President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday replied former President Olusegun Obasanjo who criticised his handling of the Boko Haram crisis as “slow”.
Obasanjo said Boko Haram would have been nipped in the bud, if the government had been fast as, according to him, he did about Odi in 1999 when he deployed troops in the Bayelsa community.
But, to Jonathan, the deployment of troops did not solve any problem.
Speaking last night during the Presidential Media Chat, the President said innocent people, including women and children, were killed.
Jonathan said: “It was old men and women and children that were killed. None of the militants was killed.
“Bombarding Odi was meant to solve a problem but it never solved any. The attack on Odi never solved the militancy problem.”
The President said there was no negotiation going on with the Boko Haram sect because it remains a faceless group.
“There is no dialogue that is going on anywhere,” he said.
“Presently, government is not dialoguing with Boko Haram.There is no dialoguing between Boko Haram and government. Though there was a news item talking about dialogue, but Boko Haram is still operating under cover; they wear masks; there is no face. So, we do not have anybody to discuss with.”
Jonathan said he was misunderstood in his statement on the total removal of petroleum subsidy.
According to him, he was trying to explain that Canada has up to 15 refineries because they are privately-owned and state-regulated.
“I did not say we’re going to remove subsidy. I said if we want to get to the level of Canada, then we have to deregulate. We have to revisit the issue of subsidy,” he said.
The President added that provision was made for fuel subsidy in the 2013 budget estimate sent to the National Assembly.
Jonathan said the problem of fuel scarcity would be solved with the sanitisation of the oil sector.
According to him, his administration began the cleansing of the oil industry even before the House of Representatives set up the Farouk Lawan-led Committee on Subsidy Regime.
“By the time we’re done with sanitising the oil sector, the issue of fuel scarcity will be a thing of the past,” he said.
On First Lady Patience Jonathan’s long absence in public, he said: “She is fine. In fact, she was at the church service with us today. What happened is that Nigerians are always looking for negative things. Noting bad that she was ill . She received treatment and immediately she came back, she is still recuperating; she couldn’t get very active role. She is okay.”
The President denied that the government had revoked the N3.6billion three-year contract with Manitoba Hydro International of Canada for the management of the Transmission Company of Nigeria.
He, however, said that there were issues which needed to be clarified following the new procurement law.
“Manitoba contract has not been revoked. There were some issues raised. There were some confusion on the status of Manitoba because of the new procurement law. We saw some loopholes that were not properly done.
“I have given the relevant agencies until Tuesday to get things done.”
Dr. Jonathan assured Nigerians that the nation would never experience a food crisis as being speculated in some quarters.
He, however, maintained that the country would record a bumper harvest through massive dry season farming.
Asked to comment on low level of conviction for corruption, and why nobody has been jailed in some instances, such as in the Halliburton case, the President said the fight against corruption is still ongoing.
He said it was sometimes better to move slowly and do the right thing than move too fast and do the wrong thing.
“This government is tackling corruption frontally. The biggest form of corruption is political corruption. What we did, first and foremost, was to sanitise the electoral process. We had free and fair elections because we dealt with corruption in that area. We have done well in various forms in terms of tackling corruption,” he said.
The president said his administration has also solved the corruption problem that bedevilled fertiliser subsidy, and now focuses on the oil sector.
“The future of this country is quite bright. The outlook is positive and we’re committed. By the time we get to May 29, 2015, Nigerians will know that Jonathan and his team meant well for the country,” he said.
On the ongoing Constitution amendment and call for a referendum, Jonathan said the process had to align with the provisions of the Constitution.
“The issue of Sovereign National Conference – when you mention the word ‘sovereign’, people get frightened – but people need to know that the President swore to an oath to defend the Constitution. Whatever we do should be in line with the Constitution.
“If today you jettison the provision of the Constitution, you will run into anarchy, and the best option is to stick with the Constitution.”
On the call for a referendum, he said the National Assembly’s constituency hearings are also aimed at getting the people’s input.
“Whether it is done in form of referendum or not, it is the exclusive right of the National Assembly to amend the Constitution and I wouldn’t want to impose my own ideas on them. That is a different arm of government, and they are competent to handle the subject-matter.”
On the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, Jonathan said the concessionaire, Bi-Courtney, lacks the capacity to carry out the job.
“The country is held to ransom. We cannot continue that way. We’ll intervene on that road,” the President said, adding that the government would also fix the Benin-Ore road.
On reducing the cost of governance, Jonathan noted that some parastatals were no longer relevant, which was why the Orasanya Panel was set up to review and recommend which should be scrapped or merged with others.
He said work would be concluded on the White Paper before the end of this year.
“At best wd can reduce the votes we give them. We can’t scrap any of them, until the National Assembly amends the relevant law,” he said.
The President said had directed the relevant agencies to resolve the oil well disputes between Rivers and Bayelsa on one hand, and Kogi, Anambra and Enugu states on the other.
Regarding the Rivers-Bayelsa dispute, Jonathan said: “The President will not influence anything.”
He said when the agencies finish the assignment, they would submit their report to the Vice-President. “We’ll demarcate it professionally,” he added.
