** Jonathan’s Team: A Kitchen Without Chefs

ThisDay News

A top the various external factors are awful internal issues that seriously threaten the president’s second term hopes.
Jonathan has a team of inexperienced and unskilled operators who cannot help him politically. Yet, they are blocking those with skills from coming in. Members of the president’s kitchen cabinet see themselves as the ones who had rallied the critical support that gave Jonathan victory in 2011.

But unknown to the president’s inner circle, his electoral victory largely came on the back of his own personal goodwill. Many Nigerians had been attracted to Jonathan by his calm demeamour, relative newness in the ruling class, and his Niger Delta origin, attributes that gave the impression of someone who was coming to do things differently.
That goodwill has, however, been largely lost.

The president himself has not helped matters. Being a regional player, he has found it difficult to break out of the seeming political cordon erected by members of his government’s inner circle. He views anyone trying to come in with suspicion.

The Kitchen Cabinet

Mike Ogiadhome:
The Chief of Staff to the President, Chief Mike Ogiadhome, has no political antecedents, except that he was head of a Rotary Club in Benin City before former Governor Lucky Igbinedion of Edo State picked him to be deputy governor. Igbinedion found Ogiadhome to be a jolly good fellow.
In his position as deputy governor, camaraderie developed between him and Jonathan, then a fellow deputy governor in Bayelsa State who was under an overbearing governor, former Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha. By dint of luck and personal goodwill, Jonathan rose to the position of President and Ogiadhome naturally linked up with his old pal.
Ogiadhome means well for Jonathan, but he cannot do more than that. He is unlike the former Chief of Staff to Obasanjo, Major General Abdullahi Mohammed (rtd), who belonged to the military top brass and had robust connections in the security, intelligence, and political circles.

Hassan Tukur
Principal Secretary to the President Hassan Tukur is a nice operative who has tried to cover for Jonathan. But Tukur has not been able to do much or has not been given the means to function to capacity.

Ahmed Gulak
The office of Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs is a weighty one, which ordinarily should be held by a politician with intense reach and political acumen and who can properly advise the president on political matters. But Ahmed Gulak, who occupies that post, is not likely to find a place even in the North's Third 11. He is clueless and shoots from the hip. Considering his political pedigree, the office seems to be beyond his capacity.
Gulak came to the post of political adviser on the back of a sycophantic Goodluck Jonathan support group he had formed during the presidential electioneering period. He lacks the capacity to convene a meeting of the northern political elders.

Stella Oduah
The Minister of Aviation, Mrs. Stella Oduah, was a contractor in the oil sector who rode to power on the back of a Neighbour 2 Neighbour initiative she had used to mobilise Nigerians across social, religious, and political backgrounds for Jonathan in 2011. When Jonathan won the election, Oduah made her husband minister and, then, sacked him and took over.
Even though it can be said that she is doing well, Oduah has politicised the ministry. She spends more time on Jonathan’s re-election campaign than the affairs of her ministry.
Oduah does not have the political pedigree to deal with complex political issues.

Godsday Orubebe
Minister of Niger Delta Godsday Orubebe is a former chairman of Burutu local government whom Jonathan had brought to the ministerial post under Yar’Adua from where he found himself in national politics and now in a position to determine what happens in the polity, even though he lacks the skills to really help the president politically.

The Octogenarian Group

Tony Anenih
Chief Tony Anenih is nice and wise. He was a major political player before the advent of the Jonathan presidency. Because of his political savvy, he was called the leader, “Mr. Fix it,” etc, on account of his ability to fix complex political problems. Anenih was brought in as Jonathan’s man Friday for 2015. But he is no longer in tune with the dynamics of the younger generation of politicians.
Though, Anenih has a calming influence on Jonathan, it is doubtful if the president listens to him.

Read more: http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/jonathan-s-team-a-kitchen-without-chefs/158516/

Me dey observe

Wetin Oduah do una again?

Y dey never learn. People u ask Mr President to sack he won't sack, the ones u ask why he sacked are gone for good. itiboribo!

When one reads articles such as the above, one can only but ask, what do Nigerians really want? Do we want to play politics all our life or we want DEVELOPMENT? Is democracy all about struggles for power, intrigues and elections? Do we want to devote our time, energy and resources to playing politics or GOVERNANCE? Do we want to major on struggles for political power or DEVELOPMENT.

Long ago, the President chose governance and development over politics and struggles for power. He did this by filling his cabinet with mostly non-politicians and non-PDP members like Stella Odua, Okonjo Iweala, Chinedu Nebo, Aganga, Akinwumi Adeshina, Onyebuchi Chukwu, Omobola Johnson,etc

The ball is in now in the court of Nigerians. Choose yea this day, between politics and DEVELOPMENT. I and my household have chosen DEVELOPMENT

Politicians can't safe this failing Country as a minister, technocrats will perform much better.
We all can see the transformation going on daily in the Aviation sector under Stella Odua.
But political & selfish interests will make presidency sack people like Stella Odua, Bert Nnaji that transformed & upgarded their various Ministries.
We all can still remember the Transformation & development in the power sector under Dr. Bert Nnaji.. But we know how Bert Nnaji ended.
We play politics with everything in Nigeria Government.

