state of the Nation:one year without shoes

one year in office(some argue that its two years because he was sworn in to complete the last year of Yaradua’s tenure) might not be
enough to judge the performance of an
administration that has four years to
stay in office. But definitely it is enough to gauge
the mood of that administration and
know its roadmap and direction.
Jonathan has spent one year in office
yet Nigerians do not know where he is
going and how to get there. The power
sector is in complete disarray. From
Never Expect Light Always (NEPA), we
have entered the era of Problem Has
Changed Name (PHCN). The same can
be said of virtually all the sectors
covered in this essay. The education
sector has not known any respite while
the health sector is in coma. Our roads
are still in dilapidated condition.
Productivity and employment
generation are ‘no go’ areas. Most
manufacturing industries in Nigeria
have relocated to Ghana while job
creation has remained elusive.
The security challenge facing
Jonathan’s administration is daunting.
The Boko Haram sect has harassed him
to no end with incessant attacks and
bombings. The level of insecurity in the
land is so alarming that Nigeria appears
to be at war. Churches, schools, army
and police formations have been
attacked with accurate precision and
high casualties. All these happen in
spite of selective state of emergency
imposed in some states in the North
where the sect’s siege is high. All
promises by government to contain the
sect’s excesses have not worked.
Life has been difficult for most
Nigerians in the past one year than
before that people are even looking for
the fresh air to breathe. The removal of
the fuel subsidy in the New Year by
Jonathan contradicts his promise of
better life for all Nigerians. His promise
of peace and security has been
negated by the Boko Haram
insurgency. Many Nigerians are now
impoverished that they don’t have food
to eat and shelter over their head. The
price of cement is still high despite
assurances of crashing the price by
Jonathan. While the political elites are
enjoying the booty of office, the poor
masses are wallowing in abject poverty.
The fight against corruption is waxing
cold while the looting spree is on in all
levels of government.
These are the issues that Jonathan
must confront headlong. Jonathan
should stop thinking of 2015 and
concentrate on how to deliver his
electoral promises which this article
serves as a reminder in case he has
forgotten. Nigerians voted for him
because they believe that being a Ph.D
holder that he can deliver. I do not
want to believe that Nigerians voted
the wrong person or wasted their votes.
Let Jonathan prove to all that Nigerians
took the right decision for massively
voting him in as the president.
All the altercations on Gen.
Muhammadu Buhari’s warning that dog
and baboon will be soaked in blood if
the 2015 elections are rigged are
meaningless to Nigerians except
something urgent is done to improve
their condition of living. Nigerian
leaders should not be concerned with
winning election alone; they should be
concerned about the welfare of the
citizenry. Jonathan’s one year in office
is not impressive. There is need for
great improvement in the remaining
three years. This is what should
preoccupy him and his advisers and
not 2015