Ignore Boko Haram, invest in Nigeria

President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday asked foreign investors to ignore the menace of Boko Haram and invest in the country.

He also gave the security agencies a pass mark in the fight against terrorism.

He said, "Nigeria experienced 30 months of civil war and we were able to survive that crisis. Anybody who doesn't want to come and invest in Nigeria now because of the activities of Boko Haram would simply regret it because this is very temporary.


"Every country has security challenges, even in America; it's just that terrorist activities are new in Nigeria. Before now, we had challenges of assassination and armed robbery and those are the kinds of crimes that we were dealing with. But for terrorism, we are acquiring the relevant infrastructure to combat it and I assure you that we will solve the problem."

Jonathan spoke at a gathering of select businessmen during the Presidential dialogue with global chief executive officers at the 17th Nigeria Economic Summit in Abuja.

Panellists at the presidential dialogue included the Global Head, JP Morgan International Public Sector Group, Daniel Zelikow; Executive Vice-President, Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, Izumi Kobayashi; and President, General Electric, Africa, Jay Ireland.

Others are President, Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote; Managing Director, Procter and Gamble West Africa, Manoj Kumar; Chief Executive Officer, MTN, Sifiso Dabengwa; and Vice- President, Shell, Sub Saharan Africa, Ian Craig.

Addressing the issue of the violent Islamic sect vis-a-vis security challenges in the country, Jonathan told his audience, "The issue of Boko Haram that we are experiencing today is not peculiar to Nigeria because most countries of the world have one form of terrorist attack (or the other).

"These are temporary challenges that we have, but let me reassure Nigerians, and the world in general, that given the challenges that we have, the Nigerian Security Services have made progress in the fight against terrorism.

"Yes, we have the Boko Haram challenge now but (it is) just like the terrorist attacks in other countries. We are working on it and it's not like the government is not doing anything about it and I assure Nigerians that it's only a temporary setback."

Asked if the security situation in the country would not frustrate the Federal Government's effort to attract investors, the President said,"The Nigeria Security Services have made progress in the fight against terrorism. You are aware that on October 1, last year, that there was a bomb blast and all the people that were involved in that bomb attack have been arrested"

Of recent the country's security services have been heavily criticised for the increasing number of attacks carried out by the Islamic sect. The sect commenced a violent campaign of bombings against the government since 2009 and had killed over 750, including the 24 that died in the attack on the United Nations' building in Abuja on August 26.

The President also dwelt on the removal of petroleum subsidy, stressing that it would help to correct the imbalance in the petroleum sector.

He said that the issue of subsidy removal was a developmental policy that should not be muddled with politics.

He submitted, "I know some key players in the economy, who before this time, were against subsidy. Now, they have brought politics into it. That is why I still appreciate people like General Muhammadu Buhari, who is the only person that said it clearly that the issue of subsidising petroleum products was a fraud. He did not play politics with development. So, it is not everybody that would have the mind of someone like General Buhari.

"I have told people that if we don't deregulate now, in the next 10 to 15 years, this country will be importing petroleum products from Ghana, Chad, Niger, and even Cameroon. And these are countries that just discovered crude oil very recently."

The President said that the controversy surrounding the SWF had been resolved with the state governors.

He said, "We initially had some challenges on the SWF with the states, but I spoke to the state governors that it is when the economy has a positive outlook that investors will come and invest.

"This administration has the political will to do it right. The money that is going to be saved in the SWF belongs to the federal and state governments, and if another president comes in after me, he won't have any power to tamper with that fund."

Also speaking at the dialogue, Dangote urged the Federal Government to formulate policies that would help stimulate investment in agriculture, mining and petrochemicals. The sectors, according to him, have the capacity to outperform the petroleum industry in terms of revenue generation.

http://www.punchng.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=4259:ignore-boko-haram-invest-in-nigeria&Itemid=542

This is the worse advise anyone can recieve. Ignore insecurity? What fuckkery.

