Like when he speaks, when we see the president writes, it is something that jolts us. We the incurable optimists always rush out to the transistor radio or to the TV set, anytime we hear the president is up to speak. We expect something new. It is like when the women ululate, he who has a heavy one at home would expect baby’s cry from his hut. Imagine then, how disappointingly boring it would be when such rush to catch the good news is spoilt by a completely different one. Or, at worse, a more agonising experience when what is said, a la “You journalists know more than the president”, is unbefitting of the office and person of the president.
Then it occurs, our own President Goodluck Jonathan has written for the Washington Post. By my own reckoning, this is the first time a serving Nigerian president would write for an international publication, like the Washington Post. If there were any, please do not seek to remind me, in Nigeria we are all afflicted by amnesia. By the way, amnesia is a sweet affliction here, do not pity us. It is a nice way of forgetting our past misfortunes and, at the same time, a fine tool for political leaders who seek to misguide the people and rule over our ignorance.
