NIGERIA: THE PRESIDENT SPEAKS

On Sunday the 2nd of September 2007 the president of Nigeria Alhaji Musa Yar’adua had his first presidential media chat broadcast live on national television. This gave me and most other Nigerians the opportunity to here the president’s view on major national issues. This also gave me in particular the opportunity to compare Mr. President with his predecessor Olusegun Obasanjo.

The first thing that struck me about Yar’adua is that he speaks a lot faster than his predecessor who seem to think that we have all the time to waste listening to him. This probably shows that Yar’adua is a more time conscious individual than Chief Olusegun Obasanjo who needed a third term to do what others would have done in one term in office.

In addition for the whole 55 minutes that the programme lasted Mr. President did not make a single joke. He was always straight to the point. This was also different from Obasanjo’s style. The immediate past president will often make jokes leaving the questions unanswered. President Yar’adua seems to be time conscious which is okay by me.

Another thing about Yar,adua that struck me is that he was always patient for the journalists to conclude their questions before responding. Obasanjo on the other hand would always interrupt his interviewer often to tell him how wrong he was in asking such a question. He even abused journalists on the programme several times. The patience exhibited by President Yar’adua points to the fact that he is indeed a listening president.

A President different from Obasanjo is what the nation needs right now. My discovery of a president who is different in this TV programme ‘Mr. President speaks’ gives me hope for a better Nigeria to come. To me anything that moves Nigeria away from the Obasanjo style is welcome.