Jonathan means well for Nigerians – Abati

Ben Agande

In this interview, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati, contends that contrary to the position of the opposition that President Goodluck Jonathan administration has failed in meeting the expectations of Nigerians, the president has actually carried the art of governance to a higher level.

He also speaks on what the government is doing about the security challenge, especially the issue of Boko Haram. According to him, government is winning the war on terrorism. He comments  on the controversy surrounding the building of the banquet hall in Aso Rock Villa, the vice president’s residence, war against corruption and other national issues. Excerpts:

What has been the most challenging experience since you took this appointment?

I would say that the biggest  challenge I have faced is disinformation by the opposition, by mischief makers and evil minded persons. Disinformation is black propaganda. People who take a position just to rubbish government, discredit it with the aim of embarrassing President Goodluck Jonathan. We have seen a lot of that happening. I have been on this job for a while now and I can do an intelligent analysis of the territory and the demands of what is expected. If there is anything that I have gained on this job, it is knowledge. How disinformation works is that Nigerians like to believe the worst about their leaders.

It is unfortunate that many Nigerians like to be attracted by sensational news. I appeal to Nigerians that as we enter the new year, we should listen to the truth because all of us are children of God and, somewhere in each person’s constitution, there is a conscience. People should listen more to their hearts. President Jonathan is the man they have voted for because they believe in him.

People have argued that the same goodwill that followed the president’s election has been dissipated because of what people see as his inability to meet the expectation of the people.

I have just identified the problem for you: disinformation and it means those of us who manage the president’s information process, we need to do more. As a spokesman, it means that I have to do more. It means that in 2013, we will do a lot more because maybe people are not getting the message; so we will do a lot more in explaining because a lot has been done, a lot has been achieved  in the aviation sector, in the agricultural sector, in education, in the power sector. This is what Nigerians should be talking about because this country is not about one individual; it is not about President Jonathan; it is about Nigeria;  it is about all of us and if we voted thus man to be our president.

The least we can do for him is to support him. What we are asking for is that support. Those who have committed themselves to disinforming the public, we have a duty also to show that they  are liars, they are mischief makers, they are people who do not mean well, they are people who are personalizing leadership. They want President Jonathan’s position which is normal. But when a man has won in an election free and fair; fair and squarely, that man should be supported because, ultimately, what is important is the country.

People like to quote the United States of America as a model but they are not learning the right lessons from those examples that they quote. If you look at the United States, the politicians, those who are in power and those in opposition, once the election is over, they all rally round in the defense of the country.

People have argued that the basic expectations from the president as priority are not being tackled. People talk about the seeming lack of political will to tackle corruption and they make reference to the recent Ribadu Committee report. Does the president have the capacity and the political will to tackle corruption?

I put it to you that this is all about the disinformation that I have spoken of. What this president has not done is to abuse the rule of law. What he has not done is to abuse due process. I have made it clear before that Nigerians still have this military hang-over that whoever is their president should be a bully. But they have as president a man who is an epitome of decency and a gentleman. There is a difference in terms of approach and style. What people must get used to is the fact that it is possible for a decent, disciplined, gentlemanly person to lead Nigeria. This president is fighting corruption. Those who are saying he is not fighting corruption are looking at big headlines. But they should use their intellect more positively.

Take this whole furore, this whole filibuster, this whole drama over fuel subsidy. The man that made it possible is President Jonathan. As far back as 2010, he had made it possible, under the leadership of Olusegun Aganga as the Finance Minister, to probe what was going on in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. By 2012, it is this same President Jonathan who ordered a disciplined probe of the NNPC and the downstream sector of the oil and gas industry, and that is what is responsible for all these discussion. Unfortunately people are refusing to give him credit for that. Other administrations before him tried to pry into this sector but they drew blank. I think people should acknowledge that under President Jonathan, he is looking at these issues. Consequential action would be taken.

Intervention

I have already stated the intervention of the president in the petroleum sector. Look at the port sector reforms. It is this president that has made an effort to sanitize the ports which were hitherto regarded as centres of corruption and headquarters of scam. This president has cleaned it up. He has reduced the number of toll gates in the ports. The delivery time is now faster.

