The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Goodluck Jonathan

  • Francis Duru, others for presidential novelty match

    Francis Duru, others for presidential novelty match

    Gio15, a national support group for President Goodluck Jonathan, is organising a novelty football match in Asaba, Delta State, as part of its re-election campaign strategy.

    According to a statement signed by the Chairman, National Organising Committee, Ejike Obioko, the novelty match is one of the group’s way of appreciating President Jonathan’s strides in sports and women development.

    “It is only a mischievous person that will conclude that President Jonathan has not advanced the course of Nigerian women since he came on board. Our women at the grassroots are smiling because he has been so kind to them. Women are holding sensitive positions all because President Jonathan is gender-friendly. There will be a raffle draw for participants who come to the venue with their voter’s card,” he said.

    The match is scheduled to hold on Wednesday, January 14, at the Squash Club, located at Government House, Delta State.

    Expected to grace the event are, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, Stephen Keshi, Henry Nwosu, Jay Jay Okocha as well as Ann Chiejine.

    According to Obioko, top entertainers will also be a part of the novelty match while Nollywood actor, Francis Duru, will be the Mater of Ceremonies.

  • Text of Jonathan’s New Year broadcast

    Text of Jonathan’s New Year broadcast

    NEW YEAR BROADCAST TO THE NATION BY GOODLUCK EBELE JONATHAN, GCFR, PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, JANUARY 1, 2015.

    Dear Great People of our nation,
    1. I greet and felicitate with you all as we enter the New Year today. As we mark the beginning of this New Year, 2015, a new nation is being born. A new nation is being born because of the foundations we have all laid, working together for the good and progress of our dear fatherland.

    2. I join you all in thanking God Almighty who has brought us this far, for continually bestowing His Grace upon us and for guiding our great nation safely through all the challenges of the past year.

    3. This year, as in the year past, I reaffirm my commitment to work to ensure a secure future for our dear country and the generations yet unborn.

    4. Last year, we celebrated our hundredth year of nationhood. The year brought us further progress, challenges and fresh opportunities.

    5. We have contended with the normal challenges of nation-building and the unusual challenges of terrorism.

    6. But we have continued to vigorously confront those who seek to destroy the bonds of unity that hold us together.

    7. On this first day of the New Year, I want to pay special tribute to the gallant officers, men and women of our Armed Forces and other security agencies who have been in the forefront of the war against terrorism and violent extremism in our country and sub-region.

    8. I also commend all Nigerians who have remained vigilant and cooperative with our security agencies in the fight against the common enemy.

    9. We are re-equipping and re-positioning our armed forces to enhance their capacity to win the ongoing war against terror and insurgency.

    10. Regrettably, terrorists have unleashed much pain and agony on our land. They have made widows of our mothers and sisters and orphans of our children. They have shut down businesses, desecrated places of worship and brought untold hardship to both men and women. They have violated the culture and peaceful way of life in our country, which took generations to build.

    11. They have destroyed countless schools and displaced people from their communities, driving them into exile.

    12. I want to assure you that the terrorists will not get away with their atrocities: they will not win; they will be routed. As President, I feel the pain of all affected communities and families. I hear their cries and share their sorrow and pain.

    13. We will not forget; we will not look the other way. We have done a lot of painstaking planning and work to resolve the current security challenge. We will bring justice to the savage terrorists known as Boko Haram. They will be defeated.

    14. That is the solemn commitment I make today as President of the Federal Republic, and Commander-in-Chief of our Armed Forces.

    15. By the Special Grace of God, the Federal Government, under my leadership, has continued, in the past four years to lead our country forward, even under the most trying circumstances.

    16. The progress we have made in priority areas bears us testimony.

    17. Amongst other achievements, we have rehabilitated and expanded our rail transportation network, successfully privatized power generation and distribution, significantly reformed and increased local participation in our oil and gas industry, and improved nationwide access to potable water from 57% in 2010, to 70% at present.

