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For today’s Geo Quiz, we’re looking for the country whose President is named Goodluck. Actually Goodluck Jonathan is the “acting president” and commander-in-chief of its armed forces.
He had to step up to the post when President Umaru Yar’Adua was taken to a Saudi Arabian hospital last November and disappeared from the public.
So Goodluck’s now head of Africa’s most populous nation – and must try to bring order to one of Africa’s most fractious democracies.
Some Africans say Goodluck has capitalitzed on others’ badluck.
Others say he’s a lucky political newcomer — in the right place at the right time.
In any case we want you to name this nation whose acting president is named Goodluck…and whose wife — by the way — is named Patience.
So, good luck and be patient…
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Now for the answer to today’s Geo Quiz…it’s Nigeria.
The country’s acting president is named: Goodluck Jonathan. Many observers say he’ll NEED a lot of luck to manage Nigeria.
Goodluck Jonathan’s life is a story of luck, and that’s the subject of an email that’s been bouncing around African intellectual circles.
Back in primary school, the email claims, he was the assistant head boy in his class until the head boy got expelled, and he took over. And when he was deputy governor in his home state of Bayelsa…his then-boss was impeached for corruption. Goodluck took over as governor.
You see a pattern here?
Of course, last year – Goodluck became Nigeria’s acting president when his boss became sick. Staying on the topic of African names for a moment, a BBC correspondent told us about a taxi-driver in Zimbabwe whose name is Rhodesia. Odd, because that was the name of Zimbabwe under white minority rule.
Rhodesia was thrown into the scrap heap of geographic names in 1980. But Rhodesia — the man — says he’s proud of his name. That’s Rhodesia speaking from Harare, Zimbabwe. The country marks 30 years of independence this weekend.
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