The agricultural sector used to be defined by fertilizer scam. That has not happened under this administration. It has been positioned strictly as business. The private sector has been empowered. People should talk about that. That was a major corruption centre that the president has transformed. Also look at the normal run of business. This government is the one that set up a committee to rationalize government departments and agencies. Actions would be taken. It is also this same president that ordered the audit and biometric registration of staff so that those workers in the federal civil service who used to make money by just being mischievous have been driven out of business.

When you fight corruption, it fights you back. We have a situation in this country where corruption is fighting back but President Jonathan is determined, he has the political will and he will do all in his powers to take on this challenge. People who say the judicial system is slow, the president cannot dictate to the judiciary. What we do at the executive end is to continue to advertise this message and to say that we expect other departments to key into this process and everything is being done to ensure that the justice delivery and administration system is quickened and made more effective than it is.

Critics have argued that one of the most glaring failures of this administration is the inability to fix the East-West Road the contract for which was awarded more than ten years ago. Does the president feel proud that he cannot fix the most important road for his people in the Niger Delta region?

What the president planned to achieve by December was sabotaged by the flood which was a natural accident. The president’s mandate was that by December he wanted  people to travel on good roads to their communities. The flood occurred and it affected the East-West Road. The president talks about the East-West Road again and again. He has taken action on the Lagos Ibadan Expressway to say that no individual can hold this country to ransom and that,  if there are issues, government has a duty to stand on the side of the people of Nigeria. That is the principle coming out of the handling of the Lagos Ibadan Expressway.

It is not only about road. The government is also intervening robustly in the aviation sector. The airports in Nigeria today have been transformed. It is in this country that a government shut down the airports with a promise to fix them. Nothing happened. In less than two years, Nigerians can see that Nigerian airports are being transformed because President Jonathan wants safety, he wants to ensure international standards. There is evidence in Lagos and Kano and elsewhere. We need people to acknowledge this.

Look at the railways. Contracts were awarded in the past before and nothing happened. Under President Jonathan, the railways are coming alive. In the North, in the south-west, people are travelling by  rail. The president has promised that in terms of infrastructural provisions, what the government has achieved,  it will not go back. It will only move forward.

Government’s claim that the economy is growing is not been felt by majority of Nigerians. What are the indices that this economy is really growing?

The government is providing jobs, the government is creating jobs. The power sector has improved tremendously and this has a knock on effect on the economy because small and medium scale enterprises are able to function and provide opportunities  for people. The executive of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria came to President Jonathan to express their appreciation for the improvement in the power generation.

Of course we need more. Once you transform the power sector, you create opportunities for job creation. What is being done in the  agricultural sector which has not been done before is also providing opportunities for people. What is being done in  aviation provides opportunities.  What is being done in the Information Communication Technology sector is providing opportunities. Teledensity has improved. More Internet facilities are available.

And beyond this, the president is mopping up the riotous population of idle children through the Almajiri programme. Schools are being built; more children are being put into school to secure the future of Nigeria. One thing people must note is that all of these  is a process. Transformation does not happen overnight. President Jonathan inherited a riotous, chaotic problem-ridden system. He is trying to clean it up. People must give him time.

Despite the assurance by the president that the Boko Haram menace is being tackled, attacks have continued unabated. Does government have the capacity to end this security challenge?

The Boko Haram challenge was worse two years ago. Where we are now, what is clear is that the Jonathan administration has shown the determination to confront this matter headlong; it has gained the required knowledge to expand the capacity to deal with the problem and has become proactive in dealing with the problem. Every honest Nigerian will tell you that the situation is not as bad as it was. The issue of securing the lives and properties of Nigerians is non-negotiable. This president has the political will, the determination and the commitment to the interest of Nigerians.

The president talks about a slim government yet it is expending so much money on building a banquet hall. Is that not contradictory?

