When a father keeps silent for 3 weeks following his children’s abduction, and makes no move to find his abducted children until his hands are forced by the concerns and outrage of strangers, it is right not just to question his competence as a parent or his leadership of his family but also his judgment, his heart and/or his sanity. This is about President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria, a man who does not seem to understand or even care that, at various points in any responsible presidency, the president is the father of his nation. Nobody expects any president to be able to prevent every bad thing from happening in his country but people have a right to expect that the symbolic father of their nation would care about their plight and act as one who is interested in them – even if he is not.
There is no paucity of apologists for President Jonathan but only a few facts about his presidency are in dispute. Even most of his vocal supporters acknowledge in moments of truth that he is incompetent as a leader. Clearly, he lacks vision and obviously lacks a demonstrable sense of compassion – as his handling of the abduction of over 200 Chibok girls has shown. The Chibok girls and their families deserve better, and Nigeria deserves better than the leadership of an ignorant, ineffectual president being hand-held by sycophants who mean no good to their country and its people. #BringBackOurGirls.
The man is embarrassing and so is the mother of the nation. At least she recognizes the presence of God. As for father Jonathan, he must not see the shame in handling this matter with levity. He has failed the nation just like the rest and he should bow out. Sad leadership!!!!