the papers can write about it, it’s a matter of principle.”
Some of the other infamous comments attributed to him in recent times include, “Blame the media for my administration’s woes,” “Boko haram has infiltrated my government,” “I am the most criticized President in the world,” “There is political boko haram and religious book haram” etc. Again I ask, who talks like that? And this is someone that has Ministers, Special Advisers, Speech Writers, Media Aides, Personal Assistants including a Special Adviser on Media and Publicity.
Then speaking at the 52nd independence anniversary lecture this week, where the former President of Ghana, Mr. John Kufour, delivered the lecture titled "Nigeria: Security, Development and National Transformation” our dear President came out with another head line grabber.
“Look at the demonstrations back home, look at the areas this demonstrations are coming from, you begin to ask, are these the ordinary citizens that are demonstrating? Or are people pushing them to demonstrate." He continued,
“…during the demonstration in Lagos, people were given bottled water that people in my village don’t have access to, people were given expensive food that the ordinary people in Lagos cannot eat. So even going to eat free food alone attracts people. They go and hire the best musician to come and play and the best comedian to come and entertain is that demonstration? Are you telling me that that is a demonstration from ordinary masses in Nigeria who want to communicate something to government?”
I wonder, who then are the extra ordinary Nigerians? Was the President expecting the demonstrators to be dressed in rags and sackcloth before they could qualify as ordinary Nigerians? What is more? Was the President surprised at the widespread criticism he received? Was he delusional to believe that the generality of Nigerians were in support of the fuel subsidy removal, while the thousands that came out to express their displeasure were only a crowd hired by his enemies with bottle water and expensive food?
I have said it before, I do not envisage a revolution in Nigeria anytime soon, not at the scale of the American, French or Industrial Revolution of the past centuries nor that of the Arab Uprisings just a few years ago. But what I am certain is that one day Mr. President’s gaffes will become unpardonable. One day the bubble will burst. That day I will remind you I said so.
I am available on twitter for more direct engagement @OrjiUka
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