The decision by president Jonathan to travel to Brazil while churches were being bombed in Kaduna state has attracted criticism from a cross section of Nigerians with the opposition Action Congress of Nigeria accusing him of insensitivity.
But in a statement issued from Brazil, the Special Adviser to the President on Communications, Reuben Abati said before leaving for the United Nation’s Earth Summit Rio+20 in Brazil, the president met with security chiefs and he was confident that security agencies were on top of the situation before his departure Tuesday.
According to Dr. Abati, the president needed to attend the conference because of its importance to Nigeria and because commitments had already been made on his attendance.
The Special Adviser noted that “The conference, Rio+20, is very important and nobody can doubt that.
The issues that will be discussed at this conference are also issues that are relevant to Nigeria’s interest. It is also an opportunity for Nigeria to promote its interest in terms of its place in global community.
“The crisis in Kaduna and Yobe occurred almost on the eve of the President’s departure for this event and commitments have been made.
“In any event, it is not as if government has abandoned the situation at home. Security agencies are there, they are on top of the situation.
“Before the President left, he met with security chiefs. The business of leadership cannot just stop because there is a crisis there.
“I think what we can do is to appeal to the opposition not to always play politics with everything; that is the major challenge we face, people always want to play politics with everything.
“If the President had refused to come to Rio, the same persons will turn around and say that there is an important conference attended by world leaders and the Nigerian President stayed away from it.
“It is as if there is nothing you can do to please our people. It is not that Nigeria is going to lose anything by Mr. President’s presence here rather, the country is going to gain a lot from his presence here.
“He is here serving the interest of Nigerians, it is not as if he has abandoned his responsibilities” he pointed out.
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Ours is a very hardworking President. Keep it up sir nd continue representing us. May God let der b a Nigeria to enjoy d dividend....Insensitive people!
ReplyDeleteMay God help u sir.
ReplyDeleteWow Mr President, how apt. Your country is burning and you're going to meet commitments. Nice, but please, commitments to who? Your foreign masters or the Nigerian people. I guess you will still go to Brazil if your daughter, son or wife were among the victims of the bombing - afterall, you have commitments!!
ReplyDeleteOur president is trying..but he shudn't be slow in making decisions
ReplyDeleteunnecessary critics arising from the oppositions will not help us as a nation. If anyone thinks he has a blueprint to put an end to the killings in the North and project the nation, let him throw it open rather than these gibberish we're splattering at Mr. GEJ. We have seen the level of ignorance & brain wash been infused in the minds of our Northern youths (Boko harams). while they are still grooping in the dark alleys of ignorance, we need to really ask some rhetorical questions to help us reshape our thoughts. Our differences has to be put aside for the interest of our dying entity (Nigeria). However, we have a choice of SNC if we think otherwise. Be guided positively!
ReplyDeleteI am so astonish 2 heard my president leaves his house were it is burnin .may god help us
ReplyDeleteNonsense!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThis president is good and sweet. Is it Nigerianeye that is mischevious or what? I am referring to the picture at the background of this story. Is this picture apt most especially at this time in Nigeria??? Who is comfortable in Nigeria today with the present situation of things? Sorry o. Perhaps I am an alarmist.
ReplyDelete@McDaniel, you are talking complete and total nonsense. Even if the people critising your Mr. GEJ have no immediate blueprint, he himself would do well to project the image of someone in control and, in that sense, instil some confidence in the ordinary Nigerian. The reality is that we have a president that projects the image of someone who appear to be competely at loss re all that his happening in his immediate surrounding. He's JD is in the Constitution of the country and by all measures, he has failed woefully.
ReplyDeleteGEJ is learning on the job but how long can a probation be? Four years? If GEJ was the CEO of a plc, he would have been dumped by the shareholders ages ago.
I gues d President & his entourage ar abrest wit d situatn of tins presently so they can see how "on top of the situatn" d security chiefs ar.
ReplyDeletei tot a leader can always be representd if he hz 2 b unavoidably absent.
Anyway, God doz nt nid any1 2 preserv dis nation. if nt 4 God, i 1da wat he'd say if he rturns 2 mit 9ja,not in 1 piece.
God help us all.
All u critics, please proffer solutions to our many problems in Nigeria especially on the issue of BOKO HARAM. If you were Mr President, in your honest opinion what will you do?
ReplyDeleteIt is easy to point out the "peck of wood" in our brother's eyes while failing to remove the "log of wood" in our own eyes.
PEACE.
Imagination Jonathan traveling to briazi. Nonsense
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