    18. We have also made significant progress in improving access to primary, secondary and tertiary education by building and equipping more schools, including special Almajiri schools, and establishing additional universities to ensure that each state of the nation now has at least one Federal University.

    19. Our national economy maintained a steady growth rate of close to seven per cent in the past four years and millions of fresh employment opportunities were created for our people as a direct consequence.

    20. Recently, we launched the Youth Employment in Agriculture Programme (YEAP) and the $100 million dollars Government and Donor Fund for Agriculture Finance in Nigeria (FAFIN) to fast-track the positive transformation of our agricultural sector.

    21. The Youth Employment in Agriculture Programme (YEAP) targets 750, 000 market-oriented young agricultural producers while the $100 million dollars Fund is to provide affordable long-term financing to support the development of small and medium agribusinesses in the country.

    22. This is in addition to a N50 billion Farm Mechanization Support Fund set up by the Central Bank to establish 1,200 agricultural equipment-hiring enterprises.

    23.
    23. Both funds will become fully operational this year. Policies and programmes such as these to boost agricultural production remain topmost on the agenda of this administration.

    24. Being very conscious of the inherent perils of our over-reliance on income from crude oil exports for national development, we have focused on accelerating the diversification of our economy.

    25. The non-oil Sector which has grown by an average of 8% in the last few years, is now a major driver of growth in our economy.

    26. The 2015 national budget, which is now before the National Assembly, is targeted at deepening our efforts at becoming a non-oil economy.

    27. The budget also includes measures to ensure that the downturn in the price of oil does not affect our development plans and our national economy too adversely. We are adjusting our financial processes to safeguard our economy. We are also taking steps to ensure that the poor and the low and medium income earners do not bear the brunt.

    28. In 2015, this administration will continue to lay the foundation for a vibrant economy that attracts significant Foreign Direct Investment and promotes policies that ensure economic stability.

    29. We will ensure stability in the value of the Naira by striving to take away speculative behaviours that cause market exchange pressures.

    30. We will continue to build and maintain a healthy external reserves position and strengthen fiscal buffers. We will ensure the Naira remains strong, and gives foreign investors the clarity and certainty that they need, to guide future investment decisions.

    31. We will continue to improve our payment systems and strengthen risk-based supervision mechanism for Nigerian banks to ensure overall health and stability of the banking system.

    32. We are introducing a broad spectrum of financial instruments to boost sector-specific enterprise areas in agriculture, Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs), manufacturing, and oil and gas to enhance our aggregate supply capacity, reduce poverty, promote job creation and increase the general well-being of our people.

    33. These efforts and other measures being spearheaded by relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies, are geared to ensure a secure future for Nigeria and create a much more prosperous country, where people live more peaceful and fulfilled lives.

    Fellow countrymen and women,
    34. As we enter an election year, I assure you that our administration will remain fully focused on providing good governance and the delivery of better public services to our people.

    35. The coming campaigns and elections will not distract us from our ongoing work to significantly improve the living conditions of our people. And I urge all tiers of government not to be distracted as well.

    36. The elections are very important for us as a country. Their successful conclusion will further strengthen our democratic institutions and place our beloved country even more firmly in the comity of truly democratic nations.

    37. Given the challenges that have characterized some previous electoral contests in our country, the eyes of the world will certainly be on the conduct and outcome of our fifth post-military rule general elections.

    38. I reassure all Nigerians and the international community of our firm commitment to free, fair and credible elections. My commitment to free elections and one man, one vote remains unwavering.

    39. Our administration has worked hard in previous elections to prepare all key stakeholders including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies and the electorate optimally, to ensure a progressively improved electoral process in the country under my watch. We will continue to do so for the coming elections.

    40. We will continue to provide adequate funding to INEC and maintain the Commission’s independence and isolate it from any form of interference or meddling in its day-to-day affairs. This shall continue to guarantee its impartiality and ability to conduct more credible and acceptable elections.

