Jonathan, who visited President Muhammadu Buhari at the Aso Rock President
Villa in Abuja, stressed the need for Nigeria’s unity after a 20-minute meeting
with President Buhari.
He however noted that resolving the Niger Delta crisis was not just about him,
but about traditional rulers, elders and opinion leaders of the Ijaw ethnic group,
adding that they had been in touch to see that peace reigns in the country.
Mr. Jonathan had publicly visited Buhari twice; the first visit took place at the
president’s residence and the second while the president was at work in the
office.
The visits came at a time that Jonathan’s senior civilian and military officials
are being arrested and prosecuted in the government’s anti-graft drive.
Yesterday’s visit took place in the office and even though it lasted 15 minutes
the atmosphere looked more relaxed than during the other times.
While the former president walked away without speaking to reporters on
previous occasions, yesterday he stopped to answer their questions.
A source in the presidency also told Daily Trust that President Buhari took the
visit seriously.
The source said Buhari announced at beginning of the cabinet meeting that he
had an important engagement at 2.00 pm and the meeting should end well
before that.
Jonathan arrived the Presidential Villa at exactly 1.55pm in a black Range Rover
Sport Utility Vehicle marked KWL 86 CN, and after the meeting, warned that the
country would go into extinction if fragmented.
A militant group, the Adaka Boro Avengers, had recently said it would declare
the Niger Delta Republic on August 1, 2016 and open its headquarters in
Kaiama, the country home of the late Ijaw freedom fighter, Major Isaac Adaka
Boko. The group however did not make the declaration, saying prominent
leaders of the region had advised against it.
Jonathan said: “Those of you that have followed my talks when I was here, my
emphasis is that we need a united Nigeria, and I always emphasise that Nigeria
is great not just about the oil. So many countries produce more oil than
Nigeria, nobody notices them, we are great because of our size, the human
resources we have, the diversity we have.
“If we fragment the country into small components, we will be forgotten by the
world. That has been my focal position, and without peace, there cannot be
development anywhere in the world. We are all working collectively to see that
issues are resolved.”
Answering a question on the Buhari administration’s anti-corruption war, he
said it would be unfair of him to comment on it since many cases were in court.
Jonathan said he visited Buhari to intimate him on his international
engagements, especially his recent appointment as leader of the African Union
election observation mission to Zambia.
He said: “One key thing is that having been a head of a government, a former
president, you become a state property. That is the privilege you have, but
every privilege has its corresponding responsibility. And once you become a
state property, most of your international engagements become national
assignments, you brief the president.
“Even when I was here, former presidents used to do that. I have been coming,
most times, I come in the night; that is why you don’t see me. I came to brief
the president about some of my engagements. It is the tradition.”
No comments:
Post a Comment