GEJ Speaks on ASUU Strike, Boko Haram Et Al at the #PRESIDENTIALMEDIACHAT
Everything you are about to read in this post are the words President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan uttered at the Presidential Media Chat that ended a few minutes ago. It was Televised on NTA and some other channels in the Country.
we are going honour 100 Nigerians to mark the centenary – GEJ
we have had our problems but we will get to where we should get to
“I’m not saying there is no corruption in the petroleum sector,”
“Once Tai Solarin raised alarm. When asked where he heard it he said from a molue and press carried it. Some of these stories are molue”-GEJ
most of the stories about the petroleum ministries are molue stories
Most of the stories on corruption in oil industry are not factual, Jonathan claims. – Jonathan
Everybody’s eyes is on the Petroleum Ministry for obvious reasons
Jonathan explains why FEC approves major contracts, says “we (FEC) discuss policy issues”
“I don’t know whether Abubakar Shekau is dead or alive. I don’t know him. I have never met him”-President Jonathan
Some journalists even talk to them – Jonathan
I dont know whether he is dead or alive
On Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau
I still say it is very wrong for me to declare my interest in contesting
Anybody can say whatever they like – GEJ
On Asari Dokubo’s threat of bloodshed come 2015
“Plateau crisis is more of ethnic rivalry about who controls land but Boko Haram is different”-President Jonathanwe have issues in all parts of this country
“When government is doing well it is suppressed but any negative things are blown up”-President Jonathan
We are trying, Nobody is commending us when we do well
Jonathan says his administration is working with the legislature, judiciary etc to fight corruption.
“The perception is high. We see corruption in wedding ceremonies, burial ceremony…” – GEJ
There no more free money for people to steal – Jonathan
They say those who funded my elections are subsidy thieves. If its true will I want to remove subsidy so they can’t sponsor elections?-GEJ
“We are interested in making sure that there is no free money for you to steal,” Jonathan on corruption
we have tried to eliminate corruption
corruption is old as human race – jonathan
Corruption is not our number one problem – Jonathan
“Perception is different from reality but perception is important.” – jonathan
“Perception is different from reality,” Jonathan says on TI’s Nigeria corruption rating
I like the word Corruption Perception
On corruption
we are working on paying some unemployed Nigerians – Jonathan“If you increase people (that work for you), you’ve also increased the labor market” – President Jonathan
If you want to run government as you run a modern business, you will even have more problems – Jonathan
To function as a minister you need competent people to help you – Jonathan
“When you talk about the cost of running government, we’re doing very well in that. But sometimes people complain so much about political appointees as if that is the greatest problem we have in Nigeria.” – President Jonathan
what is the total number of political appointees?
Cost of governance
We are doing very well with our parastatals – Jonathan
“The issue of Solar power, the batteries run out quickly, but the technology has improved” – President Jonathan
“If you say you are generating 15k Mws and people are not seeing the impact what good is it?”-President Jonathan
Reform in power sector is not just about generating electricity, Jonathan says
We are now interested in how many hours the people can have light – Jonathan
Nigerians dont want to hear about megawatts – GEJ
We are not running a charity in government – President Jonathan
“We should fix the roads first, before we introduce tolls on the road. If not people will say the road is not even good and you’re taxing us” – President Jonathan
Regarding electricity:
“You cannot privatize everything in one day. If you talk about infrastructures, the thing is changes everywhere in the world are resisted. You have to build gradually” – President Jonathan
We are not doing selective privatization – Jonathan
“It’s not as if the whole government is infiltrated by Boko Haram, but yes I said Boko Haram are also in some aspects of the government” – President Jonathan
“I said that Boko Haram members are also in some aspects of the government, yes I said that!”
- President Jonathan
The whole government has not been infiltrated by Boko Haram – Jonathan
There have been fears about massive bombing globally including Abuja in September to mark 9/11 – Jonathan
“When there are confrontations between criminals/Boko Haram and law enforcement officers, maybe one or two people may be accidentally killed” – President Jonathan
“Definitely there were Boko Haram elements,” in the building in Apo where squatters were killed – Jonathan says
People have confessed about what happened during recent incident in Abuja – Jonathan
We have asked the relevant actors to do what is right on the attack
“We’re working harder regarding Boko Haram” – President Jonathan
“Regarding Boko Haram that killed those students in Yobe, we’re doing our best. No country is safe!” – President Jonathan
No country is safe – Jonathan
“Boko Haram has been there before I even came in as Vice President. But the excesses of Boko Haram started with the bombing of mami market.” – President Jonathan
On Boko Haram and the way he is handling it compared to the way Kenya handledits mall attack
“If anything happens to the president even in the toilet, somebody else must be sworn in immediately, because you can’t have a void. But you can do away with the minister of defense” – President Jonathan
“If anything happens to the president even in the toilet, somebody else must be sworn in immediately, because you can’t have a void. But you can do away with the minister of defense” – President Jonathan
“Those who handle Defence issues are the service chiefs not a civilian who handles administrative duties”-President Goodluck Jonathan
Jonathan says he should not be asked to justify sack of ministers.
