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Tag: Jonathan

  • Jonathan for joint action against terror in South Africa

    Jonathan for joint action against terror in South Africa

    President Goodluck Jonathan will today fly to Pretoria, South Africa, for high-level discussions with other African Heads of State and Government on combating terrorism on the continent.

    A statement yesterday in Abuja by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, said the continent’s five regions will each be represented by two Heads of State and Government at the talks.

    The talks, Abati said, will focus on collective action to effectively roll back terrorism in Africa. To also attend the talks, which will take place ahead of President Jacob Zuma’s inauguration for a new term in office, include the leaders of Ghana, Republic of Congo, Chad, Angola, Rwanda, South Africa, Mauritania, Algeria and Ethiopia.

    Dr Jonathan, who will be accompanied by the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan; the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Aminu Wali and some key aides, will return to Abuja after attending President Zuma inauguration on Saturday.

  • Jonathan for anti-terror meeting in South Africa

    President Goodluck Jonathan will on Friday fly to Pretoria, South Africa for high-level discussions with other African Heads of State and Governments on combating terrorism in Africa.

    According to a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, the continent’s five regions will each be represented by two heads of state and government at the talks.

    The talks, he said, will focus on collective action to effectively roll-back the scourge of terrorism in Africa.

    To also attend the talks, which will take place ahead of President Jacob Zuma’s inauguration for a new term in office, include the leaders of Ghana, Republic of Congo, Chad, Angola, Rwanda, South Africa, Mauritania, Algeria and Ethiopia.

    President Jonathan, who will be accompanied by the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Aminu Wali and some key aides will return to Abuja after attending President Zuma inauguration on Saturday.

  • Chibok: Blame terrorists not government, says Jonathan

    President Goodluck Jonathan has  urged Nigerians not to politicize campaign against terrorism by blaming terrorists for their evil acts.

    He spoke through the Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory, Olajumoke Akinjide on Thursday when government met protesters of Bring Back Our Girls movement at the Federal Secretariat, Abuja

    According to him, government has been playing its role from  towards rescuing the over 200 secondary school girls abducted in Chibok, Borno State.

    He said: “We must be careful not to politicize the campaign against terrorism. When a bomb goes off in Kabul, Afghanistan, the people of Afghanistan do not blame the government, they blame the terrorists.

    ” When a bomb goes off in Baghdad, Iraq, the people of Iraq do not blame the government, they blame the terrorists. When a bomb goes off in Islamabad, Pakistan, the people of Pakistan do not blame the government, they blame the terrorists.”

    “When a bomb goes off in Nigeria, we must all unite to fight the terrorists. This is the task of this generation. Our daughters must be freed to come home to their parents and loved ones, ” Jonathan  added

    He pointed out that the Federal Government has been appreciative and supportive of the efforts of the group and so many other groups around the world, towards rescuing the girls.

    “Many other groups have sent messages of solidarity and support to the Federal Government in writing and we want to use this opportunity to thank them.”

    “For a government that has placed so much premium on addressing major areas of reform and development in the nation, especially the development of women and the girl-child through increased investment in girl-child education and added opportunity for women, this wicked act has been indeed very painful,” he noted

    Observing that the present world is under the grip of terrorism, he said: “yesterday, a market in China where ordinary people go to shop was bombed. Two days ago, terrorists visited our beautiful town of Jos and detonated bombs killing scores of people.”

    “The communities of Kano, Maiduguri, Abuja, Nyanya, Madallah, amongst others, have at various times been bombed. Churches, mosques, parks and newspaper houses have not been spared.  Terrorists and their sponsors have brought terrorism to our land. This is sad.  This we must resist.”

    “In the last three weeks, our country has been in the spotlight. Some evil individuals who call themselves Boko Haram abducted our daughters, the future mothers of our nation, and have refused to release them. This evil act has sparked protests all over the world. This is as it should be. There must be a united movement for the release of our daughters and that movement must now be turned into a united action against terrorism.

    “Government has mobilized available resources, Military and diplomatic in the search for our girls who have suffered so much trauma in captivity by agents of terror.”

