The remarks by President Goodluck Jonathan blaming North east governor for the lingering insecurity has drawn the ire of Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State.A statement by his Spokesman Ahmad Sajoh on Sunday said only President Jonathan has control over security apparatus.
“For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to state categorically that if there is any proof of bad governance, it will be located in the way and manner the President executes his priorities and the kind of statements he and his spokespersons make. Governors are not and cannot be held responsible for security challenges since they have no control over security apparatus. The President is the Commander-in-Chief with powers over the Armed Forces, Police and other security agencies.”
Nyako’s statement signed by his aide said “Our attention has been drawn to a statement credited to the President, Commander-in-Chief Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan at the North East PDP rally in Bauchi on Saturday 29th March, 2014 to the effect that bad governance by the Governors of the region are responsible for all the security challenges in the region. He also alluded to building Universities as his response to the security concerns, while the said Governors failed to provide Primary and Secondary Education. He asked questions in relation to good governance and claimed that he ended militancy in Bayelsa State. For a President of this potentially great country to make these kinds of contradictory and outright false statements is indeed unfortunate.
“We hold it that despite his famed humble background, this President lacks humility in the manner he approaches issues. He is fond of blaming everybody but himself for all the wrong things that happen under his presidency. This is not the mark of good leadership. We also wish to draw the attention of the President to the fact that over 800 classroom blocks were destroyed in Borno state. Over 2000 classroom blocks were destroyed in Yobe state including those belonging to the Federal Government. Recently some classrooms were destroyed in Adamawa as well. Several Schools were damaged and closed down in the affected states including Federal Government Colleges even though the President said his government has no responsibility for Secondary Education. The President’s persistent refusal to visit the affected states could be interpreted to mean an abdication of his constitutional responsibility to cater for the welfare and safety of the people of the zone. If he could go to Bauchi on a political jamboree, why not visit Borno and Yobe as part of his constitutional responsibility?
“For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to state categorically that if there is any proof of bad governance, it will be located in the way and manner the President executes his priorities and the kind of statements he and his spokespersons make. Governors are not and cannot be held responsible for security challenges since they have no control over security apparatus. The President is the Commander-in-Chief with powers over the Armed Forces, Police and other security agencies. On the issue of education, the President is either being misled or is totally ignorant. The name Boko Haram was coined by the Media in response to University graduates destroying their certificates in the very city of Bauchi where he made the latest statement. So it is not about University Education. On the issue of taming the Niger Delta militants, every right thinking Nigerian knows that it was the late President Yar’adua that addressed the issue with competence, honesty and the fear of God. Propaganda cannot replace the truth no matter how much it is applied.
“We challenge President Jonathan on all the issues raised especially on Federal Government achievements in our state of Adamawa. We constructed all the Federal Roads in our State, built the Nigerian Law School, built structures for the Army, Police and other security Agencies including the Prison Headquarters. These are all responsibilities of the Federal Government. As far back as the year 2010 a Federal Agency, the Universal Basic Education Commission UBEC gave Adamawa State Government three awards for three years running for sterling performance in the advancement of Basic Education. We have documentary proof to the effect that performance in Secondary Schools has increased with average passes of over 46% from less than 2% in 2006. We have also established 8 Vocational Training Centres equipped to international standards providing life saving skills tour youth. In addition we have a functional Local Apprenticeship Scheme that has pulled over 10,000 youth out of joblessness and hopelessness.
“On the issue of arming the insurgents, we still challenge the Presidency to institute an independent professional enquiry into the sources of weapons used by the insurgents. It is pure blackmail to always blame others for arming the insurgents when all the Security, Intelligence and Diplomatic apparatus are in the hands of the President to deploy in fishing out their sponsor, financiers and strategic commanders. We do not have the resources to cover the level of sophistication displayed by the insurgents in their operations. We do not have command over the Military as to deploy them away from strategic targets of the insurgents or allow the insurgents safe passage during curfew hours. Our states hardly receive enough allocations to even meet our most basic needs let alone spend it carelessly. In addition, we have the added responsibility of carrying the burdens of the Federal Authorities in our state. Moreover, we do not have the moral burden of missing monies not accounted for on our heads as is the case with the Federal Government.
“Nigerians should hold the Jonathan Administration responsible for all the security challenges in the Country including insurgency, oil theft, kidnapping for ransom and armed robbery. No matter what the President says or does, this government has failed Nigerians. It has turned out to be a “Government of Impunity by the incompetent for the advancement of corruption” The signs of incompetence are everywhere:
“Abba Moro should have been sacked after confessing that he authorized the botched Immigration recruitment and caused the death of innocent Nigerians. More so, that both the Board in Charge of Immigration and the Comptroller-General of Immigration denied knowledge of the process. But the incompetent leadership cannot do the obvious. The President has blamed the States for creating a sea of unemployed youth as if the states were responsible for the show of shame during the scandalous and fraudulent immigration recruitment debacle. Federal Agencies are also responsible for the different employment scams on the internet where several unemployed and impoverished youth are daily being duped by government fat cats who are effectively protected by the presidency.
“The all powerful Minister of Petroleum Diezeni Allison-Madueke is immersed in multiple scandals involving the leasing of three (3) Private Jets. All the incompetent leadership has done is to issue a statement to the effect that the matter would not be probed even for the purpose of clearing her name. Instead a crowed of IJAW youth were rented to protest what, only God knows. Under this incompetent leadership, Corruption has been given both Ethnic and Regional Identities so as to enjoy citizen’s protection by the Presidency.
“The President made a statement with respect to the $10million said to be the missing. He admitted that the amount is missing. His handlers felt he goofed. His spokesperson refuted it. Voice recording proved the President said so. All incompetence. As a matter of fact this President has the misfortune of being led into making several public statements that end up either being untrue or embarrassing or having his aides issue such statements that end up embarrassing him. The leadership had also failed to call irresponsible and rascally supporters to order even when there is a need to do so. One of the hallmarks of a competent leadership is to know when statesmanship overrides political expediency.
“Retired Police Officers are planning to stage a protest over neglect by this incompetent leadership. These patriotic Nigerian Officers who served Nigeria with absolute loyalty are aware that with the incompetent manner the Police Pension Fund scandal is handled, they have no hope of receiving their entitlements. Yet no one is doing anything about it. Oh incompetence!
