Apparently still excited about Nigeria’s trashing of Cote d’Ivoire at the quarter-final of the ongoing African Cup of a Nations on Sunday, President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, likened himself to a coach of a national team who is under pressure to score more goals at this sensitive stage of his administration.This was just as he admonished the ministers to help him prove to Nigerians that he was a good coach by being hard working.
Jonathan who made the appeal when he swore in two new ministers, Prof. Chinedu Osita Nebo (Enugu) and Mr. Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (SAN), (Kebbi), for the Power and Defence Ministries respectively at the presidential villa, said Nigerians would decide on his coaching prowess by the new vigour the two ministers intend to bring into his cabinet.
He said, “We are admitting two new ministers into our fold. From the profile we have heard about them, they are eminently qualified to serve this country at all levels. If it is political they are eminently qualified to serve as counselors to the president.
But then background qualification is one thing and serving as a minister is another thing because the challenges are different.
“One thing I believe is that you will succeed. There is a big challenge on me and you because if a coach of a football team sends his 11 players and decides to make changes close to half time, then, he knows that there may be weaknesses in some areas and he is bringing people to strengthen the team to make the team score goals.
“So Nigerians are expecting that if I am bringing ministers in at this time, I must be bringing in people that will strengthen the team and make sure I bring people that will score more goals than we are already scoring. And If Nigerians don’t realise that, they will feel that I am not a good coach. If they realise that, then, they will know I am a good coach. So, it is quite challenging for me to bring you in at this time and also to you because they will expect you to perform extremely well.
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