This has again to do with disinformation by certain parties. The government is building a multi-purpose hall which will be used to serve the purpose of even the media. When I send journalists to the residence of the president, they don’t have anywhere to stay. They stay in the sun. This proposed building is going to include a communication centre where the press can stay, monitoring the president from the residence. When we host diplomats in the residence, there is no space. When the president has a presidential media chat, we use the tea-room adjacent the Council Chambers. There is no space. When the president receives people who are coming to pay homage, people sit on top of each other.

The purpose of the multi-purpose hall is to accommodate all of these and to create better convenience. When the president completes his tour of duty, he will not carry the building to his village. This is why I said disinformation is the major challenge that we face.

People are also talking about the residence of the vice president. Effectively, the vice president of the  does not have a residence. Where he stays is supposed  to be a guest house for visiting heads of state. Previous governments, not this government, started building an effective residence for the vice president and Nigerians are saying so much money. That project is on-going;  if Nigerians want it abandoned, it can be abandoned. The residence of the vice president is not just one house. It is a whole environment. There would be guest houses. The building would be used for other purposes of state. It is about Nigeria, it is about the institution of the Presidency.

What does the president mean when he said 2013 would be better? What should we expect?
The president has made it clear that we will make more progress and Nigerians should resist the temptation to listen to those who are disinforming the public, those who are spewing black propaganda and all hunters of fortunes and rent collectors who are trying to discredit this administration. Nigerians should see through them and focus on the good things that this administration is doing.

Acceptability of the Demise of Nigeria: North‘ll not suffer if Nigeria disintegrates – Tsav

Nnaemeka Onumonu

“I am not afraid because God is wonderful. God knows how He is going to look after the North in case there is disintegration. Already I understand they have found oil in some commercial quantity in the North. So, if they disintegrate, the people who are talking about this thing will discover that the North is more buoyant than the South. Not only that; these people in the South have betrayed this country. The North has been ruling from time immemorial and they never talked of disintegration. Now, somebody is ruling from the South and they are talking about disintegration.

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This means that the North has genuine love for this country and is determined to ensure the unity of this country. But because a minority now is ruling this country, they are talking about disintegration because they cannot look beyond their noses; they think that the oil they have is the whole thing man needs to survive. They don’t know that God who gave them oil in that magnitude can give oil to other parts of the world. After all, before independence we did not know that there would be oil in the Niger-Delta region. So, we may get oil even in Makurdi here if God so pleases.”

That there is even grudging resigned acceptance by a growing majority of both the Northern and Southern leadership that Nigeria is going the way of the dinosaurs, that an unpopular and assumed off field prediction that was dismissed offhand as the riling of deranged minds a mere 17 years ago (1996) that is now embraced even if grudgingly by the main stream of every section of Nigeria, is short of miraculous!

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A journey that had its humble beginnings amongst a handful of labeled crazies in Chicago in 1996, who being un-deterred by the vociferous opposition to their stated goal, the peaceful dissolution of the ‘British Birthed Abomination’ Nigeria, were labeled as fanatics determined to bring about the extermination of their Igbo nation; who because of the refusal of even the Igbo organizations in Chicago to listen to them were forced to birth the Igbo research based organization, Ekwe Nche, an organization that Chi Ukwu Igbo through His/Her infinite mercy began the rebirth of the maligned and marginalized if not enslaved Igbo nation, a nation that was on its way to extinction, a nation whose way of life had been turned upside down and evil men and women had become enthroned as its leaders, a nation whose component ethnic nationalities were searching for ways to trumpet their disassociation and thereby create new identities for themselves, is cause for celebration!

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There was one guiding mantra of the organization, the thousands of years old adage of our fore-parents, ‘Onye kwe, Chi ya ekwe - if a person affirms unequivocally so does his/her personal god or spiritual guardian’, a mantra that propelled our fore-parents to accomplish the impossible, that once one is in line with ones spiritual self, all things are possible despite all nay sayers. Just as important was the researched inference by the organization that since a majority, if not all advanced nations, were built on the culture, tradition, philosophy or way of life of their peoples, the only way to bring sanity to Ala Igbo and for Igbo to return to its former self, taking its place amongst other advanced nations, was for Igbo to return to the path blazed by our fore-parents, those geniuses who gave the world, civilization; Igbo spirituality, the root of all major religions; Ohacracy, the oldest form of and the collective servant leadership form of democracy; the rule of law, etc. Today organizations that embrace the peaceful dissolution of Nigeria continue to multiply not just amongst the ethnic nationalities that makeup the Igbo nation but amongst other ethnic nationalities, all praise to Chi Ukwu Okike!

