The State House Press statement below..
President Goodluck Jonathan pledged Thursday in Abuja that he will do
all within his powers to ensure that all Nigerian territory still held
by terrorists and insurgents are totally liberated before May 29, 2015.
Receiving a delegation of Heads of Customs from the West and Central
African Region of the World Customs Organisation led by the
Secretary-General of the organisation, Mr. Kunio Mikuriya, President
Jonathan said that he was determined to hand over a country completely
free of terrorist strongholds to the President-elect, General Muhammadu
Buhari.
The President said that ongoing military operations in the North-East
had already recorded huge successes, with two states completely free
from the control of terrorists, while operations in the third state had
reached a concluding stage.
“We can now say two states are completely free from terrorist control,
while in the third state, it is only in one Local Government Area that
they are still present.
That is in the Sambisa Forest,” he said.
President Jonathan noted that the military had already moved into the
forest to seize the remaining camps of the terrorists, adding that the
recent rescue of about 300 abducted girls and women was further evidence
of the success being achieved in the ongoing operation.
On his decision to concede victory to the President-elect, General
Muhammadu Buhari, before all the results of the presidential elections
were announced, President Jonathan said that elections must be
approached from a nationalistic point of view.
“Our elections should be about where Nigeria is going. If Nigeria is
moving forward, it is for the good of all Nigerians. My children and
grandchildren will live and grow in this country and contribute to it. I
always tell my colleagues to leave office when their time is up. We are
trying to encourage African leaders not to remain in power as kings
until death,’’ he said.
Mr. Mikuriya commended the President for supporting the reform of the
Nigeria Customs Service, noting that other African countries had already
started emulating the vision, strategy, adoption to new technology and
result- oriented training of officers that were captured in Nigeria’s
reforms.
Reuben Abati
Special Adviser to the President
(Media and Publicity)
April 30, 2015
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