Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan’s Governance by Facebook

Who needs Parliament? Who needs the White House?

All any progressive and thoughtful leader needs these days is Facebook, as exemplified by Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, who decided to reverse his suspension of the national football team from international competition after seeing hundred of posts persuading him to do just that on his profile page.

Seemingly madder than a March hare during a particularly special moment of madness, Jonathan couldn’t be persuaded to overturn his decision by any of his back-bench, who are employed to make such important decisions and offer guidance, but a few hundred people on his favourite social networking site grumble and he springs into action.

Perhaps my condemnation of his methods is a little hasty actually. Perhaps this is democracy in action. The man in power giving a voice to the voiceless people of his country.

Although of course, it’s not.

It’s a man finally realising that his crazy idea of suspending his own national football team from internationals for two years benefits no one associated with Nigerian football. How can it?

How can not playing international football for two years be beneficial to a country hoping to progress it’s achievements beyond abject disappointment.

As Ima Niboro, his special presidential adviser (aka President’s lackey) freely admitted “Nigeria withdraws from international competition for two years to enable the country to put its house in order” although why this couldn’t be done while the national team play the odd game here and there is a flummoxing mystery.

The mad March hare attitude seemingly spread to FIFA, who in hidden support of Jonathan’s decision established a deadline by which the president could change his mind otherwise they too would suspend Nigeria from international competition.

With both camps sticking rigidly to their carelessly thought out plans, it would take something greater than politics and the governing body of football to rectify the problem, to ensure that Nigeria would avoid the looming suspension deadline and resulting chop from international football.

“I have listened to your voices,” Goodluck Jonathan said in a posting on the social networking site.

“I read your comments and took them into account in the government’s decision to rescind the suspension of Nigeria from international football.”

“I had a meeting with the NFF today and conveyed my disappointment and those of Nigerians on this page and received assurances that there will be positive changes” he said.

“We must now work together to make sure that the NFF and our players do us proud in future events.”