By Danlami Nmodu
President Goodluck Jonathan has denied ever signing any single term agreement with any body.The president made this denial in a nation-wide media chat on Sunday night. “I did not sign agreement with anybody.If I have signed agreement they would have shown you…Those who said I have signed an agreement, they should show you the agreement” ,Jonathan said.
Recently Niger State Governor and Chairman of Northern Governors’ Forum declared that Jonathan signed an undertaken that he would do just one term.And based on this he is not expected to contest for reelection in 2015.It was also said that this alleged single term agreement was the basis for the support given to Jonathan in 2011.
Sunday’s denial is bound to elicit reaction from those who have made the claim.It could however be recalled that Jonathan denied any agreement to Zone the presidency to the North in 2011 despite reports that he was part of the meeting where the decision was taken by the PDP.
Once again, the president declined to confirm whether he will run for reelection in 2015.”If you declare it early you will create problem…Don’t even force the president to declare his interest.”
President Jonathan also spoke on several issues such as oil theft, the Boko Haram insurgency and the recent sacking of his cabinet among others.
Most amazingly, the president dismissed the importance of a civilian minister of defence.He said the service chiefs are more relevant to defence than the minister who does merely administrative duties.Perhaps the president forgot that in a democracy, the civilian authority is always held superior and his reductionist view of of the office of defence minister has been deemed as unfortunate by discerning watchers.
Speaking on the controversial killing of squatters in Apo, Abuja, the president said there was definite evidence that Boko Haram members were at the uncompleted building . “May be some innocent people were affected, but definitely, there were Boko Haram elements… I cannot say that all of them are Boko Haram but definitely there were Boko Haram elements” the president said.
Jonathan also described the on going strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities as “very, very unfortunate.”
He decried the problem of oil theft which he said there is no magic wand towards its solution.Jonathan agreed with the suggestion that those behind oil theft are highly placed people .
The President also said there was no link between the recent cabinet reshuffle and the crisis with G7 Governors,just as he also spectacularly declared that he does not know whether the Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau was alive or dead.
On the steps towards ensuring security he said “Im not God, I cannot say it(bombings and attacks in Abuja) will not happen, but within the best of human competences, we will do our best”
He congratulated Nigerians on the country’s 53rd ,anniversary “We’ll have up and down but we will get there …whether it is Jonathan or another president..we will get to where we are going ..”