He defended former heads-of-state whose firms bid for stakes in the privatisation of the power sector, saying it is their right to do so.
“It will not affect the process,” he said, adding that the important thing is for the companies to be qualified technically and financially.
The president said there have been “positive trends” in job creation, adding that the textile and footwear industries are “coming up” as power stabilises.
Asked whether he was worried that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is losing some states, the president said it is good for democracy.
“PDP is doing wonderfully well. It is even dangerous for this country for PDP to control all the states,” he said.
Jonathan said it was to early to be asked whether or not he would run for a second term, saying: “Give me sometime to make sure that I and my cabinet work.”
On the falling standard of education, Jonathan said every effort would be made to return it to what it used to be.
He described United States President Barrack Obama’s victory as “the best thing that has happened to a black man. “If he did not secure a second term the conclusion would have been that nothing good can come out of the black man.”
On Odi: Luckily, you talked about Odi. Because when the Odi matter came up, I was the deputy governor of Bayelsa State and I can give you the narratives of what led to the Odi crisis. The peak of the activities of the militancy in Niger Delta was when 12 police officers were killed in a cold blooded murder. That made the federal government to invade Odi. And after that invasion, the governor and I visited Odi. Ordinarily, the governor and the deputy governor were not supposed to move together under such a situation. And we saw some dead people mainly old men and women and also children. None of those militants was killed. None was killed. So, bombarding Odi was to solve the problem but it never solved it.
“Of course, if the attack of Odi had solved the issue of militancy in the Niger Delta, the Yar’Adua Government which I had the privilege of being the Vice President, wouldn’t have come up with the amnesty programme. So, that should tell you that the attack on Odi never solved the militancy problems. People will even tell you that rather it escalated it . It attracted international sympathy and we had lots of challenges after that attack on Odi. “
Benin-Ore road: Jonathan will be the best president. Because I will fix the Benin-Ore road, my government will fix that road and of course for power, it is one area that I know that Nigerians appreciate that we are moving. We are yet to get to power all our cities, but you will agree with me that the difference is clear. There has been improvement, significantly. And we will continue to improve. The only problem we have is that our transmission lines are weak. We have a lot of infrastructure project that are going on and we believe that before the end of the first quarter of next year, we would have completed a number of infrastructure. We moved from approximately below 2000 megawatts to above 5000 megawatts but because of weakness of infrastructure we cannot evacuate and we have seen a reasonable stability. So, before the middle of next year when most of the transmission infrastructure might have been completed, power will stabilize tremendously.
And this dry season we are going to intervene on that road from Lagos down.
Lagos-Ibadan and Bi-Courtney: That is the problem and that is the issue. That road has been with Bi-Courtney since we came on board in 2007 and I think we are going to take the final decision on the matter because it is like the company is not in position to do it and I don’t think as a responsible government, we can allow Nigerians to continue to suffer. It is the biggest road in this country and it is beyond the Southwest. Because that is the busiest road in this country and all of us in government, we feel pained that the country is held to ransom because of a transaction that probably was not consummated properly because of some kind of issues. But we cannot continue like this, we will intervene on that road.
Aviation : “The aviation industry is an industry that has been dominated by private sector all over the world. The most successful airline is the British Airways, globally. I believe so because everybody know about BA and almost every international airport you go you see BA.
“We had the Nigeria Airways that crashed like the shipping lines and others. But it is an industry that is dominated by the private sector. The government provides the facilities, the infrastructure, which you will agree with me that we are trying. Maybe before the end of next year, most of our airports will wear new look and the security infrastructure will be there.
“So, anybody can do business in Nigeria. So, the question you ask is why is it that we had so many private people coming up with airlines in Nigeria but after sometime, they collapse. We are giving incentives now. We don’t take value added tax from the aviation industry, whether you are a commercial aircraft or bringing spare parts for repairs. We have given all incentives but we still have issues. So, I think it is an area we will have to have a retreat next year. We want to bring the experts within and outside the country to sit down and analyse what are the fundamental problems in the aviation sector and what must we do to make sure that we don’t get to where we are again.
This is quite challenging in terms of movement but we will resolve it. If there is anything government will do, we will do it. The Central Bank of Nigeria made a lot of provision for soft loans for the sector but it never worked. So, using money has never worked. So, what is the factor; what is responsible? Is it management issue. We will have a retreat in January. We actually have some challenges.
“These are things that did not come up now and so if you look at what is being done even in the case, because they are not new thing it is easier for a sitting government to deal with.
“But when an issue has been dealt with by the previous administration and you want to deal with it, you must also follow a particular procedure. It may be slow, but it is better to be slow and do the right thing than to move too fast and do the wrong thing. And, of course, you know the laws we operate are based on the British pattern. It is better for 99 to escape than for one innocent person to be punished. It makes the process to be slow and that is why sometimes, we take different options.”

