Many Nigerians have expressed outrage at the Economist for labeling ex-President Goodluck Jonathan as an 'ineffectual buffoon'.
In an article titled “Crude Tactics: Cheap oil is causing a currency crisis in Nigeria. Banning imports is no solution”, published in The Economist last Thursday, the magazine, while analysing the economic policies of President Muhammadu Buhari, had written that “In the eight months since Mr. Buhari arrived at Aso Rock, the presidential digs, the homicidal jihadists of Boko Haram have been pushed back into the bush along Nigeria’s borders.
“The government has cracked down on corruption, which had flourished under the previous president, Goodluck Jonathan, an ineffectual buffoon who let politicians and their cronies fill their pockets with impunity.”
In angry reactions on social media, majority of Nigerians expressed their displeasure...
Writing on her Twitter handle, Nigerian author, Molara Wood stated, “Marvelled at the verbal buffoonery of @TheEconomist. It’s almost like it’s personal. I thought you people had style guides.#Inappropriate.”
Also, writing on his Twitter handle, @Olumicome2, a Nigerian, Obamide, said, “I think it’s wrong that the economist described Jonathan as an ineffectual Buffon. It’s so wrong to call our ex-president that
In another reaction, A Twitter user, Ogbiji Nyiam, said, “The Economist reference of Jonathan as “an ineffectual Buffon” is uncalled and saucy.”
Similarly, writing on his Facebook page, one Ismail Aniemu said every Nigerian should be worried about any derogatory description of our leaders by the western media.
“Describing Jonathan as an ‘Ineffectual Buffoon’ is not a good testimonial for us coming from an influential publication, The Economist. Nigerians should jointly seek ways of avoiding embarrassments of this sort in future. How did we get a GEJ to lead us in the first place?” he wrote.
Another Nigerian, Adedayo Adesoji, also expressed his reservations on his Facebook page.
He wrote, “Despite the fact that I have never for once fancied the kind of President Jonathan’s style of leadership, I take exception to the Economist’s position referring to the Nigerian immediate past President as an ineffectual buffoon! It is the height of disrespect to the personality of our former President! If truly the Economist condescended so low to spew out this insult, then the above globally respected news platform has lowered its professional standard and brought international journalism to a state of disrepute! I am awfully disappointed in the Economist if truly it authored such a publication!”
Also, in his Facebook post, a Nigerian, Ugo Chikezie, said the label by The Economist was abusive.
“For me, I completely agree that GEJ was ineffectual, but I don’t quite agree that he is a buffoon. We all know GEJ failed woefully as president, but I think calling him a buffoon is unnecessary. People should learn to criticize without being abusive,” He wrote on his Facebook page.
However, Aliyu Abubakar Zaria said, “So while Jonathan was busy buying awards in USA and Switzerland, trying to perfume his smelly years as president, the Economist described him as an “ineffectual Buffon, who let politicians and their cronies fill their pockets with impunity”.
No matter how good or bad Jonathan performed in office, I'm against The Economist calling him names.
In an article titled “Crude Tactics: Cheap oil is causing a currency crisis in Nigeria. Banning imports is no solution”, published in The Economist last Thursday, the magazine, while analysing the economic policies of President Muhammadu Buhari, had written that “In the eight months since Mr. Buhari arrived at Aso Rock, the presidential digs, the homicidal jihadists of Boko Haram have been pushed back into the bush along Nigeria’s borders.
“The government has cracked down on corruption, which had flourished under the previous president, Goodluck Jonathan, an ineffectual buffoon who let politicians and their cronies fill their pockets with impunity.”
In angry reactions on social media, majority of Nigerians expressed their displeasure...
Writing on her Twitter handle, Nigerian author, Molara Wood stated, “Marvelled at the verbal buffoonery of @TheEconomist. It’s almost like it’s personal. I thought you people had style guides.#Inappropriate.”
