I Will Handover a Nigeria Completely Free of Terrorists Stronghold, President Jonathan Assures
I Will Handover a Nigeria
Completely Free of
Terrorists Stronghold,
President Jonathan Assures
President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan
pledged Thursday in Abuja that he
will do all within his powers to
ensure that all Nigerian territory still
held by terrorists and insurgents are
totally liberated before May 29,
2015.
Receiving a delegation of Heads of
Customs from the West and Central
African Region of the World Customs
Organisation led by the Secretary-
General of the organisation, Mr.
Kunio Mikuriya, President Jonathan
said that he was determined to hand
over a country completely free of
terrorist strongholds to the
President-elect, General
Muhammadu Buhari.
The President said that ongoing
military operations in the North-East
had already recorded huge
successes, with two states
completely free from the control of
terrorists, while operations in the
third state had reached a concluding
stage.
“We can now say two states are
completely free from terrorist
control, while in the third state, it is
only in one Local Government Area
that they are still present. That is in
the Sambisa Forest,” he said.
President Jonathan noted that the
military had already moved into the
forest to seize the remaining camps
of the terrorists, adding that the
recent rescue of about 300 abducted
girls and women was further
evidence of the success being
achieved in the ongoing operation.
On his decision to concede victory to
the President-elect, General
Muhammadu Buhari, before all the
results of the presidential elections
were announced, President Jonathan
said that elections must be
approached from a nationalistic
point of view.
“Our elections should be about
where Nigeria is going. If Nigeria is
moving forward, it is for the good of
all Nigerians. My children and
grandchildren will live and grow in
this country and contribute to it.
“I always tell my colleagues to leave
office when their time is up. We are
trying to encourage African leaders
not to remain in power as kings until
death,’’ he said.
Mr. Mikuriya commended the
President for supporting the reform
of the Nigeria Customs Service,
noting that other African countries
had already started emulating the
vision, strategy, adoption to new
technology and result- oriented
training of officers that were
captured in Nigeria’s reforms.