    41. National security agencies will also be given all necessary support to enhance their ability to ensure that the elections are peaceful and violence-free. The Nigeria Police has already established an Elections Security Planning and Monitoring Unit.

    42. I am optimistic that with the cooperation of all law-abiding citizens of the country, our commitment to have a peaceful and violence-free election will be actualized.

    43. I will like to say this, once again, to my fellow politicians and political leaders. None of our political ambitions is worth the blood of any of our countrymen, women and children. The improvement of their lives and living conditions ought to be our primary motive and the driving force of our quest for political power and leadership positions.

    44. Let us not promote sectionalism, disunity, intolerance, hate, falsehood or the malicious abuse of political opponents. Whatever we feel or seek, we must have a nation and a people before we can dream of political ambitions. Let us put the nation and the people first.

    45. Let us all conduct our electoral campaigns with the highest possible decorum and civility towards political opponents. Let us give INEC the fullest possible support and cooperation it requires to conduct credible and violence-free elections in 2015.

    46. After the 2011 general elections, some unpatriotic elements embarked on an orgy of violence, resulting in the destruction of lives and property. That will not be allowed to happen this time around. This government will act decisively against anyone who disrupts the public peace, before, during or after the 2015 general elections.

    47. All Nigerians, of voting age, are free to vote based on their convictions. It is our duty to defend and protect that basic right, and let no one be in doubt, we will.

    48. Fellow Nigerians, I urge all of you to enter the New Year with renewed zeal and patriotism, to serve our fatherland with love, honesty, faithfulness and hope for a greater tomorrow.

    49. As I have always maintained, none of the challenges before us is insurmountable. We must come together as a people and work with single-minded unity of purpose to overcome them.

    50. Nigeria is a key country in Africa. We must work together to maintain our strategic position and collaborate with others to move the continent forward. I call for peace in Africa and an end to all conflicts in our continent. I urge all Africans to promote democracy in their respective countries to ensure faster development of the continent and faster economic and political integration.

    51. We will continue to pray and offer hands of fellowship and assistance to our fellow Africans suffering from the Ebola Virus Disease. I urge all Nigerians to show compassion and contribute in whatever way we can to help our African brothers and sisters.

    52. As we go into this New Year, I salute the indomitable and resilient spirit of our people in Nigeria and wherever they are in the world. Our spirit of enterprise and the doggedness to succeed amongst all odds has been our strength.

    53. With our collective prayers and efforts, we will grow our economy and our people will become wealthier. Government will continue with programmes deliberately designed to create more jobs for our youth, to enable them contribute more to the growth and development of our nation.

    54. Let us continue our march to the future, towards the attainment of our collective vision of a strong, united, prosperous and harmonious nation – a secure nation for us and for our coming generations.

    55. I wish you all a happy and fulfilling 2015.

    56. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    57. Happy New Year, Nigeria!

    58. I thank you all.

     

  • HARDBALL

    HARDBALL

    May God hear Pope’s prayer on Nigeria

    Pope Francis’ Christmas Day informal intervention in strife in Nigeria, specifically the apparently religious war by Islamic fundamentalists under the banner of Boko Haram, should be cause for deep reflection by the presidency, which does not seem to be winning.  It is noteworthy that the Goodluck Jonathan administration extended emergency rule in the troubled Northeastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe by another six months with no end to the destructive conflict in sight. There are indications that the insurgents have reviewed their strategy in a counter move to the government’s approach, and their recent devastating penetration of military facilities demonstrated that they were not about to surrender or concede defeat.

    So, when the new Vicar of Christ, elected on March 13, in his first “Urbi et Orbi”  (to the city and world) message on the theme of peace,  called for a dialogue to resolve the violence, he was understandably speaking as a priest and perhaps without a clear understanding of the basic issues. It is certainly difficult to imagine a compromise on the part of the rebels, who have escalated hostilities since 2009 and callously terrorised the people with a view to imposing an Islamic theocracy, which amounts to an unacceptable contradiction of the secularity emphasised by the country’s constitution. How do you talk with closed-minded desperadoes who refuse to co-exist with others outside their own faith?

