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| President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan |
President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan disclosed at the 52nd Independence anniversary lecture that the January nationwide protest over the total removal of subsidy from petroleum was stage managed by a class of Nigerians who wanted the status quo of corruption in the petroleum sector to remain the same.
Disclosing this at the lecture titled, Nigeria: Security, Development and National Transformation, said it was the responsibility of the Government to provide enabling environment for development but it was also left for the citizens to ensure its enforcement.
While responding to an issue raised by one of the discussants who is the Director of Centre for Democracy and Development, Jibril Ibrahim, He said the citizens were right to have protested but in a way they were misinformed, taking the case of Lagos as example, Lagos he said is the critical state in the nation's economy which controls about 53% of the economy and has all tribes living in it.
Explaining the fact that people were been feed and entertained at the demonstration gathering, which he said were organized by a cabal, where free expensive food were given and musicians were invited to perform, stating that this alone enticed people to protest ignorantly, stating that it was not a protest from ordinary masses who wanted to communicate with the government but a smoke screen from a class of cabals in lagos.
Mr. President also alleged that because of the interest in 2015 elections, the media were being manipulated to abuse the privileges of the Freedom of Information Act to a point where its overheating the system, stating that the key issue been discussed is about peace and development as development can not be talked about in the face of crisis, adding that in fact some class people make more money when there is crisis and when this arise it's like a state in anarchy where anything goes.
While talking on the state of insecurity in the country, he categorized them as physical, political and social insecurity, stating that the using bombs and guns to kill people falls under the physical, while social security, food security, health and the justice system fall under social security which has to do with the individual.
Stating that the government can and will continue to strive in providing physical security but also very important is the political security issue, which he attested to the unending political conflicts in Nigeria hindering the development of the country.
Mr. President said that he believed the political security is a big issue which he ascertained to be the bone of contention, while relating it to the axiom of the pen being mightier than the sword, stating that the media is constantly being used as means of spreading unending political conflicts which in turn brings a whole lot of insecurity to the system which makes the people begin having doubts about the government.
Citing an example with the 2011 elections, he said he did everything within his power to ensure it was free and fair even at the expense of him losing the election, which observers felt was free and fair, but immediately after the election, after six months, the media hype used to hit the government was tremendous, stating that not just the media but the boko haram insurgency, classifying it into Political, Religious and Criminal Boko Haram, saying the same applies to the media, where he said they have professional media and political media, stating that because of interest in 2015, to the political media whatever the government does is immaterial, the government must be brought down, stating the mentality cuts across most African countries and even outside Africa.
Adding that Nigeria is a highly religious country with high ethnic-tribal sentiments, unending political conflicts is bound to create problem a whole lot of problems for the government.
(Edited by: Blueblock)
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