Nigeria, At The Threshold Of Positive Change – Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan has said that the policies and programmes of his administration have put Nigeria firmly at the threshold of positive change.

The President spoke last Saturday when he received a delegation of the New Nigeria Initiative and Development, majority of who are from the Diaspora, at the State House.

He challenged all Nigerians to join the train for change and specifically urged those in the Diaspora to take advantage of the current climate to come home and invest.

The President said that the democratic structures for free and fair elections were in place, while economic policies and development projects were receiving prime attention.

He said the 2011 budget, which has large provision for job creation through major infrastructural projects, was part of the efforts of the government to further develop the nation.

He assured the delegation that strong action was already being taken to check kidnapping, corruption and impunity.

Jonathan said that he was working hard to get the Diaspora Commission Bill passed to enable the government to tap the huge human capital in the Diaspora for the development of the country.

He also assured them that the structures were already being laid for them to come and contribute their quota to resource and capacity building.

Earlier, the Diaspora Coordinator of the organisation, Mr Peter Moziem, had told the President that the organisation supported the programmes and projects of the administration.

He said they were particularly glad of the efforts to conduct free and fair elections and were already training their members as electoral monitors.

Moziem said the days of the brain drain were over because many of them were willing to return home, after seeing what President Jonathan had done in such a short time in office.

Meanwhile, Nigerians in the Diaspora under the aegis of Nigeria Initiative for Development (NNID) on Sunday pledged their support for President Goodluck Jonathan’s “people-oriented policies and programmes”.

The Coordinator of the group, Chief Peter Mozie, who made the pledge yesterday at a news conference in Abuja, applauded the laudable and pragmatic policy initiatives of the current administration.

He, however, said: “We urge Jonathan to tackle with great urgency, the rot in our educational system as well as create a credible and visible framework for free and fair elections.

“We want him to improve security of lives and property as well as create employment for our teaming youths and graduates.”

According to the coordinator, Nigerians in the Diaspora believe in the political and economic agenda of Jonathan.

“The days of brain drain are numbered, judging from the credible, stable, humble and competent leadership that Jonathan has exemplified within a short time since becoming President.

“We must confess that it is largely on account of these that compatriots in the Diaspora want to identify with the president’s programmes,” he said.

Some 60 members of NNID, a non-partisan, Pan-Nigerian NGO, representing more than 400 members living in the United States, UK, Sweden, Netherlands, Russian Federation, Republic of South Africa and Canada are visiting Nigeria for the first time.