    Ironically, the Roman Catholic leader, who preached a homily of harmony to tens of thousands of the faithful from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, represented a symbol of the very religion that Boko Haram considers anathema and deserving of destruction, to go by its consistent attacks on churches.  It is interesting that with particular reference to the peace process between Israelis and Palestinians, and the crisis in Nigeria, Syria, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Iraq, the chief of the 1.2 billion-member church said: “God is peace; let us ask him to help us to be peacemakers each day, in our life, in our families, in our cities and nations, in the whole world.”

    Of course, the Pope’s recommendation of dialogue in connection with the Nigerian conflict is not novel; various other voices from different quarters have before now suggested that the government should pursue the path of negotiation and lay down arms. However, there is no doubt that, on account of his immense stature and moral influence,  the Pope’s verbal mediation has not only further publicised the clash internationally, it has also reinforced the need for government  to critically re-evaluate its road map to peace. It is a development that demands a high degree of strategic creativity, especially in the light of the fact that the prolonged fighting continues to arrest progress in the affected areas.

    It is intriguing that the government has been unable to crush the rebellion through the force of weapons, which makes the Pope’s wisdom attractive.  However, apart from the rigid resistance of the militants to dialogue, there is the inevitable possibility that such accommodation may set a counter-productive precedence, which could be exploited by others. The situation places the administration in a tight spot, but it will need to do something anyway and expeditiously too.

    It is clear that the world is watching and waiting to see how answers will be provided to the problem, and what answers.  The Pope’s supplication for peace brings to mind the poetic construction of Alfred Lord Tennyson, who wrote: “More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.”  In this context, it is optimistic to dream of a New Year that will bring an end to terror in the land. May God hear the Pope’s prayer!

  • Jonathan and neglect of Yoruba

    Jonathan and neglect of Yoruba

    IR:  I read a letter to the editor written by Chief Kola Aderemi published in The Nation of December 23 in which the Ekiti chief accused President Goodluck Jonathan of neglecting and marginalizing the Yoruba race in power sharing in the country, and that the President is now frantically courting the race to realize his  re- election ambition.

    Chief Aderemi reminded Nigerians how President Jonathan removed some Yoruba figures from national offices and replaced them with people of Igbo extraction.

    According to him, “nothing illustrates President Jonathan’s hatred for Yoruba better than the way he removed some Yoruba people from key positions on allegation of being too close to the former President Olusegun Obasanjo. To buttress my point, I recalled how he removed Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola as People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Secretary. Mr. Yomi Bolarinwa was removed as Director General of Nigeria Broadcasting Commission, Otunba Segun Runsewe was removed as Director General of Nigerian Tourism Development Commission (NTDC) and they were replaced with Igbo people”.

    What impressed me most in that letter was the disclosure that from number one to 22 most important positions in the country, there is no Yoruba person. But now that 2015 election is around the corner, President Jonathan is now courting Yoruba race for electoral support. No, this is too cheap to swallow. I totally align myself with Chief Aderemi’s position that Yoruba race must be tactical and politically sagacious in their choice.

    In addition to the list of Yoruba people removed from office by President Jonathan, I recall that Segun Oni was removed as PDP South-west deputy chairman, Olu Oluleye was removed from Petroleum Trust Development Fund (PTDF) among others. Why is President Jonathan now desperate for the people he hates to see in his government?

    Governor Segun Mimiko of Ondo State who was defending the President recently cannot speak for Yoruba race. By the way, where was Mimiko when Jonathan was removing Yoruba people from public office? It is obvious that President Jonathan has not been fair to Yoruba race. Yet, this is the race that assisted him to attain the present status!  Yoruba should think twice before supporting him again, because it is clear that the race has been cheated politically. As if Mimiko was equally reminding us how President Jonathan treated us with disdain, hear what he said, “a Yoruba man was to be Speaker of the House of Representatives in 2011 but was denied and the slot given to North-West geopolitical zone. Also, the position of Minority Leader in the Senate was to be given to the Yoruba but was also taken to the North-central which already had the Senate presidency. The question now is what did Mimiko do to correct the situation? Why is he now defending and supporting Jonathan to woo South-west that has been badly cheated? Yoruba is wiser for this.  We are not stupid and we will not take stupidity from anybody.

