The
phone lines to call in on the presidential media
chat is 09-625-1100 or 09-625-1000. If you
are calling from outside the country, use the country code (+234).
19:06 Gvernment ready to discuss with
Boko Haram: President
Joinathan says he is willing to dialogue with the Boko Haram sect, if they have
a “face.” He said the sect’s members are Nigerians and he will like to
transform their lives just like the Niger Delta millitants.
19:12 For now, there is no negotiation ongoing with Boko
Haram, the president said.
19:16 President Jonathan said he has not visited Borno
state, the center of Boko Haram attacks, because the airport there was not
functional at the time he planned to visit. “And we did not want to land somewhere
and fly in to Maiduguri with a helicopter for obvious reasons.” He promises to
visit the state and other states in Nigeria.
19:19 The Brazil Trip: The president said if he hadn’t travelled to Brazil while
Kaduna was boiling, it would have sent out a very wromg message to the world,
and bolster the sect. “The day the international community gets to know that
the president of Nigeria couldn’t travel because of Boko Haram, then we are
finished,” the president said. “The Boko Haram and their sponsors cannot stop
Nigeria.”
19:24 The Body Language on
Corruption: The president
said he is a calm person and gives people the latitude to do their job in
reaction to question bothering on his percieved weak body language on the fight
against corruption. “A lot of people misunderstand me,” he said.
Whoever says the president’s body
language does not allow him to fight corruption, he’s incompetent
Asset Declaration: The presient says its a matter of principle and
whether he is criticised from “head to toe” he will not declare his assets. “It
is not right,” he said. “I didn’t want even want to declare my assets as VP”
but was forced by the then president, Umara Musa Yar’Adua. He said asset
declaration is “not the right thing to do.”
19:35 Oil Subsidy Probe: The president said he initiated the probe of the oil
industry even before the Senate and the House of Reps began its probe of the
sector.
The president just mentioned that
“only yesterday,” he directed the EFCC to investigate Nigeria’s bank accounts
in the United States, following a report on a newspaper.
The presidency said he dealing with
the same businessmen former president Olusegun Obasanjo and Late Umaru Musa
Yar’Adua hobnobbed with. He speaks in defence of the businessmen, including
Femi Otedola who is involved a bribery scandal with chairman of House of Reps
Panel that probed the subsidy regime. He however said he did not initiate the
sting operation that caught Mr. Lawan.
19:55 Electricity: ”When we were campaiging, we didn’t know that BH
will overtake the priorities of government,” the president says.
He adds that what the government is
doing with the increased electricity tariff is too ensure that those who earn
low income pay lower tariff. “What we are doing with electricity tariff is too
ensure that those who earn low income pay lower tariff,” the president said.
20:07 Agriculture: The president said his government are
revolutionizing agriculture in Nigeria.”We are giving cotton seeds free in the
North” he said.
Third caller unable to get through to
the program.
Nigeria is owing over N100 billion in
judgement debts, the president reveals.
20:14 The fourth caller’s line fails after he introduced himself as calling
from Ibadan.
The President said the government is
doing very well in railway construction. “You may not know, but we are
working,” he said. He added that his government has made a “significant
progress” in railway construction. “You should commend us,” he adds.
20:19 Ogene Tega’s call from Delta state
gets through, he introduces himself and the line goes dead again.
20:20 The prsident says they are managing the economy
professionally, “It is not Jonathan that is managing it,” he said
20:22 The president begs to us first to use two years plus to
see what he can do in terms of wealth creation, before talking about 2015. “It
is too early to talk about 2015,” the president said. “When INEC opens the
gate, we will know who will contest or who will not contest.”
20:27 Relationship with National
Assembly: ”I have a good relationship
with the National assembly,” the president said. “It is not as if there are no
issues.” He plans to do annual address to the National Assembly and says his
being summoned to the National Assembly is not an issue.
“Whenever I travel, I go with atleast
two members of the National Assembly,” the president reveals.
20:35 The president says he “thinks” Nigerians should still
trust him. He blames his poor public perception on the dublicability of IT
(social media).
He said Nigerians will begin to see
the results of his government in 2013. “People (critics) will begin to change
after one year,” the president said.
20:42 UNILAG name change: The president said what he did, in terms of law, was
correct. You change the name first, then send the bill to the National Assembly
later, he argues. “What we did, was the normal procedure,” he said.
He also insists that most of the
students are too young to know the significance of Moshood Abiola in Nigeria’s
democracy.
20:46 Call from Victor in Markurdi
gets through as the first successful call in
for the day. Victor is asking for equitable distribution of You Win grants. He
is asking the president to ensure that the grant is not given to only those who
know people in government.
20:52 Crude Oil Tefth: ”The stealing of crude oil is a Nigerian
phenomenon,” the president said. He adds that it has gone cancerous. “We will
stop it, but it is like allowing a cancerous cell to grow into a major tumor.”
20:55 The program ends. Thank you for following our updates.
The program was anchored by Ohi
Alegbe, media consultant and broadcaster
Questions by:
Ishaq Modibbo Kawu, Columnist, Blue
Print Newspaper
Edward Dickson, Editor, Nigerian
Tribune
Maope Ogun, co-presenter, Daily
Sunrise show, Channels TV
Courtesy:Premium Times