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This is the doing of Chineke (the Mighty One that continues to create), Chi Ukwu (The Omnipotent One), Ama Ama Amasi Amasi (The Unknowable and Unfathomable One), Ya (Thou), Ya Nwe (Thou that Owns), Ya Nwe Uwa (Thou that Owns the Universe), …! All praise and glory to the Mighty One, who even when there seems to be no hope creates hope, and when the way seems closed, opens a new path!

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That the all powerful born-to-rule has been reduced to whining is definitely an eye opener. Need we remind Alhaji Tsav of the policy embraced by him and the majority leadership of the Moslem North and their minions that finally brought Nigeria to its knees, an unyielding and uncompromising strategic mindset traceable to the drive at the implementation of the agenda of their spiritual leader and father, the late Sarduana, as the quote below by him shows?

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“The new nation called Nigeria should be an estate of our great grandfather Uthman Dan Fodio. We must ruthlessly prevent a change of power. We use the minorities in the North as willing tools and the South as a conquered territory and never allow them to rule over us and never allow them to have control over their future” .

Parrot Newspaper, 12th October 1960. Recalled by Tribune Newspaper, 13th November 2002

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Those who doubt the veracity of the above statement only have to listen to the dismissive way he, one of the so-called founders of Nigeria, openly disgustingly talked about even in international circles as shown below, his fellow countrymen/women, thanks to Maazi Ekwe Ekwe, one of the very few members of Igbo intelligentsia who unshakably continues to stand on truth, we salute him:

It is important that we remind Alhaji Tsav that it is Northern leadership who still hold onto the belief that the Moslem North or any part of Nigeria for that matter, cannot survive on their own. If that is not the case, why the refusal of the Moslem Northern leadership to embrace the already declared secession of their 12 states after their official proclamation as Islamic states with a constitution based on Sharia in contravention to the secularity of Nigeria? No nation can have two constitutions! Nigeria was a secular state before the declaration of their 12 states as Islamic states which for all practical purposes has laid the foundation for the final demise and dissolution of Nigeria into independent and sovereign states comprising of ethnic nationalities with commonality of interests.

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That Alhaji Tsav has the nerve to blame others for the damage caused by their leadership is mind bugling. Since as he admits, “the North has been ruling from time immemorial,” just what did the ethnic nationalities that makeup Nigeria or even the ethnic nationalities that make up the North, gain from their abominable leadership? What is it that he accuses Goodluck of that did not begin under their watch? Who is fooling who? Whose creation is Boko Haram, the fanatical terrorist organization that has torn Nigeria to shreds?

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Hear him, “this means that the North has genuine love for this country and is determined to ensure the unity of this country”. This must be a very strange way of expressing love for once country, the deliberate plan to create anarchy and render the country ungovernable as long as they are not in control of the presidency!

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The interview by Alhaji Tsav is a must read since it shows their flight from reality to what they themselves created starting from 1914 when the British forced the Northern and Southern protectorate down the throats of ethnic nationalities without commonality of interests!!!!

U.S. Congress Pressurises Obama Over Boko Haram

*Request On Designation Of Terror Sect Deferred

DETERMINED to review the US government’s handling of terrorist activities in Nigeria, the US Congress has directed the State Department to submit to both the Senate and the House of Representatives, within 90 days, a report “describing the strategy of the United States to counter the threat posed by Boko Haram.”

A second report — an intelligence assessment — has also been ordered by the US Congress on “the organisational structure, operational goals, and funding sources of Boko Haram,” a specific request made by a US-based Nigerian group of Christians — the Christian Association of Nigerian-Americans (CANAN).

