DANCING ON THIN ICE

The sheets of ice near waterfalls are always thin, apparently on the account of the turbulent waters. Even ski dancers do their act on hard polished ice surface, and definitely miles away from waterfalls, that’s why I am concerned about the venue where Jonathan and his cronies choose to perform ‘etighi.’ Does he think the Goodluck in his name would avert the impending calamity? Let me hint him on a little secret I discovered that the Jonathan he bears has already cancelled out any form good-luck he hopes to derive comfort from. For recently I learnt that Jonah of which Jonathan is a derivative means a person who brings bad-luck, so there’s nothing good about his name. This shows why Nigeria and her troubles seem to have to tripled since he came into power (light-bulb huh). If you’re still in doubt ask his former bosses that are ‘lucky’ to still be alive.

This revelation has made me also wonder why our cross dresser who narrowly escaped is still in romance with the president. Doesn’t he learn? Over the week we have heard accusations and counter-accusations over the presidential pardon of Madam, sorry I meant Mister Alamieyesiegha who acknowledged and showed remorse when he was convicted for money laundering, embezzlement, amidst other offences, don’t blame me i lost count when the EFCC back in 2007 read out his offences before a court of justice which indicted him. He also jumped bail in the UK, and the Interpol currently has their ears on ground to know when Madam boards a flight out of Nigeria. Well it takes only one huge presidential gaffe to erase all his sins, so thinks the presidency, and Madam is a free man, which they hurriedly put together and declared, proudly adding that they have no apologies in doing so. I am in no capacity to condemn but it seems Jonathan would never run out of advisers, that’s why I am not condemning his actions (and inactions), but advising him to watch where he is standing on. The currents in the state is gathering up momentum and its becoming very turbulent and has the capacity of washing away anything that dances in its way.

It’s worth noting that Jonathan started his tenure with hope of better things to the ordinary Nigerians, most people believed his regime would leap us out of the doldrums of inefficiency, corruption, and a deep concern for the poor, but his new year gift in 2012 was the first bomb that shattered that hope and dreams, if anybody had any, that the Jonathan administration was supposed to bring. Many thought that the subsidy removal was a step in the right direction towards the deregulation of the oil sector, but now we all know better, with the mock trial of the fraudsters. This was only a tip of the iceberg, and with the passing of every day we became immune, or as Femi Adeshina of the Daily Sun newspaper would say ‘we developed a sense of selective amnesia’ towards the ills which has bedeviled our society culminating to the pardon of a known, self-acknowledged and convicted felon. Am really not against Madam’s pardon, even our religions ask us to forgive, though my grudge about the executive pardon is the actions or inactions it will raise about the seriousness the state puts in fighting corruption, especially when the thieving is now in the region of trillions.

What message is the presidency sending to the judiciary, anti-graft agencies, and we the citizens? My wild guess would be that no matter the resources the anti-graft agents use to indict corrupt individuals, and sue them to court, the president can just wake up one morning and pardon them all, irrespective of their court sentence. It would be very hard for anybody to take this regime serious, with regards to everything, as they have all failed woefully in solving everything that was handed over to them, and they are further rubbing in these anomalies by trying to scheme their way back in 2015. The only succor here is that their house is, and I pray it will continue, in disarray. But with Mr. Fix It holding the reins and gluing all distraught factions together I will need to consider the food deprivation - ‘fast’ factor, which is absolutely what we need to embark on in this country, that’s if you are not already fasting involuntarily due to the harsh economic realities. Whatever it takes we must get this nation back to the right rail, because the one we are now on is definitely the right rail to the Grim reaper’s door. And with the conductor as clueless as the passengers, it will take a miracle of some anointed few to steer us clear from the impending doom, as it seems we are running out of rail tracks.

The US government through its spokesperson has criticized the recent pardon, calling it a ‘setback towards the fight against corruption.’ Bill Gates cancelled his trip to Nigeria, although he said it was not in response or in relation to the Alams pardon, but we get the gist so he shouldn’t bother, left for the political stalwarts he was coming to see, he shouldn’t inconvenience himself coming, as long as he sends the polio dollars he was supposed to bring along. With Jonathan’s completely depleted popularity on the home front, does he thinks achieving the same fit on the international scene would slide well for him and the country. If he and his associates think that, we as a country do not want to go down that murky drain with him. We all prefer to be respected among the comity of nations and be dignified as Nigerians wherever we find ourselves. We don’t want to be labeled as ‘eternally’ corrupt whenever we present our green passport, but to be looked upon as people who have risen above the dictate of the guns. As citizens who have waded through the murky waters of corruption, insecurity, and bad governance, to forge a nation which has become a beacon of hope to others still struggling to overcome the albatross. To become a nation that caters lovingly and grudgingly for its people. If Jonathan doesn’t see this nation walking that red carpet, if he doesn’t share with our vision of seeing order in this chaos, he should please quit the stage, instead of encouraging the very same thing that has pushed us to the background all these years. Lest I forget the president should be aware he is now on thin ice, he can either be wheeled on to harder grounds or he can choose to be washed away by currents with velocity of over 160 million miles per second. And he shouldn’t just start another fuel subsidy removal, even the gods would join in protests. Just another advice!