Also, writing on his Twitter handle, @Olumicome2, a Nigerian, Obamide, said, “I think it’s wrong that the economist described Jonathan as an ineffectual Buffon. It’s so wrong to call our ex-president that
In another reaction, A Twitter user, Ogbiji Nyiam, said, “The Economist reference of Jonathan as “an ineffectual Buffon” is uncalled and saucy.”
Similarly, writing on his Facebook page, one Ismail Aniemu said every Nigerian should be worried about any derogatory description of our leaders by the western media.
“Describing Jonathan as an ‘Ineffectual Buffoon’ is not a good testimonial for us coming from an influential publication, The Economist. Nigerians should jointly seek ways of avoiding embarrassments of this sort in future. How did we get a GEJ to lead us in the first place?” he wrote.
Another Nigerian, Adedayo Adesoji, also expressed his reservations on his Facebook page.
He wrote, “Despite the fact that I have never for once fancied the kind of President Jonathan’s style of leadership, I take exception to the Economist’s position referring to the Nigerian immediate past President as an ineffectual buffoon! It is the height of disrespect to the personality of our former President! If truly the Economist condescended so low to spew out this insult, then the above globally respected news platform has lowered its professional standard and brought international journalism to a state of disrepute! I am awfully disappointed in the Economist if truly it authored such a publication!”
Also, in his Facebook post, a Nigerian, Ugo Chikezie, said the label by The Economist was abusive.
“For me, I completely agree that GEJ was ineffectual, but I don’t quite agree that he is a buffoon. We all know GEJ failed woefully as president, but I think calling him a buffoon is unnecessary. People should learn to criticize without being abusive,” He wrote on his Facebook page.
However, Aliyu Abubakar Zaria said, “So while Jonathan was busy buying awards in USA and Switzerland, trying to perfume his smelly years as president, the Economist described him as an “ineffectual Buffon, who let politicians and their cronies fill their pockets with impunity”.
No matter how good or bad Jonathan performed in office, I'm against The Economist calling him names.
Well there as to come a time when a country as to face economic hardship even The United states had their own share years back. So it's not a matter of Goodluck jona
ReplyDeletecalling him names will not solve our problems. lets focus for things that matters,this time of judgment is coming.he can't escape it.nenyeoma@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteOkay....
ReplyDeleteOlu famous second wife
We all know GEJ failed
ReplyDeletewoefully as president, but I think calling him a buffoon is
unnecessary. People should learn to criticize without being
abusive,”. I completely agree with u broda
I think the economist is nowhere to be found among the high profiled news press in our society therefore trying to create a useless attention
ReplyDeleteEverybody with their own opinion abeg!
ReplyDeleteif monkey pikin no fine ma him mama d like am, it's not cool for them to call him names bt truth is evritin d said is true... I jxt dnt support d publications dey made suggesting Nigeria should devalue their naira
ReplyDeleteWe all know that Jonathan didn't live up to expectation, but the Economist went too far by using the word "buffoon"...They really need to be careful with their choice of words
ReplyDeleteThe choice of words used my the Economist may be somewhat derogatory. Nevertheless they capture what GEJ government stood for.
ReplyDeleteA slap on his face is a slap to us all especially when it's coming from ppl who has aided corruption in Nigeria. We must all condemn it.
ReplyDeleteIf given an assignment next time GEJ should do better to avoid such insults
ReplyDeleteBarry
Nigerians dey para! GEJ is busy collecting awards.
ReplyDeleteolutoscene1@gmail.com
#Olu,can you see?
Very unfortunate. It's like former president is playing politics with sensitive issues on ground and sitting president wants the whole world to see to his anti corruption crusade....... I guessed that's the reason the economist described Jonathan like that. Nevertheless, it's not good to call ex president that name
ReplyDeleteHe is not different from what is being called. The man has no conscience.
ReplyDeleteHe may have been misled by his party, the man is good and doesn't deserve to be called names.
ReplyDeleteDt description is well off it, Itz an insult to Nigerian as a whole sef...
ReplyDeleteWell he has learn his lesson,he should stop attending all this so called awards is not doing him good at all.
ReplyDeleteHe was about everything.
ReplyDelete