President Goodluck Jonathan: warns against inciting statements

Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday cautioned Nigerians against constituting themselves into troublemakers especially as the country approaches the general elections in February, because his government would not hesitate to deal with such set of people.

The President’s focus, as read out in a broadcast message to mark the New Year, is on those who may want to cause problems for the country through inciting statements before, during and after the elections.

In the last few days before the New Year, there had been accusations and counter accusations from the two major political parties concerning allegations of statements capable of inciting people.

While those in the President’s Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, have accused the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, of making reckless statements, the APC has said the accusation should lie with the PDP and the presidency whose members and loyalists had continued to denigrate the APC presidential candidate Muhammadu Buhari, instead of focusing on issue-based campaigns.

“After the 2011 general elections, some unpatriotic elements embarked on an orgy of violence, resulting in the destruction of lives and property. That will not be allowed to happen this time around. This government will act decisively against anyone who disrupts the public peace, before, during or after the 2015 general elections,” Jonathan said in the broadcast message which is reproduced below.

He promised a free and fair elections noting that the world was watching how the exercise would be organised.

The President also promised that his administration was doing everything possible to stem the tide of insurgency in the country as well as diversify the economy especially with the turbulence that has hit the crude oil market where Nigeria plays an active role and from where its major earnings are derived.

Read the full text below:

NEW YEAR BROADCAST TO THE NATION BY GOODLUCK EBELE JONATHAN, GCFR, PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, JANUARY 1, 2015.

I greet and felicitate with you all as we enter the New Year today. As we mark the beginning of this New Year, 2015, a new nation is being born. A new nation is being born because of the foundations we have all laid, working together for the good and progress of our dear fatherland.

I join you all in thanking God Almighty who has brought us this far, for continually bestowing His Grace upon us and for guiding our great nation safely through all the challenges of the past year.

This year, as in the year past, I reaffirm my commitment to work to ensure a secure future for our dear country and the generations yet unborn.

Last year, we celebrated our hundredth year of nationhood. The year brought us further progress, challenges and fresh opportunities.

We have contended with the normal challenges of nation-building and the unusual challenges of terrorism.

But we have continued to vigorously confront those who seek to destroy the bonds of unity that hold us together.

On this first day of the New Year, I want to pay special tribute to the gallant officers, men and women of our Armed Forces and other security agencies who have been in the forefront of the war against terrorism and violent extremism in our country and sub-region.