Federal Govt defends Jonathan’s trip to Brazil

The President was yesterday fighting back on barrage of attacks for his Brazil trip which has been described as “unnecessary”, considering the violence in some parts of the North.

To Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, his critics are unfair.  He has not abdicated his responsibility by travelling  to attend the United Nations  Conference on Climate Change in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, he said.

As the President spoke in Brazil, his spokesman Dr. Reuben Abati defended his boss and Information Minister Labaran Maku, in Abuja, chided Jonathan’s critics.

The minister said the President could govern from any part of the world, adding that he “is on a working visit to Brazil and not on holidays”.

Dr. Jonathan, who spoke on Tuesday night  while addressing members of the Nigerian community in Brazil, said the country would make progress faster  towards fulfilling its immense potentials, if all Nigerians  support his administration’s transformation plan.

“One of the problems we have is that some Nigerians play politics with everything, but we cannot destroy our country because of personal political ambitions,” the President said.

 “We now have a constitutional democracy and no one can stay in office forever. It will, therefore, be best for our nation if we all support whoever is there for the development of the country, instead of trying to pull him down by all means,” President Jonathan said in response to comments and questions by his hosts on the state of affairs in Nigeria.

The President who also spoke about the country’s security challenge, assured the gathering that the Federal Government was working very hard to overcome the  challenges.

“We have challenges, but they are not insurmountable. We remain fully focused and committed to national development, in spite of sponsored lies against this administration. We are ready to work together with all of our people to move the country forward.  We will work even harder to place concrete realities on the ground that will further prove our sincerity and commitment to all Nigerians,” he pledged.

The President, who thanked  members of the Nigerian community for assembling from all parts of Brazil to receive him in Rio De Janeiro, said: “It is generally known and acknowledged that Nigeria has a very robust Diaspora and we will continue to explore ways of harnessing your skills and talents for the development of our fatherland.” 

Dr. Jonathan will meet with Brazillian President Dilma Rousseff on the sidelines of the Rio + 20 Summit to discuss the enhancement of bilateral cooperation between Nigeria and Brazil, including the strengthening of trade and economic relations as well as a prisoner exchange programme that could benefit Nigerians imprisoned in the South American country. 

In a statement, Abati said the President needed to attend the conference because of its importance to Nigeria and because commitments had already been made on his attendance. 

He said his presence at the summit was in the best interest of the country. 

He said: “The conference, Rio+20, is very important and nobody can doubt that. The issues that will be discussed at this conference are also issues that are relevant to Nigeria’s interest. It is also an opportunity for Nigeria to promote its interest in terms of its place in global community.

“The crisis in Kaduna and Yobe occurred almost on the eve of the President’s departure for this event and commitments have been made. 

“In any event, it is not as if government has abandoned the situation at home. Security agencies are there, they are on top of the situation. 

Maku, who spoke to reporters in Abuja said: “Before the President left, he met with security chiefs. The business of leadership cannot just stop because there is a crisis there.

“I think what we can do is to appeal to the opposition not to always play politics with everything; that is the major challenge we face, people always want to play politics with everything. 

“If the President had refused to come to Rio, the same persons will turn around and say that there is an important conference attended by world leaders and the Nigerian President stayed away from it. 

“It is as if there is nothing you can do to please our people. It is not that Nigeria is going to lose anything by Mr. President’s presence here; rather, the country is going to gain a lot from his presence here. 

“He is here serving the interest of Nigerians it is not as if he has abandoned his responsibilities.”

“There is no vacuum, the most important thing is that the president and the vice president work harmoniously and are in constant touch.

“If the President panics, what will the people do. We must stop making politics out of the unfortunate incidents going on in Northern Nigeria.

“There are people who think that because the President is out of the country he cannot make decision for the country. It is not true. Today, with advanced information technology, every President in this world, anywhere he is, even from the skies, can give directive to any Defence chief to act on any matter in the country.

“We are leaving in a new world and I think people should understand this. We should not play politics with this, “ he said.

By Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja                  Courtesy Of: The Nation