YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS!!!!!!

It is very clear in my mind that any semblance of an encomium most Nigerians had for this President has now gone with the wind, but can be quickly restored. Excuse me, folks, are these people inhabiting the same planet as us? Isn't there a limit to their impenitence? I must fess up to one thing before I proceed. I, for one, am mightily guilty of rank naivety. What on earth gave me an inkling that this President would be a breath of fresh air, a welcome departure from the vapidity of yesteryears? Was I alone in believing that this President had enough of a genuine concern for the plight of the people of this nation so as to bring succour to us? I had thought this President, given his age, education and background, would represent a human face in the corridors of power. Have we been duped yet again?

What am I ranting about? Despite the myriad of problems facing this country and its people, the very first item in the in-tray of Mr. President is to engineer an amendment to the Constitution, such that the presidency and governorship terms may be extended, albeit limited to just one term. If this idea sounds ridiculous, the various reasons being given for it make it decidedly unmitigatedly insane. Who does Mr. President surround himself with? Is he being set, or is he setting himself, up for failure? The reasoning behind the idea is even dafter than the reasons for it. Of course, you cannot be serious.

Mr. President, with due respect, we need you back on Planet Earth and start, without any delay at all, sir, to sort out the very things that matter to us Nigerians. Just in case you forgot, Your Highness, let me just list very few of them:

• Much improved security of lives and property
• Much improved power supply (we're not asking for uninterrupted, for now!!)
• Much improved roads and railway
• Much improved education system
• Much improved employment opportunities for our people
• Much improved EFCC & ICPC; give them REAL teeth to have REAL bite to recover our stolen funds (at least, as much as possible) and bring those common thieves to book .
• If you're so determined to see an amendment in the Constitution, ensure that it is in the area of electoral reform; independent candidacy is surely the only way to deepen democracy. What are you afraid of, sir?

I could go on, but I thought this might keep you busy for the next 4 years. Unfortunately, there are only 24 hours in a day, but that should suffice. Dear sir, even if you're able to accomplish only three of the above within your tenure, you'll go down in history as the greatest Nigerian that ever lived. I hope, sir, that you leave office in 2015 triumphantly, and not ignominiously.

Nigerians voted for you because they believed in you. We gave you the power (as evidenced by the margin of your victory) to lead us to a better future. We want you to stop acting as someone in office but not in power. You have no choice but to justify the trust invested in you. Mr. President, your work starts NOW.