While some friends of President Goodluck Jonathan on Facebook have expressed disappointment, following his ringing the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange, Monday. Many others had described it as an “achievement.”
Jonathan, who broke his month-old silence on the social network on Monday, had posted a link on his Facebook page and asked his friends to watch the event live online.
Jonathan, after ringing the bell, posted that the event was “the beginning of greater things” for the country and attributed the honour to the fact that global captains of industry are catching up with Nigeria’s efforts, which had culminated in progress being made “in every sector of our economy.”
However, Jonathan’s Facebook friends disagreed with him, saying his ringing of the NYSE bell did not call for any kind of celebration.
Many of those who dropped comments on his Facebook page said they did not elect him to act as “timekeeper” but as a leader that would liberate the nation from the grips of poverty and underdevelopment.
They said that ringing the NYSE bell should not translate into an achievement for the President, considering the numerous socio-economic, political, and security challenges bedeviling the nation.
One Abiodun Olalekan says, “We didn’t elect you to be a bellboy. We voted for you to bring our universities at par with those in the US. How can you defend the fact that no considerable progress has been made in key sectors that have the capacity to drive other sectors? Our infrastructures are still in shambles. Don’t get me wrong, I only want you to make sacrifices. Leave politics alone, give us development.”
One of the President’s friends, Tunji Ogundero, says he is challenging the President to ring the closing bell on the numerous problems the country is faced with, rather than bask in the euphoria of ringing the NYSE bell.
Ogundero says, “How does the ringing of the closing bell at the NYSE affect our economy and what lesson does Mr. President want us to learn from watching him ring the bell? Is he the timekeeper?
“Mr. President, we need you to be back here in Nigeria, to ring the closing bell to the strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities; closing bell to the poor electricity power supply; closing bell to terrorism.”
A particular friend of the President, Oyekunle Olaitan, said world leaders such as the American President, Barack Obama; and the United Kingdom Prime Minister, David Cameron, would not ring the bell of any stock exchange and return to their respective countries describing such as an achievement.
Elizabeth Abdullahi-Usman says Jonathan’s celebration of the honour on Facebook clearly shows that he has yet to get his priorities right and urges him not to be misled by sycophants around him. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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Bellboy tinz
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