President Goodluck Jonathan was at the famous Wall Street on Monday, September 23, 2013, where he rang the closing bell of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) to the admiration of his supporters and indeed, a cross-section of Nigerians in view of the historic significance of the event – Mr. Jonathan is the first Nigerian president ever to be accorded this privilege. Another feat that might soon find its way into the administration’s list of achievements famously tagged “uncommon transformation agenda”.
To
put it in perspective for those that do not understand why the Jonathan
administration is grinning from ear to ear over this development, it is
like bringing a child before his/her most idolized star; they want to
jump and scream, take all the photos they can and then show-off to their
friends later.
While
there were praises for President Jonathan, some hard knocks also came
from his friends on Facebook, who wanted to know if ringing of the
closing bell of the NYSE will bring an end to the lingering ASUU strike,
resolve the problem of insecurity or provide millions of unemployed
Nigerian youths with jobs. Some even went as far as labeling Mr.
Jonathan a “time-keeper”, among others.
Let
me quote from investopedia.com on the significance of ringing the NYSE
bell: “…While ringing the bell is meant as an honor, it is also a TV
event, and meant to be fun and entertaining. In the 21st century, the financial markets aren’t only about investing – they’re also about entertainment.”
And
this is true if you consider the fact that personalities, who have rung
the NYSE bell range from prominent public figures to boardroom execs,
to cartoon characters, entertainers, athletes and so and so forth.
But
that is not to rule out a more significant aspect of the event because
for the first time, Nigeria’s Green-White-Green flag was hoisted on the
NYSE building and a Nigerian president – Goodluck Jonathan – addressed
traders and the rest of the world from inside the world’s most
prestigious trading floor with viewership estimated to reach hundreds of
millions.
I
stand to be corrected but this honour has been accorded only two public
figures from the African continent – Nelson Mandela of South Africa and
now, Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria.
Little
wonder then an excited Mr. Jonathan posted on his Facebook, “Today, I
had the honour of ringing the closing bell at the New York Stock
Exchange after I had heralded to global captains of industry Nigeria’s
efforts in recent times that has made our nation a prime destination for
foreign investment and one that ensures some of the highest Return on
Investments (RoI) in the world. This is just the beginning of greater
things to come for our country and our continent.”
This
view point has been attested to by Marisa Ricciardi, Chief Executive
Marketing Officer of NYSE Euronext, who said some few months ago that,
“It’s a great platform (ringing the bell) to get visibility,” adding
that “You can deliver a message to Wall Street, Main Street or around
the world.”
But
should this “honour” be rubbed in our faces? Will we not hear word
again because Mr. Jonathan rang the closing bell at the NYSE? If the
“loud speakers” of this rare honour had made it about national pride
rather than inflating the ego of one man, it would be understandable but
alas, that is not the case.
I’m
even left more surprised that they have not attributed Mikel Obi’s long
overdue maiden EPL goal for his club, ChelseaFC against Fulham at the
weekend to the positive effects of the “uncommon transformation agenda”
of the Goodluck Jonathan administration. Charlatans!
While
our leaders, past and present have held an unfathomable disdain for
almost everything “local”, they crave the attention of anything
“international” like their lives depended on it.
From
paying an American lobbying firm thousands of dollars to help arrange
interviews with foreign media when our own local channels hardly ever
get an exclusive interview with the man at the top to the
over-zealousness of government officials to quote fanciful figures from
international rating agencies to prove their bogus claims that Nigeria
has never had it this good when the true picture portrays a nation
direly in need of urgent resuscitation and revitalization, only points
to one thing – Nigerian government officials suffer from inferiority
complex.
It
is that same malaise that will make Nigerian leaders appear at their
best before the cameras of the CNN, Aljazeera, BBC of this world and
look timid in front of their interviewer while brushing off the local
journalist at home, sounding pompous and telling Nigerians point blank
that they don’t “give a damn!”
It
is high time our leaders begin to realize that charity begins from home
and when all is said and done, they are accountable to the Nigerian
people not some foreigner.
We
adore and reverence our leaders; we want to own them; feel like a part
of government not some leper, who is an outcast and only worthy of a
view from afar. The trend by our leaders to surround themselves with
sycophants and political jobbers, who isolate them from the real life
struggles of ordinary Nigerians, is not the way forward.
President
Goodluck Jonathan must reconnect with Nigerians, who massively voted
and prayed for his victory in 2011 not minding his ethnicity and
religion but are fast losing hope as his administration has been
hijacked by those who don’t wish him and this country well.
How
can he regain their trust? By yielding his heart and ears to the
genuine cries and aspirations of the Nigerian people; firing some of his
aides, especially those that have made bare-faced falsehood their
stock-in-trade; conducting himself in such a manner that portrays the
overall significance of the office he occupies – never before in the
history of our country has the Office of the President and
Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces been so dragged in the
mud as is currently been done and finally, he must be ready to be a
President of all Nigerians not an Ijaw, South-South or Peoples’
Democratic Party, PDP President.
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