     

    • Fatai Arisekola

    Ibadan

  • ‘Jonathan should forget Ondo votes’

    ‘Jonathan should forget Ondo votes’

    An All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain and Coordinator, Buhari Volunteers (BV) in Ondo State, Akogun Olugbenga Omole, has said President Goodluck Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) should forget votes from the Sunshine State.

    Omole spoke at the group’s inaugural meeting yesterday in Akure, the state capital.

    “On February 14, Ondo people will speak with their votes. We will ask the President what he has done for us in the last six years,” he said.

    Omole ‘s comments followed the statement credited to Governor Olusegun Mimiko in Abuja that he would give Jonathan one million votes in the state.

    The BV coordinator said this was a statement of an attention seeker, who has lost his relevance in the political scenario in Ondo.

    “Without exaggeration, Governor Mimiko has been rejected by majority of his new party members; he is battling with so many court cases.

    “A political leader who cannot provide basic infrastructure and life saving amenities for the people can only be a campaign coordinator for a presidential candidate who is ready to fail.”

    He enjoined members to continue to mobilise for the party by preaching the candidature of Buhari/Osinbajo to everyone.

  • ‘Why Fed Govt is improving railways’

    ‘Why Fed Govt is improving railways’

    President Goodluck Jonathan said yesterday that his administration was intensifying efforts at transforming railway system to actualise national prosperity and development.

    He spoke in Kaduna at the flag-off of “Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) passenger service for Kaduna Intra-city.”

    Jonathan, who was represented by Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo, added that the essence of giving much attention to railway system was to reduce the cost of moving goods and services in a manner that would make Nigerians happy.

    He lamented that in the last 30 years, the railways had suffered neglect by previous administration.

    He noted that his administration had rekindled hope in the lives of Nigerians, assuring that effective and efficient rail system would continue to be his administration’s priority.

    Kaduna State Governor Muktar Yero noted that railway system was the most affordable and easy means of transportation.

    Transport Minister Idris Umar advocated for a Private-Public Partnership (PPP) to aid in making the system functional.

    Umar added that nine railway stations would be remodeled under the PPP arrangement.

  • Nigerians will appreciate me after I leave office, says Jonathan

    Nigerians will appreciate me after I leave office, says Jonathan

    President Goodluck Jonathan has said that Nigerians will begin to appreciate his achievements in all sectors when he leaves office and another leader takes over.

    He made the remark on Tuesday while receiving a delegation of traditional rulers and leaders from Bayelsa State at his residence, led by the State Governor, Sariake Dickson

    Jonathan said that he wasn’t surprised by the spate of criticisms which his administration has suffered in recent times.

    He said that he was very sure that when a new administration takes over and people make comparison, they will appreciate his efforts and give him his due credit.

    According to him, people do not often give credit to great men when they are still in charge.

    He also pointed out that leaders all over the world get lambasted these days due to the effect and power of social media and that people often use new inventions for the wrong reasons.

    He said that he won’t be distracted by criticisms as he would continue to give his best to the nation.

  • Jonathan has delivered on education, says PDP

    Jonathan has delivered on education, says PDP

    THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has hailed the achievements of President Goodluck Jonathan in education in the last four years.

    Reviewing the gains and challenges of the sector against the performance of the administration, the party urged Nigerians to vote for Jonathan in the presidential election to guarantee the future of the country’s education.

    Its National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, in a statement yesterday, claimed that the PDP had, in the last 15 years, progressively developed education as a social instrument for national development and integration.

    The statement said this was done through the implementation of broad-based policies in keeping with the party’s manifestos and ideology.