ypzilanti:

Babangida, the father of modern Nigerian corruption at least built third mainland bridge and did the major work to create the FCT.

We now have Presidents that serve 4 to 8 years without a single major infrastructural achievement that will impact majority of Nigerians.

No vision, no purpose. Just chopping and squandering the nation's wealth.

GenBuhari: Note of correction third mainland bridge was opened in October 1980 by President Shagari, Babangida only finished off an a small annex to it that was left unfinished after he had overthrown Buhari.

[size=18pt]3rd October 1980 - ITN News
President Shagari opens the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos[/size]
The third major road bridge from the Nigerian mainland to the Island of Lagos was opened by President Alhaji Shehu Shagari (on Tuesday 30 September), as part of the country's independence celebrations. It's designed to relieve the growing pressure on the two existing bridges which span the Lagos Lagoon.

SYNOPSIS: Since 1975 the growing number of vehicles driving in and out of Lagos have put the existing road system under considerable strain. So the completion of the Third Mainland Bridge is a welcome addition to tackle the problem. The first vehicles to travel along the bridge formed the official opening motorcade. It's the third in successive Government's efforts to link Lagos with the mainland.

Present Shehu Shagari was introduced to the officials who've co-ordinated construction since the bridge was merely a drawing on an architect's board. Then he was called on to officially declare the bridge open. He'd earlier paid glowing tributes to the contractors.

In contrast to the few vehicles in the official motorcade, the two original bridges were full, as usual, with heavy traffic. The problem's been evident since the early 1970s, and the first plans for the Third Mainland Bridge were discussed in 1975. Its design in comparable with the best in the world, according to Nigeria's Director of Federal Highways. It consists of two separate carriageways, each providing three traffic lanes and an emergency shoulder.

It's cost nearly one hundred and twenty two million pounds (Sterling).

https://www.nairaland.com/693700/chinua-achebe-blames-president-obasanjo/1

tosrich: I noticed that our president kept using the word 'INCREASING' repeatedly without any fact and figure to back it up.......what a nation.

thelastPope:

You people have started your campaign again abi? You want him to start to lie like Fashola abi? Which road has Fashola constructed? Is it to plant flower and ebelebo tree along the road that is road construction? Can you name one new road Fashola has constructed on the mainland since he became governor? It is only to collect 300k from poor students for a dilapidated school and to buy helmet for okada una sabi! Lie lie people!

Revolva:
Why are you so blind -- the good road networks around lagos you see today na who build am is it Nelson mandela or Obama - hiss some people sef need to be wooped

Billyonaire: \\\\\Nairalanders, very lazy and ungrateful people. most dont even pay taxes but they expect government to steal money to provide amenities. All for the Niger delta oil.

