By Chioma Gabriel, Deputy Editor
He should focus on uniting Nigeria, security, power and economy -–-Ohanaeze President, Akerele-Bucknor, others

President Jonathan

The 2011 presidential election  has been won  and lost. Nigerians are thinking ahead of May 29, 2011. President Jonathan has received the mandate to continue in office as President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

The mandate is not a tea party. It is a responsibility and millions of Nigerians who trooped out to vote for him on April 16 are expecting results. What should be his priority?

The President General, Ohaneze Ndigbo, Professor Ralph Uwechue wants Jonathan to give security maximum attention.

“Jonathan has won the election and international observers said it was adequately free and fair. So, he should ensure that the security situation in the country is  tackled  especially with the on-going disturbances in the North. President Jonathan also has to ensure affordable energy to be able to enhance economic growth.

“There is also a lot of insecurity due to kidnapping in various parts of the country. Nigerians in diaspora are scared of coming home. Those in the country are afraid of  going to their villages. Jonathan should set a machinery in motion that would tackle that. Whatever is required should be done to ensure kidnapping becomes  history in Nigeria.”

Third-Republic Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Agunwa Anaekwe is of the view that the president has long-term and short-term issues to tackle.

“He started well by declaring no victor, no vanquished after the announcement of election results and  by extending a hand of fellowship to other contestants and politicians. He should also act fast on the crisis besieging the nation and ensure it does not spread to the other parts of Nigeria. These are short-term tasks he has to accomplish.

“Then, on the long-term, this is the first time someone from the South-South is occupying the position of  President of this country. With his antecedent, he should  move Nigeria to the next level. He should do that by assembling the best hands to work with him.

He  has made a lot of promises to improve power supply, improve employment and general  security and Nigerians are looking up to him. Nigerians should support him in prayers, cooperate with him to realise the noble objective of moving Nigeria to the next level and proving that the leader of this country could come from any part and still do a good job.”

Former Chief Whip of the House of Representatives, Hon. Arigbe Osula wants President Jonathan to unite the country.

“It   is paramount to have a one united Nigeria rather than different ethnic groups. He should build one strong nation.

Secondly, he should secure the country and this is the primary purpose of government . It is only when security is guaranteed that people would rally around the government. So, let the President go out there and emphasis all his promises  in words and action. We need a people-oriented government in this country.

The Goodluck/Sambo combination was able to outsmart the opposition which enjoys the sympathy of Nigerians due to the 12 years misrule of PDP government. There is now a new face of  PDP government and Jonathan/Sambo  should distant themselves from the 12 years of PDP  misrule by being positively different. It is now obvious that  the sympathy shown the opposition was not enough.

“The opposition did not work hard enough  to enforce a change but rather, they were fighting themselves. So, now, Jonathn should go out there and produce a virile Nigeria so that in the next four years, Nigerians would see change.

The opposition must accept the blame for their failure. There was no seriousness on the part of opposition such that despite the 12 years of PDP’s misrule, opposition could not sell a people-oriented programme to the electorate and they fell into the trap set by Goodluck/Sambo Organisation. The  campaign of the opposition was horrible.

Their style was unacceptable to Nigerians. They couldn’t improve on PDP’s misrule. And Goodluck was sold as an outsider to the electorate and he worked hard for it.”

Comrade Joseph Eva, National Coordinator of Ijaw Monitoring Group advises President Jonathan to study Obafemi Awolowo’s economic blue-print and do away with sycophants.

“ From Niger Delta, we came to Lagos and  organised Awo’s birthday programme on 6th of March and we asked God to give Jonathan the economic wisdom of Awolowo or he will go down. This  economic blue-print will bring about economic empowerment, free education; improved  energy which will in turn resolve the problem of the Niger Delta.

Jonathan should not surround himself with sycophants so that God would not regret making him a king. If he studies the economic blue-print of Awolowo and do to Nigeria what Awolowo did to the South West, the entire country will change for the better economically.”

Senator Kofoworola  Akerele-Bucknor wants President Jonathan to focus on security and resolve the crisis in the North, then get the economy going so that people would invest in Nigeria.

“ The crisis in the North needs urgent attention. If it is not resolved now, it could get worse and we don’t want that.

Nigeria also needs to get her economy going so that we could get the much desired foreign investors.”
For Professor Itse Sagay, power is a major problem in the country.

“ For over one year, there was  no improvement in power supply. Jonathan needs to focus in the  area of petroleum products.

We should stop importing petroleum products when we are exporting  crude oil. Then, he must deal with corruption and indiscipline, infra structural problems; road repairs and construction and also construction of  railways.

Then, there is the issue of education. Our universities are ill-funded; the worst in the world. Jonathan  made a wrong move by pledging to build six universities in each zone of the country when he should have used the money to fund the old ones and make them first rate universities instead of the 3rd rate universities  they are.

Graduates of Nigerian  universities are rarely accepted overseas. What they do is begin again when they travel abroad. So, he must improve on the standard of our universities and education in general.”