Goodluck Jonathan: Nothing is more important than bringing home Nigeria’s missing girls

By Goodluck Jonathan

Goodluck Jonathan is president of Nigeria.Ihave had to remain quiet about the continuing efforts by Nigeria’s military, police and investigators to find the girls kidnapped in April from the town of Chibok by the terrorist group BokoHaram.

I am deeply concerned, however, that my silence as we work to accomplish the task at hand is being misused by partisan critics to suggest inaction or even weakness.My silence has been necessary to avoid compromising the details of our investigation. But let me state this unequivocally: My government and our security and intelligence services have spared no resources, have not stopped and will not stop until the girls are returned home and the thugswho took them are brought to justice.

On my orders, our forces have aggressively sought these killers in the forests of northern Borno state, where they are based. They are fully committed to defending the integrity of their country.My heart aches for the missing children and their families.

I am a parent myself, and I know how awfully this must hurt. Nothing is more important to me than finding and rescuing our girls.Since 2010, thousands of people have been killed, injured, abducted or forced by Boko Haram, which seeks to overwhelm the country and impose its ideology on all Nigerians.

My government is determined to make that impossible. We will not succumb to the will of terrorists.

The abduction of our children cannot be seen as anisolated event. Terrorism knows no borders.

This month, Nigeria, Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Britain and the United States established anExternal Intelligence Response Unit to share security information on such threats in West Africa.I propose that we build on this step to establish an enduring, worldwide commitment to destroying terrorism and those who finance or give safe havento the terrorists.

In September, I will urge the U.N. General Assembly to establish a U.N.-coordinated system for sharing intelligence and, if necessary, special forces and law enforcement to confront terrorism wherever it occurs.

In Nigeria, there are political, religious and ethnic cleavages to overcome if we are to defeat Boko Haram. We need greater understanding and outreach between Muslims and Christians. We also know that, as it seeks to recruit the gullible, Boko Haram exploits the economic disparities thatremain a problem in our country.

We are addressing these challenges through such steps asbringing stakeholders together and creating a safe schools initiative, a victims’ support fund and a presidential economic recovery program for northeastern Nigeria.

We are also committed to ridding our country of corruption and safeguarding human and civil rights and the rule of law.Something positive can come out of the situation in Nigeria: most important, the return of the Chibokgirls, but also new international cooperation to deny havens to terroristsand destroy their organizations wherever they are — whether in the forests of Nigeria, on the streets of New York or sanctuaries in Iraq or Pakistan.

Those who value humanity, civilization and the innocence of children can dono less.

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/goodluck-jonathan-nothing-is-more-important-than-bringing-home-nigerias-missing-girls/2014/06/26/7739275e-fd4b-11e3-b1f4-8e77c632c07b_story.html

Mr. President is still giving excuses and has gone international with it. He is now trying to convince the "Americans that will know" that he is not clueless. There is God O.

maclatunji: Mr. President is still giving excuses and has gone international with it. He is now trying to convince the "Americans that will know" that he is not clueless. There is God O.

Better advise your brothers to free the poor kids and stop mentioning GEJ on every thread!!! BTW how market for ekiti state LWKMD

Mr. President this Washington Post thing is turning out to be a misadventure despite the desperate attempts of the "40 laptop crew" to sway comments in your favour. Please read comments here http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/goodluck-jonathan-nothing-is-more-important-than-bringing-home-nigerias-missing-girls/2014/06/26/7739275e-fd4b-11e3-b1f4-8e77c632c07b_story.html

Kasarus

6/27/2014 3:39 PM GMT+0200 [Edited]

[b]Goodluck Jonathan would go down as the worst president in Nigeria's history. First and foremost we all know that this Washington post op-ed is part of the $1.2million paid to PR firm in DC to up his severely damaged image in the world, Here are some obvious loop holes in this deluded oped.

1. He claims to be fighting corruption. Yet, post humorously gives Sani Abacha a National award after it has been proven that stashed billions of dollars in foreign banks.

2. He drops charges against Mohammed Abacha after it was proven that he laundered over $2billion

3. He claims to fight corruption yet, he pardoned a former governor that stole over $100 million from his state and made him an elder states man in his party.

4. He claims to fight corruption, yet kicks out one of the best Central Bank governor NIgeria has ever had. What was his crime? He said over $20billion was missing from state treasury.

5. He claims to be silent to allow security agencies do their work. Yet his soldiers are inadequately equipped, fight book haram with only 1 or 2 loaded magazines, and run for their dear lives whenever book haram strikes enmasse. In all these Nigeria has the largest military budget in all of africa yet cannot secure their land.

6. Goodluck Jonathan is a joke, and anyone who takes him serious is also a joker. 1000s are being killed everyday in Nigeria and this Goodluck of man is here writing a deluded op-ed file with nothing but lies[/b]

When are you people going to release these girls? What kind of religion is this?

Mogidi: When are you people going to release these girls? What kind of religion is this?

So there are still ignorant oafs like you blaming religion for the kidnapping? Did Islam start today? Or what kind of statement is that up there? Do you know how afraid those in the North are now? Do you know how many muslims and christians have been killed by the sect? Do you know how many muslims have been branded boko suspects and killed by the millitary just because they have a beard? Are you really just ignorant, a bigot, or both?


@ Article, Anyone who can "recognize" articles and has spoken to an American for longer than 30 minutes will instantly realize that Okupe did not write this article, neither did Omokri nor Abati. This article was very likely penned by an American, who may or may not be working for an American Public Relations firm. And to think that only recently did this incredibly sleazy government deny hiring any PR firm to boost its already justifiably dented image.

"Never believe any rumor about the government until they deny it" rings very true here. Nigeria surely has the WORST set of leaders since Independence currently running its affairs. When a government has to hire a PR firm to boost its image, you know that government is CLUELESS.


http://nypost.com/2014/06/26/amid-terror-chaos-nigeria-inks-us-pr-firm-to-shape-narrative/

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/163968-nigeria-hires-u-s-lobby-firm-n195-million-launder-image-handling-chibok-abduction.html