    The party praised the President for “accelerating” the development of education at all levels in the last four years.

    It added that Jonathan had repositioned the public school system and provided the enabling environment for greater participation of private individuals and agencies in the delivery of education services under government’s regulation.

    The statement also reads: “This is in addition to the massive rehabilitation and upgrade of Federal Government-owned schools as well as the three-pronged programmes of the Almajiri Education System, the first of its kind; the Girl-Child Education and Back-to-School programmes, all of which have drastically reduced the out-of-school children profile in the country, particularly in the North.

    “The 150 Almajiri schools across the northern states and the Out-of-School-Children Programme, including specialised boys’ and girls’ schools across the country have given meaning to the lives of hitherto despaired children.

    “Under Jonathan’s watch, enrolment in basic schools has increased from 23 million in 2010 to 29 million in 2012 and still growing.  In the same vein, enrolment in colleges of education has increased from 620,000 in 2011 to 750,000 in 2013.  Also, the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), established by the PDP, is expanding to 250,000 enrolments annually.

    “To guarantee enhanced access to university education, President Jonathan established 14 new universities, (nine in the northern states of Kogi, Taraba, Jigawa, Gombe, Nasarawa, Katsina, Yobe, Kebbi and Zamfara states and three in the southern states of Ebonyi, Bayelsa and Ekiti), including two specialised Police and Maritime universities, thereby ensuring that all states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory have a federal university.”

    It added: “Of course, the number of private primary, secondary and tertiary institutions has also doubled as a result of the education-friendly environment created by the PDP-led Federal Government.  This is in addition to the establishment of new NCE awarding institutions and upgrade of strategic polytechnics for enhanced service delivery in the country.”

  • Forget Yoruba votes, Jonathan told

    Forget Yoruba votes, Jonathan told

    Indigenes of Ibadan, Oyo State, under the auspices of Ibadan People Association (IPA), have told President Goodluck Jonathan to forget the Southwest in next year’s presidential elections.

    They said his spokesman Doyin Okupe, Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose, Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko should speak for themselves  alone, and not for the Yoruba.

    The Ibadan community in a statement by its National President, Abdulhakeem Adegoke Alawuje, in Kaduna yesterday, said: “If there is anybody deceiving Mr. President about Southwest support, he shouldn’t deceive himself, it will not work.

    “We want to tell Okupe, Fayose and Mimiko that the Southwest knows better. Enough is enough, nobody should brainwash us again.

    “The world can see what is going on in Nigeria. Never in the history of this country has there been a time where stealing and corruption are celebrated daily. This administration has legalised corruption.

    “There are a lot of atrocities going on in this land. We are tired of the gimmicks. We want to tell Mr. President to look elsewhere for his votes. We won’t vote for him.”

  • Nigeria will be a better place in next four years, says Jonathan

    President Goodluck Jonathan has assured that Nigera will become a better place in the next four to five ears.

    From the policies of his adminstration, he said that Nigeria is gradually making steady progress.

    He spoke at the Christ Apostolic Church, Garki Area 1, Abuja on where he observed the last Sunday church service for the year.

    While expressing optimism that Nigeria will overcome its challenges, he said that 2015, which is an election year, will be a tempting one.

    “As a nation, we have not reached where we want to go, definitely not. But we are coming up with a number of policies. Those who are taking pain to look at what we are doing will agree with us that if we progress as a nation steadily in this manner, in the next four or five years, this country will be a better place.

    “Only a few days back, the Vice President was in Port Harcourt to flag off the Eastern railway. The Western one moving from Lagos to Kano has been running. We will start using the modern one from Kaduna to Abuja by the first quarter of next year and the one from Port Harcourt.

    “When we were small, there were railways. But I believe most of our children of about 30 years only see railway as cartoons in the television but now, they are seeing it.

    “We relied on agriculture before the oil boom or doom and all that died. We are reviving it and the whole world has appreciated that we are moving forward in agriculture, ” the President stated.