However, both houses of the US Congress have also added a Defence Department responsibility to the issue, which, up till now, was only the statutory purview of the State Department.

According to the Bill, which President Obama signed into law on January 2, both the US Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense are to jointly submit the report, which the law says would be confidential.

Observers of US government see the move by the Congress and President as a confidence-building measure and a consensus, amidst criticism of the State Department’s refusal to designate Boko Haram a terrorist organisation, as recommended by other US government agencies like the Justice Department and the FBI.

While the new bill, now enacted into law, does not mandate the labeling of Boko Haram as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO), as demanded by the CANAN, and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), US Congressional officials say it is a step in the right direction since the bill to designate sect an FTO will be reintroduced again in the new US Congress session that started on Thursday.

Two US Congressmen — Peter King (New York) and Patrick Meehan (Pennsylvania), who are playing active roles in the push for the US government to get tougher on Boko Haram, last week assured CANAN officials that the call to designate the sect an FTO would be re-tabled in the current Congress.

The law was one of the last-minute outcomes of last year’s US Congressional session that ended with the Fiscal Cliff agreement.

Apart from the report, the US Congress has ordered both the Secretary of State and Defence Secretary to submit the new law on Boko Haram within 90 days. It also directed the US Director of National Intelligence (DNI) to submit, within 180 days from the enactment of the bill on Wednesday, “a classified intelligence assessment of the Nigerian organisation known as Boko Haram.”

Specifically, the Boko Haram review is contained in H.R. 4310, the “National Defence Authorisation Act for Fiscal Year 2013,” and it is detailed out in Section 1070 of that law.

According to sub-section a of the law, the US DNI’s report, must be submitted to Congress as a “classified intelligence assessment of the Nigerian organisation known as Boko Haram.

The section added that, “such assessment shall address the following:

(1) The organisational structure, operational goals, and funding sources of Boko Haram.

(2) The extent to which Boko Haram threatens the stability of Nigeria and surrounding countries.

(3) The extent to which Boko Haram threatens the security of citizens of the United States or the national security or interests of the United States.

(4) Any interaction between Boko Haram and al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb or other al-Qaeda affiliates with respect to operational planning and execution, training, and funding.

(5) The capacity of Nigerian security forces to counter the threat posed by Boko Haram and an assessment of the effectiveness of the strategy of the Nigerian government to date.

(6) Any intelligence gaps with respect to the leadership, operational goals, and capabilities of Boko Haram.

Sub-section (b) of the law asked the US Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defence to issue a “joint report, not later than 90 days after the date on which the report required by subsection.”

The Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defence would submit the report to Congress “a classified report describing the strategy of the United States to counter the threat posed by Boko Haram.”

In his comments, Nigerian Ambassador to the US, Prof. Ade Adefuye, expressed satisfaction that the law did not mandate the designation of Boko Haram as a foreign terrorist organisation, which, in his opinion, may not augur well for the country and Nigerians.

Indeed, the Nigerian Ambassador is said to have played an active role in ensuring that the earlier portions of the bill, which included sections demanding the designation of Boko Haram, were removed, while supporting other measures to confront the sect’s violence.

The Ambassador and CANAN officials had met in his office in Washington DC, agreeing on the objective of fighting Boko Haram, but disagreeing on the issue of designation.

But Mr. Michael Spierto, a top official of US Congressman, Meehan, a Republican from Pennsylvania, who proposed the House version of the bill, said “Congressman Meehan is optimistic that the House will address Boko Haram in the next Congress, and remains committed to spreading the word, addressing the threat, and working with his colleagues and the Administration to ensure that Boko Haram are held accountable for their heinous crimes against Christians and all Nigerians.”

Also, top aides of Congressman Peter King, who is the Chairman of the US House Committee on Homeland Security, noted that the US Congress would continue to press for the designation of Boko Haram in the new Congress.

According to Alvin Carroll, the Committee’s expert on Counter terrorism, the new law on Boko Haram is a step in the right direction, adding that, “we are not yet done on the issue of FTO designation.”