NIGERIA AT THE CROSSROADS

PICHANI HAPO JUU NI MAKAMU RAIS WA NIGERIA BW JONATHAN AMBAYE ANAKAIMU URAIS WA NIGERIA HIVI SASA.

Nigeria is going through a difficult time. There is a political impasse the resolution of which is difficult to predict. New African reports that for three months, from November last year till February this year, Nigerians have been in the dark about what was going on with their president, not knowing whether he was dead or alive, except that he left to visit a Saudi hospital because of some medical condition. Apparently, every official delegation that went to find out what was ailing the president 'was blocked by his wife, Turai. And that was that.'

In spite of his condition being serious, as rumours had it, the ailing president did not write to the legislature authorizing power to his vice as required by the constitution. Perhaps he was too sick to do that. But then neither did the legislature deem it fit to impeach him on the grounds that 'it would not do to impeach a sick man.' New African reports that 'eventually, the legislators reached a compromise and made Jonathan [his vice] the acting president.' Shortly afterwards the president was sneaked back into the country. Not even the vice president, now acting president was informed. The president's chief press secretary has since confirmed that the president is indeed alive and that his vice can continue as the acting president. As New African asks, 'What is one to make of it all?' How is the vice president, now acting president, Mr.Goodluck Jonathan going to manage all this? Has he the ability to do so? Are there forces other than Nigerian politics that will shape how everything turns out? In a set of four articles: Nigeria at the crossroads, Imagine another Nigeria, Nigeria must not fail and Death and destruction in Jos, New African wraps it up. The piece 'Focus on Nigeria' goes well to complement the politics with the economic issues, particularly of oil and banks that are at the heart of Nigerian politics.