I guess Bush told Al Qaeada - oh we are jittery for the bombs you are planting and setting off in America, please save us or we die. Pls Osama we beg you or we die.,

Rubbish.

werepeLeri:

I guess Bush told Al Qaeada - oh we are jittery for the bombs you are planting and setting off in America, please save us or we die. Pls Osama we beg you or we die.,

Rubbish.

Bush also never told the American people that it was going to be a 'temporary problem'.

^ Nor has Al Qaeada carried out any significant attack on US soil since 9/11 unlike in our scenario where our local Al Qaeada (BH) is carrying attacks of huge magnitude every other month.

Bawss1:

^ Nor has Al Qaeada carried out any significant attack on US soil since 9/11 unlike in our scenario where our local Al Qaeada (BH) is carrying attacks of huge magnitude every other month.

But they also started small and ended big with 9 11. How many other attacks on a regular basis before 9 11? Kenya, Yemen, and many more?

Noone is justifying terrorism or making a case for BH, but please be objective when attacking or criticizing.

Haha! Ignore the fire and jump into it.lol

He should go and invest in Iraq naaw, If he can clearly advise som1 to invest in a war torn country

Ijogz K:

He should go and invest in Iraq naaw,  If he can clearly advise som1 to invest in a war torn country

LOL- war torn indeed. Is it in a war torn country where you are still able to eat that big plate of rice on your profile picture?

werepeLeri:

But they also started small and ended big with 9 11. How many other attacks on a regular basis before 9 11? Kenya, Yemen, and many more?

Noone is justifying terrorism or making a case for BH, but please be objective when attacking or criticizing.

Granted but those attacks of US interest in other countries didn't have any (negative) impact on investor confidence in the USA

What we are talking about here is how businesses and investors should take the threat that BH poses. GEJ according to the report says the threats should be ignored. Would you honestly do so?

Another FRESH AIR episode lol

I.D.I.O.T. President giving I.D.I.O.T. advice. Ignore the very real risk that your business investment might be blown up by illiterate Muslims? What kind of advice is that?

make una invest joh, ki ni big deal

Ignore the dirty water in the gutter, and make it your jacuzzi
Ignore the roar of a lion, put chain on it and make it your pet
Ignore the cars on the highway and make it your football pitch.
Ignore your MD's threat and make his face a punching bag.
Ignore the pastors' preaching and sleep with his only daughter

Please can anybody add more

brainpulse:

Ignore the dirty water in the gutter, and make it your jacuzzi
Ignore the roar of a lion, put chain on it and make it your pet
Ignore the cars on the highway and make it your football pitch.
Ignore your MD's threat and make his face a punching bag.
Ignore the pastors' preaching and sleep with his only daughter

Please can anybody add more

You must be a poet or musician to think of this. This is the funniest post I have ever seen on NL. Thumbs up.

Haters own up. Even if GEJ comes on air to say today is Friday, you will still find something to say. LOL.


I get plenty abuse for pocket- so, dont even try to abuse me or call me names because of GEJ, because, you will blame yourself for that.

mr presido i be ur mehn man,but i no gree for this one.
if i ask u sey mek u put hand for fire u for gree?

No wonder investors are fighting each other to invest in Somalia Republic in different sectors from Agro to Space Technology

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brainpulse:

Ignore the dirty water in the gutter, and make it your jacuzzi
Ignore the roar of a lion, put chain on it and make it your pet
Ignore the cars on the highway and make it your football pitch.
Ignore your MD's threat and make his face a punching bag.
Ignore the pastors' preaching and sleep with his only daughter

Please can anybody add more

Oh men! This be beautiful.

Ignore the acid sign on and container and drink the content;
Ignore the big bone and swallow the fish;
Ignore the murderous driver and lie in the way of an armored tank,

Such level of Ignorance at the very tip of the top, Am ashamed,

"Ignore Boko Haram, invest in Nigeria" is like sayn: "Ignore the heartbroken girl, date a player. Ignore Baba Suwe's xperience, carry coké. Ignore John Terry, bring ur wife to Chelseå!!!

