Jos killings: Jonathan is weak –Achebe

One of Nigeria’s foremost authors, Prof. Chinua Achebe, has criticised the Acting President Goodluck Jonathan’s handling of Jos crisis, saying that he is weak as a leader, Empowered Newswire reports.

Achebe, the author of the widely successful book, Things Fall Apart, which marked its 50 years of publication between 2008 and last year spoke to New York Times over the weekend on several issues including the state of the nation.

He said, “My own explanation would be the failure of the authorities in Nigeria to address the issue. The nation cannot be trusted to use the machinery of law and order. And in that kind of situation, all kinds of people who are normally sort of put aside suddenly find an opening for evil.”

When asked of what he thought about the Jonathan’s dissolution of cabinet, Achebe said, “He suddenly doesn’t seem to bring good luck. He is weak. A strong man in any position in Nigeria should be horrified by what happened in Jos.

“Shame is what we should feel. We don’t seem to have any government. People don’t know where their president — before the present acting president — where he went or where he is.

Speaking for the first time on ailing President Umaru Yar’Adua’s disappearance, Achebe said “People don’t know where their President — before the present Acting President — where he went or where he is...Presidents do not go off on leave without telling the country.”

Achebe further criticised the killing in Jos, saying that there was no justification for the ugly development.

On Umar Abdulmuttalab bombing of a United States aircraft, Achebe said, “I would say to him: “That is insane. Drop it. You cannot solve any problems by blowing up innocent people.”