okooo...we are watching..hehehe“There are two aspects to the issue of insecurity. The first is Boko Haram and the second is the threat factor in the country.“When INEC picked the dates for elections, the threat level was not high until we started the campaign. So, it was important for the security chiefs to review the security architecture otherwise the country would have gone up in flames.
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“In election, a lot of problems are involved. When the issue of PVC was being branded as a problem, INEC, from what Jega mentioned that day, clearly was not ready for the elections. They said they were ready but they were not.
“The day we held that meeting that led to this adjustment of dates, in Lagos for example, only about 38 per cent of registered voters had their PVCs. That means if we conduct elections in Lagos, 62 per cent of voters not would not have been able to vote.
“Don’t you think there are security implications in that?
“Some other states had slightly above 30 per cent collection while some had 50 per cent and there were some states that had 60 to 70 per cent. The security agencies highlighted the security implications of this but ordinary people might not see it that way.”
On the insurgency in the North-East, Jonathan expressed hope that within the six weeks, the international forces would have been able to regain the 14 local government areas occupied by insurgents.
He said, “In 2011, when the elections were conducted, we had Boko Haram. Boko Haram started before 2007 but became a major problem when their leader was killed in 2009. Nobody is saying we must wipe out Boko Haram completely before conducting elections.
“We said that security wise, there are certain things that they need so that they can consolidate on the security architecture; so that we can conduct elections but in the next six weeks, security advancements will be made but we cannot say we will wipe out Boko Haram. At best we can only regain territories.
“When they started, they were not taking over territories; they were going to markets and using suicide bombers. Elections will hold and I don’t see why we should continue to doubt the inauguration of next President in May.”
Jonathan also said he hoped kidnapped Chibok girls would be rescued soon.
“I believe now that we are working with Chad and Cameroon, in the next few weeks, the story of the Chibok girls will change. It’s going to get better.
“I believe we should be able to rescue some of them. But I don’t want to be quoted, I don’t want you to say the President said so, that in two weeks time or in four weeks time, I cannot say that because the diapperance of those girls has taken quite some time.
“But we have mapped out strategies, we are working with our neighbours and we will comb all the areas. So, just give us sometime.”
Jonathan further lambasted the opposition and critics for “playing politics” with the issue.
“It is very unfortunate. That is one of the problems that we have in Nigeria. In other countries, when there is an issue of terror, political boundaries collapse and people work together.
“The interest of the country is paramount but in this case when we have terror, then Nigerians believe it is better to go to the United States or the United Kingdom or France and appear on television to celebrate themselves. Is that how we will bring back those girls?
“Let us face facts. When there was 9/11 in the US, how many Americans went round the world criticising their government? Is it by carrying flags and singing around the world that we will bring those girls back? I expected that those with international connections would help the country and not the other way round.”
Clearing the air on a controversial statement he made that stealing is not corruption, President Jonathan said he only quoted a statement by a former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Dahiru Musdapha, during a meeting he held with stakeholders on how to fight corruption.
He cited an example that people could be easily isolated or lynched if they were called thieves rather than being referred to as being corrupt
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