SirElaw:
OMG!!!! Dis ri8 here s proof of failure in d education sector 2. Jonathan shud do sumfin ASAP, so that more pple wont turn out lyk dis. GEEZ!!!!

idirect: Somebody somewhere is punishing nigerians for not voting the right leader The fellow should please forgive us, we don inhale fresh air so tey our belle don swell up like balloon

Revolva:
Why are you so blind -- the good road networks around lagos you see today na who build am is it Nelson mandela or Obama - hiss some people sef need to be wooped

idirect: Somebody somewhere is punishing nigerians for not voting the right leader The fellow should please forgive us, we don inhale fresh air so tey our belle don swell up like balloon

ogugua88: Promise: I will fix the Benin-Ore Road.

Nigerians mark his words, again.

President Jonathan:
[First published May 22, 2011]
He promised such things as electricity, security, jobs, and education, as well as to transform the economy and combat corruption.
[He promised]:

•A five-year plan to revolutionize agriculture and establish industries in the country (Oturkpo, Benue State February 17);

•A four-year development plan that would open up the South-South geo-political zone (Calabar, Cross River State, March 7); it includes a blueprint for coastal roads and railways;

•A five-year development plan to accelerate development in the country (Asaba, 25 February 2010)

•Roads and other basic infrastructure to be developed in four years (Akure, March 2, 2010).

•Road construction to take new five-year structure, ending yearly budgetary allocations (Ibadan, February 9, 2010)

•Five-year strategic plan for road projects (Bida, February 22).

•A holistic review of the nation’s education policy (Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, March 12, 2010)

*In Aba on February 12, he promised to stamp out kidnapping; provide facilities that would boost the enterprising spirit of the Igbo; upgrade the Enugu airport to international level; dredge the River Niger; build a dry port in Aba for Igbo businessmen; complete the Second Niger Bridge; rehabilitate all the main roads into Abia; tackle the erosion crisis; and make Aba the Ground Zero of eventual aircraft production in Nigeria.

In Uyo on March 7, he promised to build coastal roads and rail from Lagos to Calabar.

In Awka on Feb 26,2010, he said he would construct all the major roads which link Anambra with its neighbors; complete the ongoing aero-dynamic survey of gas in the Anambra River basin, which [leading to] power supply, then Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) industry”; complete the second Niger Bridge; and complete the Onitsha Inland Port.

Nigerians would not be talking about generators after his four years in office, he vowed.

*In Bauchi on February 9, he promised to intensify oil and gas exploration in the North-East Zone; boost agriculture, power and water supply; provide dams and power projects; establish two universities in the region; construct schools with modern facilities for 9.5 million Almajiris; and combat rising terrorism in the area.

*In Asaba on February 26 2010, he announced that the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation would create jobs for over 5,000 youths in the region; promised to transform the Nigerian oil and gas industry and make it the destination of choice for investors in Africa; convene a stakeholders meeting across the country where communities will be able to determine their priority programmes.

*In Dutse, on March 17 2010: Jonathan promised to establish airports in all the states without airports, with Jigawa as his starting point.
*In Abakaliki on Feb 25, he promised the South East geo-political zone priority attention, especially in fixing its dilapidated road network and in healthcare delivery; dualize the Enugu-Abakaliki Express Road within one year; convert the Federal Medical Centre in Abakaliki to a teaching hospital.

*In Enugu on February 12, he promised to stamp out kidnapping, ensure facilities that would enhance the enterprising spirit of the Igbo; upgrade the Enugu airport to international level; dredge the River Niger; build a dry port in Aba for easy access to Igbo traders; and complete the Second Niger Bridge.

*In Birni Kebbi on March 20, he promised to establish schools for Almajiris, boost agricultural produce, ensure the take-off of the Federal University in Kebbi next year.

*In Lokoja on February 21, he promised to revive the Ajaokuta Steel Complex and the Itakpe Iron Ore Company; explore the agricultural potential of the state to boost food security; establish a new federal university; ensure the speedy completion of the Lokoja-Abuja road project, and dredge the lower and upper River Niger.

