As Jonathan hands over to Jonathan

On Sunday May 27th 2011, President Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan took the oath of office at a colourful ceremony in the Nation's capital, Abuja.  Whether the name "Azikiwe" is actually in his passport or purely used to win the South Eastern votes during the last general elections is a debate I would really like to have- but definitely not today. Albeit, his demure demeanour has become his greatest asset. GEJ, as he is now fondly referred to, began his ascension to the exalted position of President on December 11th, 2005. On this beautiful Friday, his boss and former Bayelsa State governor, Diepreye Solomon Peter Alamieyeseigha, was impeached, handcuffed and flown to Abuja, thereby paving way for him constitutionally to be sworn in as Governor. While some deputy governors would have thrown parties and held thanksgiving services to celebrate this "good luck", one media house reported that Goodluck locked himself away and broke down in tears. He must have wondered how a man he had served as deputy for seven years was being whisked away while he took over his post. By February 2007, he was picked by Obasanjo to become the vice- presidential candidate to Umaru Yar'Ádua. This singular act paved his emergence as the Vice president, Acting President and thereafter President after the demise of his principal. This perhaps sums what some people have termed Goodluck's mysterious rise to become Nigeria's president.

 

The most striking aspect of Goodluck's rise to power is that of all the presidents before him, he had the modest of all backgrounds. In fact when he declared his assets in 2007, many Nigerians laughed him to scorn. This is a man who according to one "source" travelled to Abuja for the first time in his life in 1998 on a night bus! This is a man who himself acknowledged that he was not born rich. According to him when growing up, he had no shoes, no school bag; no car to take him to school; he sometimes had only one meal for days, trekked many miles to school, his family could not afford to eat rice, and even studied with lanterns as his poor parents could not afford power or generating sets . In spite of these, Goodluck was able to finish secondary school, attended the University of Port Harcourt, holds a doctorate degree from the same University and is now the president of the Nigeria. In the course of his campaigns, he was quoted as saying: "...In my youth, I never imagined that I would be where I am today, but not once did I ever give up. Not once did I imagine that a child from Otuoke, a small village in the Niger Delta, will one day rise to the position of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria..."

 

When Goodluck Jonathan took the oath of office on Sunday, he has signed a path with history. Nigerians are no more interested about him not having shoes or trekking for miles. Such stories should be left to story tellers. He must hit the ground and start running. Nigerians are not interested in talks and promises. They want results. Nigerians need an improvement in the power sector. That sector should be privatised immediately.  The educational sector needs urgent overhauling. He should fix the transportation problem as well. He should leave no stone unturned from railway to road to air. He must fulfil all the promises he made during his campaigns throughout the country. Therefore, there is no time to waste in the next four years, no time for needless courtesy calls by traditional rulers and all kinds of groups that serve no purpose to the overall wellbeing of the country. No time to tour the world, no time for owanbe parties and all what not.

 

Goodluck Jonathan, the ball is in your court! Get to work!!!