By Donu Kogbara

I RECENTLY told you that a friend recently told me that when he attended a school reunion dinner in Lagos, 80 percent of the ex-classmates on his table said that they were so unhappy with the status quo that they would gladly flee to foreign climes if they could get their hands on foreign work permits.

Meanwhile, lots of Diasporans would love to return to their ancestral terrains but can’t because Nigeria is a big black hole as far as employment opportunities go, the bottom line being that those who have posh or merely tolerable jobs abroad do not need to return to the Motherland to become beggars.

It also doesn’t help that our healthcare sector is full of primitive death traps that are masquerading as credible hospitals…or that the authorities have yet to sort out the challenge of providing citizens with round-the-clock electricity. Or that the level of corruption is scary. Or that there are too few good schools. Or that telecoms services are hugely inadequate. Or that the government does not provide proper safety nets for the jobless. Or…the list of our woes is endless.

File photo: From left: Vice President Namadi Sambo, and President Goodluck Jonathan, at the Federal Executive Council Meeting in Abuja. NAN Photo

There is almost no part of Nigerian life that runs smoothly enough. Which is why our homesick brethren in distant lands are afraid to repatriate themselves. And why residents who have high standards are so depressed at the moment.

President Goodluck Jonathan’s New Year Resolutions should include a STRONG commitment to address this problem. There is no point banging on about a “Transformation Agenda” if the only things that are significantly transformed under your watch are the ever-growing personal fortunes of your cronies!

Presidential sympathisers frequently assure me that Jonathan’s performance bypasses are being almost entirely caused by the “bad” people around him.

But I simply don’t buy this too-easy, responsibility-absolving viewpoint!

As far as I’m concerned, the buck stops on every Oga’s desk, whether he is a manager in a small firm or a Head of State; and I see no reason why we should make excuses for Ogas who are not muscular enough, psychologically, to prevent those around them from holding them hostage and encouraging them to fail.

No matter how inept or dishonest subordinates are, I always blame bosses when things go wrong because they possess the REAL power and should be in charge.

A Master has the power to hire efficient, ethical servants and fire useless ones. Sure, nobody is omniscient or a fortune teller; and appearances can be very deceptive. Even the cleverest of leaders are mere mortals at the end of the day; and we can all be bamboozled by seasoned charlatans or taken in by folks who initially appear to be suitable and then turn out to be unfit for purpose.

In other words, it is OK to make mistakes from time to time…as long as you are willing and able to quickly distance yourself from these errors of judgement when they become obvious. Even the most talented Men Of Substance are not God and are therefore not infallible and are therefore bound to have moments of weakness. But why doggedly cling to obviously bad decisions?

Jonathan is NOT totally surrounded by bad eggs. I know some of his aides, advisers, ministers and friends; and some are smart people whose hearts are in the right place. What I don’t know is whether they have the courage to tell him bitter but constructive home truths. Or whether he’d listen to them if they did.

But, let’s face it, dear Readers: Even if every single individual in Jonathan’s orbit was a scoundrel who is hellbent on mischeviously manipulating him or a moron who is too daft to deliver solid results, it would still be the Boss’s fault for selecting – and, more importantly, sticking with – drossy personnel!

May the Boss rid himself of negative elements in 2013.

Justice for all

I ONCE interviewed Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the former Vice-President. When I asked him what aspect of the nation’s basic modus operandi he would change, given a chance, he said that he would like to abolish the patronage system and turn Nigeria into a place in which education is free and talented, hard-working, honest people can rise to the top without having to know anyone important.

Whenever I repeat this story in an admiring tone of voice, Atiku’s critics tell me that he was just pretending to desire an end to social inequality because he knew that such lofty words would impress an idealistic journalist! But I choose to believe that he was being sincere. And completely agree with what he said.

Lack of opportunity is a terrible thing and I pray that Nigeria becomes a more meritocratic country in 2013.