We Are In Mali To Secure
Nigerians – Jonathan
23.01.2013, 14:34 Local
President Goodluck Jonathan
has reiterated that Nigeria's
involvement in the crisis in Mali
was not borne out of any
territorial ambition but to
secure her citizens from
terrorism and stop terrorists
from establishing bases in
West Africa.
He stated this in Geneva when
he met with members of the
Nigerian community in Geneva.
According to the president,
"Nigeria has no territorial
interest in Mali. Going to Mali
does not mean that we are
trying to extend our territorial
control to the country. No, We
believe that if we don't go there
the war going on there will
affect us," Jonathan explained.
The president said the escalation
of violence in the northern part
of Nigeria which recently
resulted in an attack on the Emir
of Kano is a direct fall out of
activities of Terrorists in the
West African subregion.
The president warned that if the
crisis in Mali is not managed it
may engulf Nigeria and many of
its neighbours.
"That is why Nigeria is
particularly interested about the
issue of Mali. Because the
Northern part of Mali is now
becoming a sanctuary for
breeding terrorists that are
trooping into West Africa and
Northern Africa".
"We are gradually improving the
Nigeria security architecture. So,
we are surely working hard and
by the grace of God the problem
will surely come down.
"If you don't solve the problem
of Mali Nigerians will continue to
sleep with one eyes because the
terrorists will like to move from
Northern Mali to Niger, Chad and
of course Northern Nigeria.
Almost 50% of the Boko Haram
adherents are trained in
Northern Mali. Most of the
weapons they use come from
Libya to Mali and then to Nigeria.
The president said there is no
conflict of interest between
Nigeria and France on the
latter's involvement in the Malian
crisis.
"Nigeria has been working with
France in many areas. Cited the
case of the collaboration it had
with ECOWAS on the issue of
Cote D'Ivoire. Their own policy of
managing their own
Francophone countries is their
way of doing things, but that
does not mean that on issues
that affect the Anglo-phone
countries we should keep quite.
We thank them for coming to
assist us. But we will do our best
to make sure that the situation
is under control" he said.
On the issue of fighting
corruption the president said his
government is doing everything
possible to check the menace.
He expressed happiness with
the regime of the current
minister of agriculture saying
that immediately he came on
board he initiated the e-
procurement of fertilizers and
tractors which has made the
product available to consumers.
On fuel subsidy, he said all over
the world it is a policy that
hydrocarbons shouldn't be
subsidized. He said instead of
subsidies to go to the people
directly, it was going to big cats
and big rats.. Somehow we have
to sanitize the industry but then
riots came up in Lagos and
other places.
"We are very happy we got to
some level and we are still
struggling. But for you to stop
corruption you must make sure
that the culture of impunity is
dealt with and people who
commit offence get punished,"
he posited.
He observed that this position
applies to the government's
fight against Boko Haram and
other forms of crimes and
criminalities. "We make sure that
if you commit offence, we
pursue you. And a number of its
actors (Boko Haram) we
continue to pursue them. In fact,
only yesterday, one of our
brothers, Henry Okah was jailed
in South Africa. If somebody
commits crime, we'll make sure
we get him even it takes one
month or ten years," the
president remarked.
"The issue of impunity is being
addressed. We believe that the
issues of corruption and Boko
Haram will one day be a thing of
the past," he assured.
In her address, at the event
which held at the Inter-
Continental Hotel, Geneva,
Minister of State for Foreign
Affairs, Prof. Viola Onwuliri
lauded the President's
Transformation Agenda saying
he has been steadfast in trying
to put the country on the right
footing.
The leader of Nigerians living in
Geneva, Alhaji Isa Abdullahi, also
listed the sterling qualities of his
contemporaries adding that as
professionals desirous of giving
their support to their country,
many of them are being
mobilised for the transformation
agenda back home.
He, however, drew the attention
of the president to the matter of
non-installation of passport
making machines and the
occasional rejection of
documents approved by the
Nigerian embassy as fake ones
by the Swiss authority.
Source: naij.com/news/20903.html

jonathan should f-u-c-k d short up.

Seems like a good move, but shouldn't we also offer to bring Nigerians in Mali back? Even though we don't have much to offer them in Nigeria anyway.