Jonathan meets Yoruba elders, urges politicians to prioritize unity

 

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday urged Nigerian politicians to put the country’s unity and stability ahead of their political ambitions.


The President who hosted the Yoruba Elders Council, YCE, in the State House, Marina said for anyone to aspire to become president, Vice President or governor, there must be a country.


“No matter what we want to do, that is those of us who are aspiring to run this country or even at the state level, first and foremost you must have a country.

“If we don’t have a country there will be no office to hold; whether it is the office of the President or office of the Vice President or office of the minister or whatever office, there must be Nigeria first.


“My position is that let us all collectively defend and protect this country and that is why I always feel bad when people make statements that expose Nigeria as if it is the worst country on earth. We are not that bad.


“Yes we have issues in this country. Even issues of security, like this Boko Haram, because we are managing a very delicate situation.

“Sometimes people define Nigeria by the Boko Haram.

“Nigeria cannot be defined based on Boko Haram alone. There is terror all over the world.


“We have unfair share of the terror. But luckily with what is happening now, I tell people that in the next two to three weeks this story will change.

“Because we have got the equipment that we can withstand the excesses of the Boko Haram.


“That is why these few days you will see that the movement, we don’t want to say much, is going on gradually.


“My belief is that in the next three weeks or so if we don’t completely take over all our territories we would have handled the Boko Haram to the extent that it will no longer be a problem to the elections that will come up.”



The President said that his administration had put measures in place to improve the country, adding that under his watch, Nigeria was pronounced the largest economy in Africa and the preferred destination for Foreign Direct Investments, FDI.


He said that in spite of the challenges in the country, food prices had remained stable while the health sector received a great boost.


He said the administration had eradicated guinea worm, adding that the World Health Organization, WHO, will soon declare the country polio- free.


He said the administration showed leadership by pulling all the states together to battle the Ebola virus disease outbreak.


He said he would carry the elders along in all his programmes and would commence a quarterly meeting with the six geo-political zones if re-elected to further move the grassroots forward.


Speaking earlier, the President of YCE, Gen. Adeyinka Adebayo (rtd) commended the President for the quality of leadership he is providing for the country.


The elders prayed that the country avoids violence during the upcoming general elections.

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