President attacked by Facebook friends

By Olalekan Adetayo, Abuja
Monday, 29 Aug 2011

President Goodluck Jonathan has come under heavy criticism from Nigerians over the Friday suicide bombing at the United Nations Building, Abuja that left no fewer than 18 persons dead and several others injured.

More of the criticism came from some of his friends on the social network site, Facebook.

Jonathan stirred up the hornet’s nest when he updated his status on the site shortly after inspecting the building on Saturday.

He wrote, “I just returned from a visit to the UN building which was the object of an attack by a suicide bomber. Again, I commiserate with the victims and their families.

“I had wanted to give enough time for rescue efforts to go on and did not want my presence to interfere with those efforts which is why I have visited today (Saturday) rather than yesterday (Friday).

“One thing is very clear, a terrorist attack on any individual or any group is a terrorist attack on the rest of the world, it is not just about the UN office in Nigeria. We will work with the UN and world leaders. Of course, many of them have contacted me between yesterday and today and we are cooperating in an effort to tackle this global scourge. GEJ”

No sooner had he pasted the message than comments started pouring in from his friends.

At press time, the president’s status had attracted 4,264 comments.

While some either commended him or advised him to step up efforts aimed at stemming the tide, many did not spare him in their open criticism.

One Abdullahi Yusuf opened the flood gate when he wrote, “It’s unfortunate that we have you as our leader, and we pray God will give us a good leader soon, not incompetent, weak, uncarismatic (sic) person like you, even though we know what happen (sic) at the polls.”

Another friend of the President, Teacher-Omole Davidson, wrote, “All it takes evil to happen is for good people to stand aloof and do nothing (David Hume, 1711 - 1776). This translates into saying that your government is to blame for all security breaches and loss of innocent lives nationwide.”

One DonVop P. V. Ovrawah wrote, “Bros, you are correct but not right; this is a domestic terror inclusively targeting foreign and international body, in which you have to take the bull by the horn by arresting those sponsoring them without any fear if really no one is above the law.

“Don’t also forget that all these problems started with political-robbery and later armed robbery, militancy, kidnapping, Boko haram, and finally the rising MASSOB and OPC is also on the verge. Don’t allow the Nigeria entity fall in your turn. The main people behind these problems are paradoxically known by Nigerians and are also believed to be better known by you sir, Mr. President.”

Amos Odetayo also wrote, “It’s a great problem to live in fear, it’s greater to witness mass death, and it’s greatest to live with terrorists. Mr. President, you need no prophet to tell you that we have no security, including your excellency sir, in Nigeria. If God has made you our president, then go back to Him for solution to the problem of Boko Haram. Thank you sir.”

Another friend, Da Thinka, wrote “We are tired of all these talks. Show us one person that has been convicted since the bombings started. Please I voted for you and your inaction and slow motion approach to things embarrass me all the time because those that didn’t vote for you laugh at me.”

A particular friend, Dayo Temi Irawo, went a step further by indicting the president for the spate of bombings and asking for his resignation.

He wrote, “Mr., you are the cause of all these and I will tell u why. When these people killed those innocent students, you did nothing to apprehend the perpetrators, so they thought they could do more havoc, can you please resign pls!”

Ikechukwu Onyechi summed up all the comments when he wrote, “Mr. President, the many comments above have said my mind. I hope you hear and read them. You are the C-in-C, do everything patriotic to restore public confidence.”
SOURCE: The Punch Newspaper, 29 August 2011. http://punchontheweb.com