    He went on: “From the very first day this kidnapping occurred the Federal Government took action, directing our security services to go after the abductors.  The search for our daughters has now assumed regional and global proportion and our nation has received strong support from our neighbouring countries and the international community including the United States, China, France, the United Kingdom, among others.

    “The security forces also reached out to the Borno state government and community members for support and collaboration to bring back our innocent daughters. So far, the campaign to bring our daughters back home is on, and is receiving global support.

    “Nigeria in collaboration with Chad, Cameroun and Benin Republic have all agreed to establish a single centre for sharing intelligence on the activities of terrorists across our boundaries,”  Jonathan stated.

    Apart from the efforts, he said that he has personally initiated consultations with so many stakeholders, to explore alternative methods of resolving the crisis.

    “It is wrong and most unfair to suggest that there was a slow reaction to this kidnapping.  The Commander-in-Chief meets with the security chiefs almost daily, and he is also in constant consultations with regional and global partners on these terrorist threats.

    “This is why I want to appeal to your group and others through this medium, that it is important that your genuine patriotic zeal is matched with a realistic understanding of the situation in expressing concern and sentiment on this matter and other matters of terrorism.

    “Our security forces are among the best trained in Africa.  They are making so much sacrifice in the fight against terror.  As we sleep daily, they are in the field confronting the enemy.  They need our support, not attacks and discouragement.”

    “When terrorists see Nigerians turn on each other in blame it gives them a huge morale boost. We must never lose sight of the fact that terrorists are the real enemy.

    “We would like to encourage civil society groups to use their influence to encourage Nigerians to supply useful information to the security services using the emergency number 112. Citizens must protect citizens if our civilisation is to prosper.

    “Our daughters must be freed so that they can return to school and receive their education.  Our daughters must be freed so that they can return home to be with their friends and play as all children their age do, ” Jonathan  stated.

  • Jonathan, AGF fault suit challenging Bulkachuwa’s appointment

    Jonathan, AGF fault suit challenging Bulkachuwa’s appointment

    President Goodluck Jonathan and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) have faulted a suit seeking to void the appointment of Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, as the president of the Court of Appeal (PCA).

    Jonathan and the AGF, in their notice of preliminary objection to the suit, asked the court to dismiss it on the ground that the plaintiff lacked the locus standi to initiate it.

    They argued, in the objection filed by their lawyer, Ahmed Raji (SAN), that  the suit did not disclose any reasonable cause of action.

    They equally contended that the necessary parties were not before the court, and that the plaintiff’s case is “hypothetical, academic and of no practical utilitarian value.”

    The plaintiff, Nkereuwem Udofia Akpan, filed the suit before the Federal High Court, Abuja about two months ago to challenge the appointment of Justice Bulkachuwa by the National Judicial Council and President Jonathan.

    The plaintiff asked the court to immediately withdraw the recommendation made to the President for the appointment the matter on the grounds that the recommendation did not conform with the age-long tradition of appointing heads of courts in the country on the basis of seniority.

    He also asked the court to order that the name of the most senior justice of the Court of Appeal be sent to the president for appointment as the substantive PCA.

    Justice Gabriel Kolawole  adjourned to July 3 and ordered that hearing notice be issued and served on the NJC before the next adjourned date.

  • Jonathan condemns Jos blasts

    Jonathan condemns Jos blasts

    President Goodluck Jonathan has condemned Tuesday’s multiple blasts in Jos, Plateau State, describing perpetrators of the explosions as cruel and evil.

    He also directed all relevant agencies to mobilise support and relief efforts in aid of the victims.

    In a statement issued by his media aide, Dr. Reuben Abati, President Jonathan extended his heartfelt sympathies to the affected families and persons.

    The President assured Nigerians that government remains fully committed to winning the war against terror, adding that this administration will not be cowed by the atrocities of “enemies of human progress and civilization.”

    He also expressed Nigeria’s appreciation to the international community on the success of the recent summit on the security situation in the country, hosted by French President, Francois Hollande, in Paris.

    He reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to the implementation of the resolutions reached by the summit, in addition to existing measures already being taken by the administration to combat terrorism and ensure the safety of lives.

    He stated that government is prepared to strengthen existing mechanisms to ensure the immediate implementation of the resolutions of the summit, among which are:

    –           Every necessary measure should be taken to find the schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram militants from Government Girls’ Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State on April 14.

