By the unanimous resolution of both chambers of the National Assembly on Tuesday February 9, Vice President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, was made acting president and commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the federation pending the return of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where he is currently undergoing medical treatment since November 23, 2009. With this momentous development, Dr Jonathan can now wield all instruments of state power without let or hindrance.
History, undoubtedly, had beckoned and called upon Dr Jonathan at a critical turning-point in the socioeconomic and political development of the country. Having been part of the Yar’Adua administration and despite some misgivings, Dr Jonathan is not expected to have too much difficulties in settling down and tackling the pressing affairs of the state, which deserve full presidential attention,  and decisive actions. This is why it is absolutely important for the acting president to have a clear focus of what he wants to achieve and what he is capable of achieving.
In this regard, because of indisputable time frame available to him as the acting president, Dr Jonathan must clearly identify those key areas that he can work on to achieve the greatest success and thus help move the country forward.
First and foremost, the acting president must move quickly to stabilize the ship of the state that has obviously been imperiled in the last two months. He must move to assuage the ill-feelings unfortunately generated over the absence of President Yar’Adua; unify all warring forces for peace and progress of the country.
Secondly, the acting president must dissolve the present cabinet as it is constituted. The current cabinet has wholly demonstrated its hostility towards the vice preident and willfully refused to take orders from him. They are now pretending to be loyal to him as the acting president. The Nigerian citizens rejected and condemned this high-profile act of disloyalty and wish to see a new cabinet that will work harmoniously with the acting president and help him achieve his identified goals or tasks.
The acting president must move to tackle the power sector crisis. It is a great disaster and shame that Nigeria could not boast of 5,000 megawatts of electricity as at present for a population of 150 million. The acting president may as well now declare a state of emergency in the sector requiring emergency measures to generate at least 10,000 megawatts by end of the year. This will help resuscitate the comatose economy, conserve foreign exchange from importation of generators and generate employment opportunities for teeming young and old Nigerians.
Another pressing task is the completion of the amnesty process in the Niger Delta. The region deserves permanent peace. Fortuitously, Dr Jonathan is the brain behind the amnesty offer that has helped to restore relative peace in the Niger Delta in the last few months. The acting president must now consult and work with all stakeholders to achieve this goal. Completion of the process will ensure that the insurgents do not take up arms against the Nigerian state and the people of the region again. It will also ensure restoration of peace that will enable the oil companies to carry on production activities without threats of disruption, restoring the daily OPEC production quota.
Last but not the least of the task before Jonathan is the need to accelerate electoral reforms toward giving the country a credible, free and fair general election in 2011 and beyond.  Democracy can only survive and have meaning on the basis of credible electoral system. The past elections since the return to civil democratic rule in May 1999 have been a source of shame to the country in the comity of nations.
If the above tasks can be achieved they will serve as a veritable foundation for further national up-building and development.