‘No Talks With Boko Haram’ …Jonathan Assures Nigerians, Says Group Is Faceless; Urges Second Term Speculators To Wait Till 2014; Promises Neutrality On Rivers/Bayelsa Feud; Assures On Oil Subsidy Till 2013

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, yesterday, declared that the Federal Government was not in dialogue with the dreaded militant sect, Boko Haram. President Jonathan said Boko Haram was a faceless group and in such case nobody to talk to.

Speaking during a two-hour presidential media chat, Jonathan also dropped the hint that it was too early for him to decide on contesting for the 2015 elections, and urged speculators over his second term ambition to wait till 2014. He warned that such could distract his administration from focusing on the need of the people.

He stated that his government was tackling the issue of corruption to checkmate the manipulation of the electoral process by some politicians.

President Jonathan also said that his government has sanitized the issue of fertiliser distribution which was ridden with corruption, while the report of the commission on the extractive industry had been sent to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Jonathan, who also spoke on the state of the nation told journalists that the Federal Government made provision for subsidy in the 2013 budget and as such, there would be no total subsidy removal as propagated in some quarters.

The president said that, the single tenure issue was one of the recommendations of the Justice Mohammed Uwais Reform Committee to reduce tension in the polity over second tenure, but noted that from reactions, Nigerians feel that the best thing was to maintain the two tenures.

He however said that despite the security challenges posed by the activities of the Boko Haram and the kidnapping in the southern parts of the country, the nation’s economic outlook is positive.

On power supply, he said that with the relative stability in that sector across the country, more companies had registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission, while there had been an increase in direct foreign investment. He also mentioned schemes such as the SURE-P initiative set up to create wealth and reduce unemployment in the country.

The President said that the National Assembly was legally empowered to undertake the review of the constitution. He declared that as an individual, whatever personal views he had would not over-ride the overall position of Nigerians and advised that the issue of Sovereign National Conference cannot supersede what the House of Representatives and the Senate were doing.

On the issue of boundary dispute between Rivers and Bayelsa States, the president declared that although he was a Bayelsa indigene, he grew up in Rivers State and had more Rivers friends, noting that as the President, he cannot take sides. He recalled the various efforts made since he was deputy governor of Bayelsa State, adding that the issue was a boundary matter which was being addressed by the relevant authorities, in line with the proper procedure to follow.

He warned against the arbitrary fixing of the petroleum benchmark in order not to give wrong signal to the global community and discourage investors, adding, “we shall continue to explain to the National Assembly.”

He urged Nigerians not to be agitated by the relationship between the Presidency and the National Assembly as it was normal in a democracy, stating that all over the world, executive – legislative or parliamentary conflict was normal as there would always be different people with different ideas and perceptions on issues.

On the Halliburton scandal, he said the issue had been on ground before he assumed office and so the probe process cannot be completed immediately. He therefore solicited for more time to put things right because according to him “it is better to slow down and do the right thing, than to be fast and do the wrong thing”.

On political matters, when asked if the ruling party is not perturbed by the elections held in Imo, Edo and Ondo states in which it lost, Jonathan boasted that the PDP is still the party to beat.

He said it is dangerous for Nigeria’s democracy for the PDP to control all 36 states and noted that in two of the states mentioned, the PDP contested against two incumbent governors. He also pointed out that Governor Mimiko of Ondo state was a PDP loyalist before he pulled out to contest under the Labour party.

On road projects, Jonathan noted that the Benin-Ore road had witnessed a significant improvement since the inception of his administration.

Alpheaus Paul-Worika

Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi (left) listening to Senator Magnus Abe, representing Rivers East Senatorial District, during the Public Session on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, at the Alfred Diete-Spiff Civic Centre, Port Harcourt, recently.