All i can say  - it is well with Nigeria.  You are warned if you are a southerner residing in the North. I beg you , go back to your village.  GEJ case is similar to Comic Ali  ( Iraqi Information Minister ) or Ibrahim Musa ( Gaddaffi Spokes man) Who kept burying their head in sand whilst everything arround them was burning.

I'm surprised anybody is questioning GEJ's words to investors. Some Nigerians are damn funny!
Should GEJ have taken them to Okija to show them fearful things and scare their d.i.c.ks into their arses? It is really hard to qualify some of the comments here with any degree of dignity, I can't tell if it is due to low self esteem issues or much graver matters to do with abysmal comprehension levels.

look at what religion has done to humanity, it is religion that will destroy humanity. The sultan of sokoto is busy collecting  gift from the presidency as the head of moslem our pastors are busy collecting offering and tithes to buy private jets.

say no to religion we will have peace

brainpulse:

Ignore the dirty water in the gutter, and make it your jacuzzi
Ignore the roar of a lion, put chain on it and make it your pet
Ignore the cars on the highway and make it your football pitch.
Ignore your MD's threat and make his face a punching bag.
Ignore the pastors' preaching and sleep with his only daughter

Please can anybody add more

Una no o kill person for this Nairaland . I am literally ROFLMAO at the above Simply brilliant !!!!

ONLY IF gej CAN SEEK ADVICE FROM ME
i will bring down BOKO HARAM
they re hungry people
na GALA and LA CACERA i go use catch them

blacksta:

All i can say  - it is well with Nigeria.  You are warned if you are a southerner residing in the North. I beg you , go back to your village.  GEJ case is similar to Comic Ali  ( Iraqi Information Minister ) or Ibrahim Musa ( Gaddaffi Spokes man) Who kept burying their head in sand whilst everything arround them was burning.

" we are repelling them" and "the invaders are running like dogs" fumed Comical Ali. Meanwhile, the hand holding the microphone comical Ali is speaking into belongs to an American soldier about to handcuff him  

Beaf:

I'm surprised anybody is questioning GEJ's words to investors. Some Nigerians are damn funny!
Should GEJ have taken them to Okija to show them fearful things and scare their d.i.c.ks into their arses? It is really hard to qualify some of the comments here with any degree of dignity, I can't tell if it is due to low self esteem issues or much graver matters to do with abysmal comprehension levels.

So how come these same investors were laughing at him when he said this: "Anybody who fails to invest in Nigeria now because of these incidences of Boko Haram will regret it." ?

@ Beaf even if you are right must you comment on any thread concerning GEJ? I think you should channel your energy towards better things. You should agree with me that Nigerians are disillusioned against anything called government. So permit some venting. If GEJ is our messiah no amount of attack on him from Nairalanders will stop him from taking us to the promised land. I personally do not believe this democratic experiment will take us anywhere be it with PDP, ACN, CPC or whatever. The level of corruption right now will never permit that cause for every incorruptible man in the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary today there is a sizeable crowd of corrupt people surrounding him. Evil will only beget evil and the chain continues, so advise you save yourself of all these stress of vituperations on Nairaland. This is my honest advice to you.

Beaf:

I'm surprised anybody is questioning GEJ's words to investors. Some Nigerians are damn funny!
Should GEJ have taken them to Okija to show them fearful things and scare their d.i.c.ks into their arses? It is really hard to qualify some of the comments here with any degree of dignity, I can't tell if it is due to low self esteem issues or much graver matters to do with abysmal comprehension levels.

Fair comment, I don't think he should have taken them to the shrine. Let's not deceive anyone, Nigeria is not yet a choice investment destination for foreigners. Most people that invest look to take advantage of the system; the security issues might "fade" away but there are much bigger issues at stake here. Nigeria will never be an investment destination, if no money is being spent on infrastructure and most of the money is spent on salaries, debt servicing etc.

Puzzling how he went into details of how the subsidy was being handled but only assured investors that he was going to "combat it" when it came to security- that's just not enough! Investment in these troubled areas are the ones that would go a long way into developing Nigeria.

This is one vexed brother