Akin Akintayo

Acting good

And I ended my blog yesterday with a clause requiring this – “it must start with the Attorney General of the Federation and must not exclude the Minister of Foreign Affairs.”

It does seem to have started with him, the man who was yesterday the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Michael Kaase Aondoakaa has been redeployed [1] to the post of Minister of Special Duties.

This action was taken by the Acting President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, Dr. Jonathan Ebele Goodluck having been approved [2] to assume and exercise that authority by the Nigerian Legislature yesterday.

Acting right

It is interesting that the act of the legislature was novel in that they decided to take the supposed President Yar’Adua radio interview of the 12th of January 2010 as a notice of taking medical leave giving them the necessary reason to invoke the appropriate elements of the Nigerian constitution for the transfer of power.

There is the mere formality that the Federal Executive Council comprised of ministers and other officers of the executive accept the leadership and authority of the Acting President whilst recognising the incapability of President Umaru Yar’Adua to serve in that office.

Acting tough

Many observers might consider the redeployment of the Attorney General as a sacking, it probably is, but the redeployment is good enough, it means he cannot be the source of as much damage as he would have caused if he retained his position.

For some people the fall from grace might well be the slow descent rung by rung down the ladder than a catastrophic and disastrous fall – if the man retains any self-respect he will find the honourable and right thing to do.

Acting up

Dr. Goodluck Jonathan is now twice lucky, elected as deputy and by circumstance elevated to the substantive post by reason of the unfortunate luck and lot of his bosses both as state governor and now as president.

The “Acting” qualifier on the title of President does not make him any less the President now and for all the silence and seeming inaction that accompanied him until he was vested with authority yesterday, we need to give him time to right the ship of state.

Maybe a class act

We probably have someone in charge that does not have to bother about his kidneys and his heart whilst steering the leviathan mass and burden of Nigeria – he should be given the time, the opportunity and the support to despatch his duties to the best of his ability.

Maybe and just maybe, we might just have a good President and the good luck in his name brings good fortune to Nigeria, maybe, we can hope, maybe, we can dream, maybe, we can expect, maybe, we can realise – A New Nigeria.

Good Job Jonathan!

Sources

[1] 234Next - Aondoakaa Sacked!

[2] Guardian Newspapers – Jonathan, good luck!