“Sometimes it’s not that the person/minister you’re removing that is not even doing anything, but sometimes you just want to see something better” – President Jonathan
Why should sack of ministers by Jonathan be an issue why others before me have done so
Sack of ministers should not be an issue – Jonathan
“The ministers I sacked had nothing to do with G7 government. Some of them are even from States close to me” – President Jonathan
My sack of 9 ministers has “nothing to do with G7 governors,” Jonathan says
“If Nigerians agree with the 7 year single tenure, it would have been more productive for the country” – GEJ
“If I had signed agreement with anybody, they would have shown you,” Jonathan denies any agreement on 2015.
We just want to know, do you intend to contest in 2015?
“It’s not yet time for me to answer that. If Mr. A or B wants to be a president of Nigeria, they can contest. You don’t need wait for me to say am contesting or am not contesting.” – President Jonathan
my not declaring my interest should not stop anyone from declaring his intention to contest – GEJ
Are you planning on contesting in 2015 Mr. President?
“Don’t force a president to declare his intent, it’s not right. The electoral law gives INEC time-frame for interested candidates to declare open their intent to run. So don’t force a president to declare” – President Jonathan
“If you declare it (2015 ambition) early enough, you’ll create more problems in the system,” Jonathan
“Foreigners must also help us with our refineries” – President Jonathan
“The poor people can just scoop a little oil, it is really those who export the crude oil that are stealing” – President Jonathan
those who are stealing our oil are senior people
“A lot of arrest had been made recently regarding our oil pipelines, it’s just that we don’t advertise everything we do” – President Jonathan
crude oil stealing is not done by poor people
Boko Harm problem was not handled well at the beginning – GEJ
“People think Boko Haram is a Jonathan problem, but the guy had been active before 2009. If only the government at the time had handled it very well, it wouldn’t be as it is today” – President Jonathan
“The issue of stealing crude oil started a long time ago. If the government at that time had clamped on it, it would have helped us” – President Jonathan
“Stealing of crude oil didn’t start today,” Jonathan says while explaining increase in crude oil theft.
“Ordinarily you don’t need these (FAAC) meetings,” Jonathan
“We should be mindful of our comments about our country, even if we don’t like the face of the president” – President Jonathan
“For them to give me the privilege of closing the floor of New York Stock Exchange shows that Nigeria’s business environment is thriving” – President Jonathan
“For anybody to wake up and say Nigeria is bankrupt, how do you do such a thing?” – President Jonathan
“Our capital market, more than 50% investors are foreigners. If Nigeria is bankrupt everybody will remove their money overnight”-GEJ
“For anybody to wake up and say Nigeria is bankrupt…you don’t just wake up from your dream and say that”-President Jonathan
“The state owned universities for example, is it the president that will provide infrastructure for them? Why should they be on strike?”-GEJ
“I just told you we’ve taken an inventory of our schools, that has never happened before. The inventory shows the level of decay in our schools, and we’re going to work on it. But if you have all the money in the world, you cannot address all this overnight.” – President Jonathan
why should state universities lecturers go on strike?
we should plead with ASUU to go back to work
ASUU should look ‘at the commitment of government’, Jonathan says while urging lecturers to call off strike.
“This is one govt that is quite transparent.”
ASUU should look ‘at the commitment of government’, Jonathan says while urging lecturers to call off strike.
Jonathan alleges that some of the government officials that negotiated 2009 agreement with ASUU were not competent
Jonathan says there are parts of the ASUU 2009 agreements that are not implementable
They themselves know that some of their demands cannot be implemented – GEJ
I use this opportunity to call on ASUU that for the sake of our children …their allowances are supposed to be paid by the IGR of the uniVERSITY
Jonathan alleges that politics has crept into ASUU’s strike and demands.
“I will expect the ASUU to even work with us”
“Crisis in developing countries will continue,” Jonathan says about ASUU strike.
Jonathan describes ASUU strike as “very very unfortunate”
“Before the PDP administration…even the directors in ministries had no phone,” Jonathan
Before the end of next year, power will be reasonably stable
“Without education, you will not see Jonathan here,” the president said about importance of education in Nigeria.”
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