President Goodluck Jonathan has urged Nigerians to tarry awhile over whether he would seek re-election in 2015 or not, advising them to wait till 2014 before engaging in issues that could heat up the polity.
The President, who was speaking during a Media Chat held in Abuja on Sunday evening, said the issue of re-election had often thrown up controversies and tension in the country.
“I plead with journalists that it is too early to ask the President if he would contest…It would generate controversies if I say I would contest or not. My ministers may even resign and go.”
He said he should be given more time to work so that by that same period, Nigerians would testify that he meant well for the country, explaining that the issue of second term for political office holders has often resulted in serious tension in the country and that this was the reason he suggested a single term of seven years for some political offices.
Relating how the issue of single term began, he revealed that his predecessor set up a committee headed by Retired Justice Mohammed Uwais to arrive at that decision.
“One of the issues reached was that there is too much of tension concerning the second tenure. As a developing country, we feel the tension is too much… So we feel, not just Jonathan, that a single tenure is possible just to solve the issue of tension.”
He also said though he had his opinions and suggestions in the Constitution Review currently on-going, he would not say anything as the President until the amendment gets to his table. Then, if there are issues that need to be re-worked, he said he would make the suggestions to the National Assembly before signing it.
“It would not be proper for me to begin to impose my ideas on Nigerians. The best thing is for the President to keep quiet.”
The President who confirmed that his wife, Patience, was actually ill and travelled for treatment, said she had fully recovered. He berated Nigerians for seeking more of negative reports than positive ones and added that despite areas of disagreement between the executive and the legislative arms of government, their relationship could best be described as cordial.
President Jonathan said he was misquoted concerning the full deregulation of the oil industry as well as the removal of subsidy from petrol as according to him, he merely opined that only full deregulation could make the country enjoy the sector the way it is happening in Canada.
He said he actually made the statement when students of the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) presented a report in which they claimed that Canada has 16 refineries while Nigeria has four.
“I sent a note to my Economic Adviser to tell me the ownership structure of refineries and he told me they are privately owned…So I said if we are to get to the level of Canada, we must adopt the policy adopted in Canada.”
He also said the government was making efforts to resolve the boundary disputes in some states as it relates with the location of oil wells in those areas. Some of these states including Bayelsa and Rivers on the one hand and Kogi, Anambra and Enugu on the other hand.
President Jonathan disclosed that the population of the country is 176 million against the 140 million which is the official figure.
He agreed that despite claims that the country’s economy was growing, it had not reflected in job creation as the people expect, but said his government had made several efforts to create jobs and that this would continue till unemployment is seriously reduced.
“Let me re-assure Nigerians that we are working very hard…We are encouraging young people into farming. That will create a lot of job,” he said adding that as at October this year, 71 companies had registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission. “The private sector is expanding. The textile industry and the footwear industry are coming up because power is getting stabilised.”
He also said his government was not in any negotiation with the Boko Haram sect saying members of the group had continued to operate facelessly and that nobody wants to stand in for them.
The President however gave his government a pass mark in the area of anti-corruption saying no other government or individual had fought corruption in the country the way his government has done.
He said he started the fight against corruption with the cleansing of the electoral system of the country as according to him, this is where the major challenge lies. He also said he had fought against corruption in the agricultural sector especially where the distribution of fertiliser is involved.
For the oil sector, he said it was the sanity being brought into the sector that had resulted in the scarcity of the product as marketers are now either very careful or intentionally trying to manipulate the system. He promised to ensure that the current scarcity of petroleum products is resolved within the shortest time.
On the privatisation of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, the President assured Nigerians that it would be transparent and that nobody or company would be favoured because it is owned by a former President.
He said the recurrent expenditure was taking a toll on the budget of his government as it results in reduced capital votes, he said as a result, the government was planning to work on the Steve Oronsaye Committee report on the reduction of parastatals.
He promised that against the popular belief that there would be food scarcity next year, food would be surplus because he had made provision for high-yielding seedlings.
He also promised to look into the Benin-Ore road as well as the Lagos Ibadan road and many other federal roads in the country.
“Before we get to the May 29, 2015, Nigerians would know that Jonathan and his team meant well for the country.”
He also described the state of the education sector as unfortunate saying the federal government is liaising with the state governments to revive that sector.
