President Jonathan during a media chat in February 2014
Nigeria’s president, Goodluck Jonathan, is hosting his
seventh Presidential Media Chat since returning to office in May 2011.
The challenges confronting Nigeria – insecurity, the
economy, corruption, dearth of infrastructure – are still largely the same
issues the administration is grappling with since his first media chat in
September 2011.
Insecurity has worsened since the last media chat. It is
even compounded with the recent attacks on Abuja, the capital city and the
kidnap of over 250 schoolgirls in Chibok, south of Borno.
With the 2015 general elections about nine months away, Mr
Jonathan might be pressed to make a definitive statement about his ambition
ahead of the February 2015 general elections. In previous media chats, the
president waved the question aside saying it was premature.
The presidency promised to receive questions from Nigerians
via telephone during the live program. In the past, telephone lines provided
hardly got across to the president work during live episodes of the programme.
20.22
Some papers and magazine are specifically set up by to
oppose government. He said a paper called NEXT was set up from the onset to to
bring the government down and its target was the Ministry of Petroleum Ministry
and when they didn’t succeed, it died. He spoke when defending alleged
corruption in the Petroleum ministry. He also defended the petroleum
minister’s alleged extravagance on private jets.
20.46
The seventh presidential media chat ends.
“The issue of security, we are handling it…” the said as his
parting words. “Let the parents [of missing Chibok schoolgirls] come forward
and help us, and I promise we shall find the girls.]
20.42
The chat progresses into the legitimacy of the ongoing
National Conference.
The president said the conference is legitimate. The key
thing is how to work with the parliament to make the best use of what is output
from the conference.
20.42
If you go on strike for one day, you are supposed to forgo
your salary, the president said on ASUP Strike
20.40
Tweet from Emmanuel Sunday requested for the introduction of
other core subjects in schools and the offering of free textbooks.
The president said an agencies are in place to handle the
request for free textbooks.
20.32
Olarenwaju Smart tweeted a question about the president’s
earlier claim that Boko Haram had infiltrated his cabinet.
“I never said that Boko Haram has infiltrated my cabinet,”
the president replied. “I used the word government.”
The president said some security agents in his government
are currently under investigation for involvement in Boko Haram.
20.28
The president again evades to state categorically if he
intends to stand for election or not.
20.27
“The issue of declaration should not be a problem for
Nigerian,” the president said, while pressed for his ambitions.
He said Nigerians should be more concerned with what the
panel had discussed with him earlier.
20.25
The president admits the power reforms are not moving as
fast as expected but says the country will never go back to the days when it
was producing just 2000 MW of electricity. He said the first problem he had was
gas [for generation] and then distribution.
20.17
The president said he will not hesitate to increase pump
price if he has to do it. But for now, he has no plans to increase pump price.
20.13
“I cannot increase pump price through the back door. if I
want to do it, I will do it,” the president said in reaction to questions
regarding recent petrol scarcity in Nigeria and rumored plans to increase pump
price in Nigeria.
HE said if anyone manipulates sales points, it is criminal.
20.09
The president, while reacting to that corruption question,
spent a lot of time showing his dissatisfaction with the inconsistencies in CBN
governor’s allegations.
“Sanusi is not an ordinary Nigerian,” he said.
20.07
The president’s argument is that it is impossible to steal
billion in Nigeria. “If anybody steals billion, I am telling you, we will know…
billion now in this country, we will celebrate it,” the president said.
20.04
The issue of the Missing billion is up again as the
president tackles a question on corruption by Bashiru Saad Abdulahi of the BBC
World Service.
19.59
He said Nigeria must spend money to organize the World
Economic Forum but justifies it saying it is necessary to create jobs.
“For you to create jobs, you must encourage the private
sector,” he said.
19.56
The president defended creation of 1.6 million jobs in 2013
He mentioned Agric, Nollywood, Sure-P, YouWin as areas were jobs were created,
but did not give specifics. He insists that National Bureau of Statistics has
details of the 1.6 mn jobs, “I have asked them to publish it,” he said.
He admits government cannot employ more than 5% of Nigerians
but said he has created environment for small and medium scale enterprise to
thrive.
19.53
Unemployment and Jobs
People must know that re-basing the economy has not added
anything to ‘us’, the president said while discussing job creation in his
administration. “Re-basing the economy does not mean new things were created,
it simply means proper stock taking of the economy,” he said.
Government cannot employ more than 5%, he said, arguing that
government creates good environment for employers to thrive.
19.46
HE adds that Nigeria is discussing with U.S., France, Uk and
China to help Nigeria tackle the terrorism in Nigeria.
19.45
The president said he has had personal discussions with
Barrack Obama of the U.S where he requested for assistance to tackle Boko
Haram.
19.41
The issues have rolled to planned World Economic Forum.
The president explains that his decision to shut down the
entire city for the project is with good intention. He said it is to make
movement of the attendees easier and faster. He appeals to the private
institutions to join government offices and shutdown during the WEF.
“Nigeria will not be the first country, people in other
countries do that,” he said. “It does not affect our economy.”
“We are not saying that private companies must close down,
but we advise that they do,” he added.
19.35
Without the state of emergency, security operatives in
affected states may be frustrated, he explains.
19.33
“Terrorism is not a phenomenon a six months or one year
State of Emergency can solve,” the President said while justifying the
performance of the state of emergency in place in the most affected northeast
Nigeria states.
His explanation indicates a plan to extend the state of
emergency in the affected states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa.
19.28
“Were are receiving an unfair share of the global terror,”
the president said while trying to blame external [foreign] forces targeting
the destruction of Africa’s largest economy [Nigeria]. He argues that because
of Nigeria’s size and economy, many world forces are interested in its
downfall.
19.22
while reviewing the capability of Nigeria’s security agents
to respond to the increasing security challenges in Nigeria, the president said
they were “capable”.
He added that he had reached a decision to recruit more and
train them well.
19.19
While comparing the security situation in Nigeria’s
northeast with what happened in the Niger Delta few years back, the president
said they situations were different. He argues the difference is in Boko
Haram’s clandestine operations and lack of distinct or public leadership.
“The Niger Delta militants were not terrorist. I’m not
trying to defend them,” he said.
19.15
530 were registered in that school, according to WAEC. 193
were relocated to other schools. The school, although a girls’ only collage was
recently made a mixed school due to the security situation, explaining the
reason the number of students in the school at the time of the kidnap was high.
19.11
When asked if he was negotiating with the terrorists for the
release of the girls, he said: “You cant’t negotiate with people you don’t
know,” pointing that it is not clear who has the girls.
“Some times, you people know more than me,” he said.
19.09
The president said he met with the Chibok school’s principal
and was informed 53 students have returned. But the police insists only 44 have
returned. He pleads with the parents and guardians o cooperate with security
agencies to release information about the girls. He wants the guardians should
give the police names and pictures of schoolgirls that are still missing.
19.05
The issue of the kidnapped Chibok school girls is next on
the table. The president said the security agencies have been combing everywhere
since the girls were kidnapped.
“Wherever they are, we will surely get them back,” he said.
19.03
Funke Fadugba – Ray Power, Bashiru Saad Abdulahi, BBC World
Service, and Jide Ajani make up the panel.
The chat starts with a review of the “trying times” in
Nigeria.
I promise, we will get over our challenges, President
Jonathan said in his opening speech.
19.00
The media chat starts. Cyril Stober will be anchoring the
chat.
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