Boko Haram Taking Shine Off My Achievements -Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday regretted that members of the Boko Haram sect have been diverting people’s attention from his administration’s numerous achievements with their violent activities in parts of the country.
He, has however, assured Nigerians that the Federal Government would soon end the insurgency.
Jonathan who spoke when he paid a courtesy visit to the Emir of Bauchi, Alhaji Rilwan Adamu, was in the state in continuation of the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential rallies.
He said his administration had worked hard to justify the massive support he got from the people during the 2011 general elections and promised that if re-elected, he would work with Bauchi leaders to develop the mineral resources in the state as part of measures to diversify the country’s economy away from crude oil.
The President said, “When we moved round in 2011, we got massive support from you and since then, we have been working hard to justify your support. Insha Allahu, we will also succeed this time.
“The unfortunate Boko Haram excesses are taking attention away from our numerous achievements.
“Everybody wants security, everybody wants to be safe and to be able to move freely. I am therefore assuring you that we will bring the situation to a reasonable degree and will eventually end it very soon. “We have worked very hard to improve agriculture and ended decades of fertilizer scam. We want Nigerian farmers to crop three times a year.
“We are thinking of different options to fully diversify our economy due to the fall in the global price of oil and Bauchi is one of the states we will tap into its solid mineral potentials,” he added.
The emir commended government’s efforts at ending insurgency and rescuing the over 200 abducted Chibok girls and also lauded the present administration’s commitment to free and fair elections.
The monarch urged Jonathan to bear in mind that only God gives power to people anytime He desires.
He said, “Only God gives power anytime He wishes. I urge you and other candidates for different offices to bear this in mind in your campaigns.”Politicians should work towards making Nigeria a stronger regional and sub-regional force.
“I encourage and commend you on the efforts you are making on the issue of insecurity and we are hoping and praying that our Chibok girls will be out soon. “We also appreciate your expressed commitment to free and fair elections and the signing of the Abuja peace accord as it will encourage our people to embrace peace instead of acrimony,”he added.
In a related development, Six months after key stakeholders in various sectors of the Nigerian economy pledged over N50billion to help support victims of insurgency across the country, about 70 per cent of the pledges have not been redeemed.
Specifically, the largest sectoral donors, banking and oil/gas sectors, at the fund raising, which was held at the Presidential Villa, had yet to pay anything out of the billions of Naira they pledged.
It was gathered that of the over N50billion pledged at the event, the Presidential Committee on Victims Support Fund had received only N15billion.
A member of the committee told journalists in Abuja that the N15billion so far redeemed was garnered from the donors since August, 2014.
The official, who pleaded not to be named because he was not authorised to speak on the subject, spoke on the sidelines of an event organised by an NGO, budget, where it presented a report on Flood Relief and Rehabilitation Fund.
Asked to state how much was realised after the pledges and how the fund was used, the official said, “It’s about N15billion as of August; we are going to publish our account very soon and it will be made available to the press. But in the meantime, we are trying as much as possible to ensure that individuals redeem their pledges, including members of the oil and gas sector as well as members in the financial sector. “We are appealing to them and we are hoping that they redeem their pledges.”
The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Allinson-Maduekwe, had led representatives of the oil and gas community in Nigeria to announce their donation of a whopping N17billion during the event.
Operators in the banking sector pledged in billions when the Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, announced a donation of N15billion on their behalf.
When asked to state how the N15billion so far realised by the committee was spent, the official said, “At the moment, we are setting up blueprints. We have tried to take a census of the people that have been displaced in terms of military victims, police victims, women, children and all that.
“So, there has really not been any disbursement so far except for the intervention that we have done in the three states and Abuja. “Apart from these interventions, there had not been much expenditure so far. But we had the take-off at Waru here in Abuja and we have been to Borno, Adamawa and Gombe states,” the officials added.

Rivers State Governor, Rt Hon Chibuike Amaechi, (left) listening to an explanation by APC Governorship candidate, Dr Dakuku Peterside, during APC rally at Etche, yesterday.