As I said I would some weeks back, I am sharing with you a sample of the streams of emails I received from readers in response to my article...
A well-written recap! Even though his name has had this recurrent refrain, I had never had an opportunity to hear him out until I watched the same video. In simple words, he typifies mediocrity as practiced in Nigeria to its utmost! And a PhD???? I am at a loss!
Biodun
Just finished reading your write-up on our Mr. Acting President’s recent performance at the American Council on Foreign Relations on the Sahara Reporters. I think your comment is rather too direct and might be misunderstood. There could be other ways this can be handled. Remember he is our President for now whether by luck or otherwise.
Chukwuneke Echesi (chuksechesi@yahoo.com)
I was surfing the Net this morning when I came across your article titled: “Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, that was embarrassing!” which was written on 17th April, 2010. It was quite an interesting and educative write-up, and I must confess that you truly have a way with words.
On reading that article, I thought that was all for me to enjoy from you. But in the course of your write-up, you made a reference to nigeriavillagesquare.com where I quickly logged on to and saw your article titled: “Common Errors of Pluralization in Nigerian English” which was written on Thursday 15 April, 2010. From there on I saw many of your articles which I am yet to go through. My dear creative writer, I will write to you for some request whenever I'm done with reading your articles.
Abshat Sufyan (abshats@yahoo.com).
Just read your post about Jonathan's sloppy performance. You nailed it in your article. I am shocked lots of Nigerians with a narrow scope of reasoning don’t see anything wrong with Jonathan's lack of charisma and intelligence. This gives you an idea of the kind of followership we have in this country.
My take is that Jonathan is simply clueless on issues of governance and politics. His performance on Amanpour clearly shows his lack of understanding of events around him. With his timid responses to questions, one wonders if he will be able to form sound judgment on our national issues.
He is plain dumb. Put him on an interview session like BBC's Hardtalk and the result will be disastrous. This guy is plainly not presidential material. For those clamouring for Jonathan 2011 ticket, they need to be told that people are not made presidents just for the dramatic element in their names.
Joe Abuku (joseph.abuku@gmail.com) GSM: +234 (0) 8076100297, +234 (0) 8037276237
I read your write-up titled “Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, that was embarrassing!” I must confess that I felt the same way that you felt after watching him on the net. Please keep up the good work.
Benjamin James (alwaysbeno@yahoo.com)
Why don’t you do a similar analysis on Umaru Yar'Adua who is even more inscrutable than Goodluck when it comes to the English language? Seriously, who are you comparing this guy against? People who speak very good English in Nigeria are outliers. You should take a walk on the streets and see how many people speak good English or even care to do so.
I will go as far as saying that English is now a problem as the government is simply not communicating with the people at all. I mean did you even bother to listen to the substance of anything he said?
I am not a fan of the man and I am as disgusted as the next man along at the state of things in Nigeria. But if poor English by our leaders is the only problem we are facing in Nigeria today, I'd take that. Seriously, get off your high horse.
Morounfiyinfoluwa
I've just read your referenced article on Saharareporter.com and I just wanted to state my complete agreement with you. Although I've so far not succeeded in getting my contributions to Saharareporters.com published, I'm quite pleased when someone else captures my views.
I watched the live interview of Mr. Acting President on the Amanpour programme and I was ashamed. And I told fellow Nigerian colleagues who surprisingly were beating their chests that Nigeria was now back on the world stage. In addition to all you said I was also appalled that the Acting President appeared to make light of very serious matters by smiling unnecessarily.
It seems that our Nigerian political leaders in general see their jobs in terms of power trappings, reading speeches, attending social functions, and similar things. They don't seem to be much interested in being well informed and articulate. In this sense at least, Dr. Jonathan was simply true to character, though much to the embarrassment of less partisan, more conscious Nigerians.
Chris Ohanele (ohanele04@yahoo.co.uk)
I really love your comments about Jonathan's visit to the UK. It would have been better for him to speak in IJAW language rather than English.
You dey try my brother. You hinted at the rot of Nigeria academic institutions. Jonathan just attended evening school to secure his PhD in Zoology
Keep it up. It will make them better
Ude Edward (chieddy205@yahoo.co.uk)
A friend of mine forwarded to me what you wrote on Jonathan's visit to the US, especially his speeches, etc. Until Nigeria gets to a time when we stop thinking on ethnic lines, like insisting that the president must come not just from the north but the "core north" we will continue to have presidents that will embarrass us.
Umaru Musa Yardua could not have done better than Goodluck Jonathan. We need a Pat Utomi and a Babatunde Fashola combined, a man who can speak well and work well. If God gives us a man who may embarrass the West, but can work well, give us constant power, security and connect different parts of the nation with speed train, we are satisfied.
Festus Ndukwe (festushislife@yahoo.com)
My Ngwa people have a saying that when your relative is dancing dangerously, it will always attract face itching. That was exactly what happened to me when I watched Jonathan's interview with Christiane Amanpour. I wished Jonathan had had an interpreter or asked Mr. Emeka Anyoku, the former Commonwealth Secretary General, to be his spokesman during this trip.
This trip was a teachable moment for Jonathan, and I am quite convinced that he learnt a lot from it.
Eyimba (Enyimba1ofAba@aol.com)
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