*In Ilorin also on Feb 21, 2010, Jonathan promised to end discrimination along ethnic and religious lines; tackle poverty; agricultural transformation of Kwara State; rehabilitation of the nation’s railway system; rehabilitation of the Ilorin-Mokwa road. He would also revitalize ailing industries and grant loans to farmers (objectives for which, he said, funds had already been earmarked).

*In Lafia on February 7 at the North Central Zone launching of his campaign, Jonathan promised to end chronic power shortages; improve health and education; ensure food self-sufficiency; manage oil revenues better; create a Sovereign Wealth Fund. He would also clampdown on kidnappers and criminals; pursue law breakers to the ends of the Earth, and ensure there would be no sacred cows. He guaranteed a university in every state; proper care for communities along the water ways; and construction of a refinery.

*In Lagos on February 28, 2010, Jonathan promised to partner with Lagos State in the interest of its continuous growth and the nation’s economic buoyancy. “We have taken this period to study what we are going to do and by your mandate in May 29, we will hit the ground running,” he said.

*In Jos on February 17, 2010, he promised “a straight fight” against poverty; to create wealth by improving power and water supply; to build more dams and complete ongoing ones in order to boost irrigation farming in Plateau; to complete the Vom-Manchok-Jos road to boost economic links between Plateau and Kaduna states; to encourage more agricultural research institutes; refocus on solid mineral development. (Now in November 2012, he says he will no longer create wealth but "reduce poverty"! Semantics, right? Or just a barefaced liar!)

*In Minna on Feb 15, he promised to establish three power projects in the state at a cost of $2.1bn (about N315bn).

*In Port Harcourt on February 12, at the launching of his South-South Campaign, he promised to commence “transformational changes” in the South-South; said the NNPC had begun investing in the petrochemical industry in the region; that the people in the region would be given a voice in the oil and gas sector. He promised to make the Niger Delta region the hub of the petrochemical industry in Africa.

*In Abeokuta, on March 12, he promised to revive the railway system; revive ailing refineries; build new refineries.

*In Akure on March 2, Jonathan promised that the bitumen deposits in the state would be exploited for economic development and employment generation; to provide funds for small and medium scale enterprises, mechanised farming and agro-based industries; and to partner with relevant agencies to harness the agrarian nature of the State “to open up the flank of semi and mechanized farming in the State to engender a paradigm shift from subsistence farming to reliable modern agricultural practices.”

*In Osogbo on March 2, 2010, he promised to complete the Lagos-Jebba rail project right away; complete the Ife-Ijesa dam; enhance agricultural irrigation; provide farmers with adequate information; invest in petrochemicals, mining, research and development.

*In Ibadan on February 9, at the SouthWest launch of the campaign, he promised to: run a transparent government; treat all citizens equally; respect law and order; turn around the nation’s bad road network.

*In Gusau on March 15, he promised to establish a federal university of technology within one year.
Jonathan’s fourth and final confetti carton of promises seemed designed to overwhelm anyone who had not yet folded under the avalanche:

*N50 billion set aside in 2011 Budget to facilitate employments for the youths (Ondo, March 2);

*•Build car manufacturing or assembly plants (meeting with leaders of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Abuja, March 21);

•Revive ailing oil refineries and build new ones (Abeokuta, March 12)

•Collaborate with state governments to explore the solid minerals sector (Gusau, March 15);

•Spend N350 billion in building small dams across the North in the next four years to stimulate “massive irrigational farms” (Northern Economic Summit, Kaduna, March 19);

•Expand and develop the downstream sector of the oil and gas industry to provide about one million jobs (one-man presidential “debate,” March 31, Abuja);

•Make Nigeria an exporter of rice (Presidential Summit on Job Creation, Abuja, April 12, 2010); How much is a bag of "imported rice" today?

•Crackdown on piracy in the entertainment industry (Presidential Summit on Job Creation, Abuja, April 12)
In Onitsha on February 27: “I do not make empty promises in my campaign because whatever I promise to do, I had already carried out adequate study to make sure I can accomplish it in the next four years.”

Demdem:
I hope the phones will work this time around because i will personally ask the retardeen questions. thank goodness i will be available.

tunapawizzy:

he wldnt want a televised embarrassment.....they all do it