Scoring The “Speechless Speech” Of Mr President!

By Jarlath Uche Opara Jarlathuche@gmail.com

After listening to it,what readily came to my mind was an image of someone who ran so well but out of set rules and lane.

Someone so gorgeously dressed but off the dressing pattern of the event.

Someone whose dance steps are quite amazing, but danced off the tune.

I saw nothing in such speechless speech of Mr President but a well written answer sheet, good handwriting, well arranged but with many off points.

It was a speech of necessity to address imminent teething issues.

There was a nudge or rather a provocation that necessitated the broadcast. However well crafted, if the cause for the speech was not addressed it could be at best a speechless speech of empty sounds, that did not address the matter as it should.

It barely scratched on it. Didn’t scrape off the festering part of the body, allowing the festering to continue inside.

There are obvious malignant boils, some becoming cancerous. We expected a surgery not a mere puncture. A chemotherapy not an application of mere hot water on them. Sadly we saw none.

Some of those boils were not even attended to by that speechless speech, rather it circumvented them, doing surgery and applying chemotherapy on things that aren’t threatening our lives and peace imminently.

Scoring this Seechless Speech of Mr President magnanimously, 45% wouldn’t be a bad score. This government can do better.

The speech writers of this administration can do better. Was there hope in the address? Did the hope so hopeful to douse the tension? Or hopeless to aggravate it further?

Was it soothing enough to move them off the street or unromantic enough to make them stay further? Was it reasonably reassuring to give the government another chance or too blant and unfocused to encourage protesters to continue on the street?

Did it give room for further engagement or too foreclosuring to stifle hope for fraternal engagement?

Was the speech sincere enough to restore hope, trust, confidence or too coated with lies to fuel further loss of trust and confidence?

If I was asked, that Presidential speech merely begged the question and left a lot to be desired. That speech cannot even woo a soul that is already in love, talk more of one brewing with hatred.

To the youths and all Nigerians that are part of this #Endbadgovernmemt protest, your President said he has heard u loud and clear. Do you believe him? Or you think it was those usual rhetoric of being politically correct.

The speech was very speechless. It shocked the sensibilities of many, eyes rolled in wonder, saying in bated breath “is that all”? Their best or just being politically correct?

The address would have been speechless with amazing standing ovation from hearts and souls already in love, who would fall headlong in admiration if the Mr President had addressed succinctly the issue of wasteful style of his governace.

What if Mr President had said
1) All government office holders are here by banned from foreign training/ medical trips

2) From henceforth, dollarization of our economy is hereby banned

3) From henceforth any importation of foodstuffs is banned.

4) From today, importation of fuel with time will be stopped soon, as I assure you that m our refineries would be fixed soon.

5) The Office of the First Lady scrapped.

6) From today the Presidential,Vice Presidential and Minister’s excorts and motorcade festival is here by drastically reduced.

7) I sincerely apologise for all the immodest and condescending remarks made against the protesters by members of APC politically leaders. I take responsibility. I sincerely regret their insensitivity, to the innocent protesters mere exercising their constitutional rights.

8) The National Orientation Agency is hereby mandated to be deliberate in engaging the public, relating to the masses on day to day basis the policies of the government and the milestones achieved.

If Mr President had addressed all these, it would have of course been a speechless speech with awe and applaud. To many Nigerian, it was a shot went over the bar. A spot kick went off the radius of a goal post.

We are aware that the battery was flat long ago before this administration took over. However, one year after, one had expected to see signs that the battery is charging at least small. This could have been a reasonable reassurance with one or two bars gained, enough to have stopped the protestations in the first place. What did we see? Flat battery with no sign of charging, while the continously claim to be charging the system.

I have gone through Mr President broadcast countless times. All I could see was hope raising in countless numbers; more of propositions, rare to be translated into reality by hindsight.

An address that showed less of concrete actions taken but more of projections into the future, which as usual may not be fruitional. Same promises of previous administration that never saw the limelight.

If only the script writers of Mr President were sincere and patriotic, the address would have been speechless with awe and commendation. Sadly! The contrary is the case !! A speechless speech that provoked nothing but disdain, hatred, distraught, anger and disappointment.

What Next after this ponderous outing of Mr President?

Jarlath Uche Opara Jarlathuche@gmail.com