     

    –           Nigeria and other countries in the sub-region will continue to co-operate and co-ordinate efforts to combat the Boko Haram menace.

     

    –           The Heads of State have agreed that each country will contribute one battalion of troops to the international force set up to patrol the border areas, in line with the Resolution of the Lake Chad Basin Commission. France, United States of America and the United Kingdom will extend technical assistance to achieve this objective.

     

    –          The countries will come together to put in place an effective border management regime.

     

    –          No effort will be spared to stop the proliferation of small arms and light weapons and the supply of arms and equipment made available to terrorists.

     

    “The President considered these measures very useful aspects of the concerted international effort to combat terrorism and put an end to the Boko Haram menace, ” the statement said.

  • Chibok : Jonathan orders more troops for North East

    President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday ordered the deployment of more troops to reinforce the on-going military operations in the North East part of the country.

    The Coordinator of the National Briefing Centre, Mr. Mike Omeri, disclosed this at the routine daily briefing on the current and developing trends in the country, particularly the attempts to rescue the abducted schoolgirls.

    “President Goodluck Jonathan has ordered the deployment of additional troops to reinforce the on-going military operations in the North Eastern zone of the country”

    “This action came as part of efforts to checkmate the activities of the Boko Haram in the region and also strengthen the President’s resolve to rescue the missing girls,” Omeri said.

    .Omeri also spoke on the Jos explosion, adding that the security forces are working to unravel those behind the act.

     

  • Editors to Jonathan: rescue Chibok girls

    Editors to Jonathan: rescue Chibok girls

    The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has tabled a demand before the Federal Government: rescue the abducted schoolgirls.

    The guild said the abduction of over 200 schoolgirls from the Government Girls’ Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State, was not an assault on only the town but on all parts of Nigeria.

    In a communiqué issued at the end of its Standing Committee meeting in Owerri, Imo State, on May 16, the editors expressed sadness over Boko Haram insurgency.

    It urged the Federal Government to rescue the abducted pupils.

    The guild also expressed worry over the non-passage of the 2014 budget, five months into the year. It urged the Executive and Legislature to resolve their differences and pass the budget urgently.

    The NGE condemned the acrimony in the ongoing National Conference.

    It advised the delegates to watch their utterances because some of them were capable of causing more disunity in the country.

    The guild hailed Nigeria’s new status as the largest economy in Africa, adding that this should reflect in the per capita income and living standards of Nigerians.

    On Ekiti and Osun states governorship elections, the NGE urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure free, fair and credible polls that would be a template for next year’s elections.

    It urged the Federal Government to ensure adequate funding of sports to ensure Nigeria’s success at the FIFA World Cup and the Commonwealth Games, adding that sports is a unifying factor in Nigeria.

  • Court rules on Sanusi’s suspension Tuesday

    A Federal High Court in Abuja is expected to give its verdict on Tuesday in the suit filed by the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Lamido Sanusi.

    Sanusi ischallenging his suspension by President Goodluck Jonathan.

    Justice Kabriel Kolawole chose Tuesday for judgment after entertaining arguments from parties in the case on April 8. The court took arguments on both the defendants’ preliminary objection and the substantive case.

    Listed with the President as defendants are – the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and the Inspector General of Police (IGP).

    Represented by Kola Awodein (SAN), Sanusi’s contention is that the President lacked the powers to unilaterally suspend the Governor of the CBN despite his alleged offence.

    The plaintiff argued that the President’s exercise of the executive powers, provided in the Constitution, was subject to the Act of the National Assembly.

    He said, in his case, the President was expected to exercise his power to remove the CBN governor in accordance with the provision of the CBN Act.

    Sanusi argued that since there is no provision for the suspension of the CBN governor in the CBN Act, it implies that the President has no powers to suspend the apex bank’s governor.

    He further argued that under Section 1(3) of the CBN Act, the bank is made an independent body with the intention of making the bank operationally independent, so that there will not be interference of any sort in its operations, except as permitted under the Act.

    Sanusi contended that even if the President was to exercise control over the bank, which include the suspension of its governor, such must be done with the support of 2/3 majority of the Senate.

