The Schemers, the Kingmakers

Your cover story, The race for ministerial jobs, the schemers, the king makers, draws President Goodluck Jonathan’s attention to what is expected of him if he truly wants to make a difference in governance. The president is advised against making compensatory appointments; that is absorbing some of those Nigerians that were rejected by their people through the ballot. What incapacitates our leaders in this country are tribalism, nepotism, religion, ethnicity, regionalism and god-fatherism. The President is advised to steer clear of these. Jonathan’s acclaimed victory in the true sense of it is not PDP victory. The people did not vote for PDP but Jonathan. Therefore, in constituting his cabinet, the interest of the people should come first. PDP politicians who have the mentality that food is ready and it’s time to “come and chop” should have a rethink. But we are not unmindful of the fact that Jonathan is still the leader of the PDP, a party that has failed Nigerians. The question then is: can any good come out of Nazareth?  Let’s wait and see.

     Stephen Asuquo Udoh,

  Shomolu, Lagos State.        

Forty Years at The Top

China’s leading role in the Nigerian economy is not in doubt. There is virtually no aspect of our economic life that China has not made a significant impact. But my major concern is the notoriety of “made in China product” has acquired in recent times. Before now, Nigerian was so scared of made in Taiwan products because of the inferior quality of such products compared to those from western nations. Today, Chinese products flood the Nigerian market and fake and inferior products are now associated with anything made in China. This is not good for any country and both China and Nigeria are losing so much in economic terms. China may be at advantage for now, but the long time effect to its economy may be more damaging compared to the immediate gain they are making.  The quality control agency, SON, should be alive to its responsibility of detecting and ridding the country of fake products.

                                                                                Ndubuisi Onyenandu,

  Abakpa Nike, Enugu State.

President Goodluck Jonathan should know that the little impact Obasanjo made was through the technocrats  he engaged in his government. Talk of El-Rufai, Chukwuma Soludo and Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala and others. It  is better for the PDP  to allow Jonathan to do the right thing.

In the presidential election of 2011, people voted for Jonathan not PDP. The success of Jonathan is a success for PDP. If the party succeeds in frustrating the president and he fails to deliver, that will be the end of the party.

                                                                                Jide Owate,

 Ajagba, Ondo State.

The New Face of Politics

The profession of politics has never remained 100 percent loyal to any single individual. At particular intervals, at interjected instances, for particular reasons and circumstantial factors, certain people lose election. Incumbents get re-elected and other category of  aspirants win elections in their  first attempt. In this light, politics is forever a complex, perpetually metamorphosing profession. Thus, as the pomp and pageantry, and loud competitive activities which accompanied the 2011 general elections have come and gone, leaving behind some political election casualties and the new political dispensation in Nigeria is ahead wearing a new look with new entrants emerging on the scene. An apt advice for individuals who lost at the polls in the just concluded 2011 elections, is: politics is not a do or die affair!  If one loses at the polls today, there is always a next time. For all who were lucky to win elections at the polls, it is our heart, felt prayers that all the category of leaders and representatives will be wise and focused and dedicated in this onerous business of governance and representation.

                                                                                Adaofuoyi Patrick Ogbe,

      Garki, Abuja.