President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday admitted that the
activities of the violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram, have
curtailed his movement and prevented him from going to
wherever he loves.
The President hurriedly returned to the country on
Thursday evening from Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, because
of the bomb blast at Emab Plaza in Abuja.
The blast at Emab Plaza in Abuja, occurred on Wednesday
shortly after the President left Nigeria for the 23rd Ordinary
Session of the African Union’s Summit of Heads of State
and Government.
According to his itinerary released by his Special Adviser
on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, the President was
initially scheduled to return to the country on Friday after
the summit.
But, the President, who visited EMAB Plaza on Friday,
urged Nigerians to bear the pains and restrictions that
could be imposed on them as security agencies work hard
to end insurgency in the country.
He said even as the President of the country, he had been
having his fair share of the pains associated with
containing the activities of the Boko Haram insurgents as
he could not go to everywhere he would have loved to visit.
“We all bear some pains, from the highest to the least
because as a President, I may not go to everywhere I
would have loved to go, these are some of the challenges I
have to face,” he said.
Jonathan had in May, 2014 called off a visit to Chibok, the
town where over 200 schoolgirls were abducted by Boko
Haram members on April 14, 2014.
He was scheduled to stop over in Chibok on his way to a
conference in France.
Jonathan, while speaking at the Abuja bomb blast scene,
described the insurgency as one of the darkest phases of
the country’s history.
The President, who arrived at the scene at about 11:10am,
was briefed at the spot where the bomb went off by an
Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Suleiman Abba.
He was accompanied by the Minister of Health, Prof.
Onyebuchi Chukwu; his Chief of Staff, Brig.-Gen. Jones
Arogbofa; and other senior government officials.
Jonathan spent about five minutes before moving under
tight security to the Maitama District Hospital where those
who sustained various degrees of injuries in the explosion
are being treated.
After he was conducted round the wards where the injured
victims are being attended to by the hospital’s Chief
Medical Director, Dr. Adetoun Adetimehin, the President
spoke with journalists.
He said it was regrettable that while some Nigerians were
busy engaging in nation-building, others were busy killing
their compatriots.
Jonathan assured that the perpetrators of the act and their
sponsors would be arrested and brought to justice.
He assured Nigerians that insurgency would end.
Jonathan said, “It is quite regrettable and extremely painful
that when some Nigerians are struggling, thinking about
how to contribute to the nation’s development, they are
working very hard to take care of their families, train their
children, others are busy planning to kill people, intimidate
people, destroy peoples’ property. It is regrettable.
“It is one of the darkest phases in the history of our nation,
but surely we will get over it. Some other countries have
passed through such cloud before and they were able to
overcome it and sail through.
“We share the pains of the people who have been directly
affected, the pains of their families, but we will surely pass
through this ugly phase of our history. The perpetrators of
this, those who are directly involved and those who
sponsor them will surely be brought to book.
“I will use this opportunity to continue to plead with our
citizens that under such situation, security operatives will
come up with different options that sometimes will create
some inconvenience for us, instead of condemning them,
let us bear.
“Even for our citizens, under such condition, we have
reached some level of restrictions and some pains, instead
of shouting and insulting security operatives, let us give
them maximum cooperation, give them relevant
information.
“All countries that face terror suffer the same thing,
citizens give maximum cooperation to the security
operatives and help to contain and control, surely we will
get over this.
“We are all mourning. I remember that very day we had a
football match to play and all Nigerians were celebrating
the Eagles hoping they were going to win, then this act
came up, I was airborne then, it was when I got down in
Malabo that I got the information. Surely, we will get
through this.”