Nigeria’s president elect Mohammadu Buhari
The list of influential people released recently via Time magazine has sparked quite some controversy in Nigeria.
Nigeria’s newly elected President Muhammadu Buhari and writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, together with former Education Minister Oby Ezekwesili and leader of the Boko Haram terror group Abubakar Shekau have been among the top world personalities listed by Time magazine in the 100 most influential people in the world.
Time’s Africa bureau chief, Aryn Baker in his ‘A New Choice for Nigeria’, tribute commended Mohammadu Buhari for becoming the first opposition candidate to beat an incumbent Nigerian president in an electoral process.
Chimamanda Adichie
Oby Ezekwesili
Chimamanda Adichie, the Half Of A Yellow Sun author and Oby Ezekwesili have been also deemed worthy and praised for their roles in the Nigeria’s development, contributions to the society which earned them spots in the list.
The presence of Shekau in the list however, an Islamist terror leader who has been regarded as a mass murderer of Nigerian citizens have otherwise left more bile in the taste buds of most citizens of Africa’s
most populous country. So far the reactions of the public has been of outrage and coming of terms.
Even on social media….
JJ. Omojuwa Except they want Shekau to come for his TIME plaque so they can arrest him, I don’t see why terrorists should be named on that list
Anthonia Orji I have #NothingToSay to @TIME for listing BH terrorist Shekau as one of 100 most influential persons. Do u have something to say#Niger
Elnathan John @elnathan 19 hours ago
I’m not in support of Shekau being on Time100 list. But if you can tell someone to go and blow himself up and he obeys, you’re influential.
And many have wondered: what exactly should Shekau be lauded for? But then this tweet says it all…
#TIME100 isn’t really a celebration of achievements; it’s simply a yearly recognition of newsmakers. And Shekau is one of the most reported!
What’s your take?
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