For blaming pdp over boko haram attacks: Jonathan Angry With Gen Azazi

President Goodluck Jonathan has expressed shock over a remark made by the National Security Adviser, General Andrew Owoeye Azazi, at the just concluded South-South Economic summit, that the power rotation principle of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is to blame for the insecurity in the country. The President, who visited This Day newspaper’s office in […]

President Goodluck Jonathan has expressed shock over a remark made by the National Security Adviser, General Andrew Owoeye Azazi, at the just concluded South-South Economic summit, that the power rotation principle of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is to blame for the insecurity in the country.

The President, who visited This Day newspaper’s office in Abuja yesterday to ascertain the level of damage done to the building and other facilities hours after he arrived from Cote d’Ivoire, told journalists that he would seek an explanation from his security adviser on the report credited to him.

Jonathan was in Abidjan for the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Heads of Government meeting when the bomb attack occurred. Also, he was at that meeting when the South-South summit, where General Azazi made the controversial statement, took place.

The president said, “I read in some newspapers, where some journalists quoted the National Security Adviser on what he was reported to have said.  Until I read his own report and listen to him I don’t know what to do.  As human beings, we disagree to agree.  That is why political office holders, like us, must be very careful about what we say, because people might see it differently. But like I said, until I listen to him, I don’t believe he meant the struggle for power in PDP is responsible for insecurity in the country.”

The NSA had said during the summit: “We do not need to politicize the security challenge on our hands.

And most people are not always comfortable when I say in some quarters that the PDP is to blame for some of these problems. The PDP got it wrong from the beginning by claiming that its convention and rules state that this person can rule and that person cannot.”

President Jonathan, in reaction, said the PDP is one of the parties that is committed to democratic practices, so it will be wrong to say some anti-democratic activities within the party was responsible for the Boko-Haram insurgency or any other security situation in the country.

He said, “I really need to give him the benefit of what he meant to say. Like I said, until I hear from him but I don’t believe PDP is responsible for Boko Haram or any other militant activity in the country.”

The president vowed that government would curb the terrorist attacks in the country, noting that Nigeria is not the only country which is faced with such situation.
He observed that the United States of America and other countries have faced similar situations, but overcame it:  “We must come to the end of this. Other nations, particularly America, has passed through this.  We shall also overcome it too. We are working hard on it. We must come to the end of this terrorist attacks.”

On the call from some quarters that government should dialogue with Boko Haram group, he stated that government might and might not, depending on the situation. “Yes, they (those who call for dialogue) are right. Those who said we should dialogue are correct and those who said we should not are also correct. This is a terror situation; it has a global perceptive, it depends.  But we shall come to the end of it,” he reiterated.

Jonathan condemned the attack on This Day newspaper in Abuja by a suicide bomber, saying it’s time for people to join hands with government in its effort to bring an end to terrorists activities.
He said Boko Haram had attacked government facilities, security agents and members of the public, but expressed shock that they now turn their weapons on the media.
Meanwhile, the publisher of This Day newspapers, Mr Nduka Obaigbena has restated the commitment of the newspaper to the practice of true journalism without any fear.
He said “whatever is worth dying for is worth doing. We are prepared to face it; no amount of terror will stop us from doing what is right.”

Meanwhile, the PDP through its National Publicity Secretary Chief Olisa Metuh, described the statement by Azazi as a very poor reflection of the foundation and the internal workings of the party as well as a wrong deduction on the roots of security challenges in the country.

Metuh said that contrary to assertions by the National Security Adviser, the PDP has remained the strongest catalyst for the unity and progress of Nigeria, arguing that equity, fairness and all inclusiveness have been the cardinal operative principles of the PDP since formation.  He said the spread of all the offices in the party as well as in the federal government which it has been controlling are firm demonstration that the PDP is a sure vehicle for every Nigerian to seek and realise political ambition notwithstanding the hindrances of tribe and religion.

“We wish to state without any ambiguity that our great party remains the only political party in Nigeria that is not owned by any ethnic group, person or group of persons. All Nigerians are equal stakeholders. All our special National Conventions for the election of our Presidential flag bearers since 1998 have seen candidates emerge on the strength of national unity, a common motive which envisages that every section of the country, majority or minority can aspire to the highest political office in our fatherland via a well entrenched rotation and zoning principle in the constitution of our party.”

“We wish to add that President Jonathan emerged with overwhelming votes of delegates from every state in the country, a feat that was again repeated in April 2011 general elections which of course, have been adjudged the best in our recent history.  “It is therefore a comment in grave error, a fatal diagnosis of facts for anyone to insinuate or directly assert that a section of the membership of the PDP or its foundation predisposes that only a certain section and not others will aspire to the highest office in the country,” he added.