    He said his client has made out a proper case for the court to void his suspension.

    In their counter-argument, the defendants insisted that the suspension of the plaintiff by the President was within his powers. They contended that the CBN was an agency of the Executive arm of the Federal Government, whose powers as contained in Section 5 of the Constitution is vested in the President.

     

  • Insecurity: Jonathan meets Service Chiefs

    Insecurity: Jonathan meets Service Chiefs

    President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday met behind closed-doors with security Chiefs and heads of security agencies in the country at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Details of the meeting were not known as there was no official statement as at press time. The security chiefs also did not speak with journalists at the end of the meeting.

    Apart from reviewing the security situation in the country, discussions at the meeting were also not unconnected with ongoing efforts to rescue the over 200 secondary schoolgirls abducted in Chibok, Borno State, over a month ago.

    The meeting came against the back drop of Sunday’s car bomb explosion in Sabon Gari, Kano State, which killed 10 people. Another blast was foiled at Tafawa Balewa Street in the state on Monday morning.

    It was also the first security meeting after last Saturday’s Regional Security meeting on Boko Haram hosted by French President, Francois Hollande at Elysee Palace, Paris, France.

     

  • APC: Jonathan’s aborted Chibok trip shows govt’s failure on Boko Haram

    APC: Jonathan’s aborted Chibok trip shows govt’s failure on Boko Haram

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said President Goodluck Jonathan’s aborted trip to Chibok, Borno State, is symptomatic of his administration’s policy flip-flop in the fight against the Boko Haram sect.

    The party said it was not surprising to close watchers of the administration when the Presidency said Dr Jonathan never planned to visit the beleaguered town.

    In a statement yesterday in Lagos by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, APC said just as the Jonathan administration had bungled the fight against the sect, “it has also exhibited sheer cluelessness in handling the abduction of the school girls”.

    It added: “With his utterances and actions or inaction, President Jonathan has deepened the pains of the parents and guardians of the girls, and indeed that of the whole nation, when he should have been the consoler-in-chief at such a difficult time for a nation he leads.”

    APC said to worsen matters, the administration had resorted to lying to Nigerians.

    The party said the President never planned to visit Chibok in the first instance, even when it had been widely reported in the local and international media that the President’s advance team had landed in Borno State before the presidential volte face.

    “Pray, do presidential advance teams deploy themselves at will?” APC queried.

    The party said the President himself made his lying aides to look squeaky clean when he told the global media that he did not go to Chibok because the girls were not being held there and because the trip would not lead to their release.

    It added: “This statement shows that President Jonathan does not understand the demands of his office, and that in good or bad times, he is to be seen and heard as the lead celebrant/lead consoler for his compatriots. His statement is the most pedestrian justification of a presidential faux pas ever.

    “As usual, a trip – belated as it were – that could have gone a long way in redeeming the battered global image of the Jonathan administration in the handling of the abduction issue has turned out to be another albatross for the President. Again, a President, who is demonstrably averse to success, has snatched defeat just when he was on the cusp of victory!”

    APC said a President, who was so in denial that critical time had lapsed before world attention forced him to act on the abducted girls, has again dropped the ball at another critical moment – just the same way he waffled and wavered on the overall Boko Haram crisis before the terror group gained enough strength to become a runaway monster that could now strike at a time and place of its own choosing, killing 12,000 people and injuring 8,000 others.

    “A President and Commander-in-Chief who is afraid to visit any part of his country has betrayed the very people who voted him into office. In the case of Chibok, he has shown that the residents of the town should not expect to be seen as compatriots by their own President, hence they are on their own.

    “This definitely explains why, increasingly, Nigerians are resorting to self help, why ordinary citizens are taking up cudgels, machetes and dane guns to battle Boko Haram. It is nothing but the clearest indication of state failure and presidential ineffectiveness,” it said.

    The party said even in the seemingly hopeless situation in which the administration has found itself, it could still make amends “by immediately packaging a presidential visit to Chibok that would only be announced after the President must have gone and come back”, instead of one in which the President’s men leaked the trip to the world in the hope of gaining mileage, only to reap opprobrium when the trip was cancelled…..and then blame everyone but themselves!