You said the aviation minister is doing well yet you want her to be sacked. Why will she be sacked since she's doing well and why should a politician be a minister,aren't they suppose to be professionals..btw,this is what you get when you appoint people based on familiarity instead of merit

L.M Ayedun..:
Politicians can't safe this failing Country, technocrats will perform much better.
We all can see the transformation going on daily in the Aviation sector under Stella Odua.
But political & selfish interests will make presidency sack people like Stella Odua, Bert Nnaji that transformed & upgarded their various Ministries.
We all can still remember the Transformation & development in the power sector under Dr. Bert Nnaji.. But we know how Bert Nnaji ended.
We play politics with everything in Nigeria Government.

GBAM!!!!....olusegun Aganga too..the investment minister..he is trying

This writer is sitting on a fence with the assertion he/she makes because vast majority of nigerians want this new generation of politicians, becos alot of political science graduate are out there jobless and for how long can we keep the older ones in the affairs of this country?No matter what's going on in PDP, i pray that Gej's cool demeanor nigerians saw in him as a person that can deliver meet up with his performances so far;time is ticking.

The only person who needs to be sacked is Dieziani Allison Madueke! As long as she isn't on that list, then this article is a total crap!

Sincere 9gerian:
The ball is in now in the court of Nigerians. Choose yea this day, between politics and DEVELOPMENT. I and my household have chosen DEVELOPMENT

And where's the development? Oops, I've forgotten, the trains are back to track and we now generate 22,000Megawats of electricity; all thanks to the visionary leadership of Mr. Mediocre!!!

For me and my household, we will never support mediocrity.

ujchief:

And where's the development? Oops, I've forgotten, the trains are back to track and we now generate 22,000Megawats of electricity; all thanks to the visionary leadership of Mr. Mediocre!!!

For me and my household, we will never support mediocrity.

Was it not after you and your fellow APC e-rats vandalised gas pipelines that power generation dropped temporarily? We were generating 4,500MW before Tinubu sent you to vandalise major pipelines in the country. The pipelines are now being fixed and power generation will shortly be at its peak again

This is unbelievable .the GEJ team, kitchen cabinet,fans ,followers and supporters aswell are as confused as jona himself.
Sincere wath is ur stand on this report.

What a deluded and scrap of a write-up.
Mtseew...

We need fresh hair in the presidency not the fresh air of Jonathan!

musa ajebor: This is unbelievable .the GEJ team, kitchen cabinet,fans ,followers and supporters aswell are as confused as jona himself.
Sincere wath is ur stand on this report.

It is stupid report. The author is an author of confusion

Nothing but trash.

sorry about that....but come o I can see everything becoming new on the EAST\WEST ROAD WITH JONAH'S NEWLY CONSTRUCTED 10 LANES....

Sincere 9gerian:
Was it not after you and your fellow APC e-rats vandalised gas pipelines that power generation dropped temporarily? We were generating 4,500MW before Tinubu sent you to vandalise major pipelines in the country. The pipelines are now being fixed and power generation will shortly be at its peak again

The writer of this rubbish is sick in the head.
He is an example of those who do not want Nigeria to progress.

berem: The only person who needs to be sacked is Dieziani Allison Madueke! As long as she isn't on that list, then this article is a total crap!

She can't be on that list except thisday newspaper wants to close shop. Madueke is even threatening Patience. And u need to be careful too.

Sincere 9gerian:
It is stupid report. The author is an author of confusion

I cannot agree less.

The summary of everything: GEJ is clueless and incompetent.

Sincere 9gerian:
Was it not after you and your fellow APC e-rats vandalised gas pipelines that power generation dropped temporarily? We were generating 4,500MW before Tinubu sent you to vandalise major pipelines in the country. The pipelines are now being fixed and power generation will shortly be at its peak again

Really? So I outsmarted Tampolo to vandalize the pipes? After your GEJ gave him a contract of over N12bil to protect the pipes, side-lining the Navy and other armed forces who had the sole responsibility of protecting our water ways and utilities therein?

Can you tell GEJ to rediret the contract to me since I'm obviously smarter than Tampolo? Ooops, I forgot, Tampolo is officially and legally equiped to steal the oil too, with a certain percentage for his boss.

You guys are so corrupt that it stinks to high heavens!

I just dey observe o.

What do we want? Politics or Development?

GEJ putd together technocrats, we must support him or we will be back on the arms of thieving politicians.

The writer got confused in the middle of proceedings.