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President Goodluck Jonathan has again mourned the pupils of the Federal Government College in Buni Yadi, Yobe State, who were on Tuesday murdered in their sleep by Boko Haram insurgents.
President Goodluck Jonathan has again mourned the pupils of the Federal Government College in Buni Yadi, Yobe State, who were on Tuesday murdered in their sleep by Boko Haram insurgents.
Jonathan, in a 20-minute national broadcast on Wednesday to mark the nation’s centenary, said he was deeply saddened by their death and that of other Nigerians in the hands of terrorists.
The President reassured Nigerians that his administration would continue to do everything possible to permanently eradicate terrorism and insurgency from the country.
He said, “We recognise that the root cause of militancy, terrorism and insurgency is not the strength of extremist ideas but corrupted values and ignorance.
“That is why our counter-terrorism strategy is not just about enforcing law and order as we have equipped our security forces to do. It also involves expanding economic opportunities, social inclusion, education and other measures that will help restore normalcy not just in the short term, but permanently.
“I want to reassure Nigerians that terrorism, strife and insecurity in any part of Nigeria are abhorrent and unacceptable to us. I urge leaders throughout Nigeria to ensure that ethnicity and religion are not allowed to become political issues.”
He urged Nigerians to rededicate themselves to doing more to empower the youth who, he said, were in the best stead to protect and guarantee the nation’s heritage and future prosperity.
Jonathan said that was the cause he had chosen to champion and that he believed he would triumph.
The President also reemphasised that the 1914 amalgamation of the Northern and Southern Protectorates by the British colonial authorities was not a mistake.
He said although the union might have been inspired by considerations external to Nigerians, he had no doubt that the people were destined by God to live together as one big nation.
Jonathan described the centenary as a significant milestone in the country’s journey to nationhood.
He said he held the belief that the country would overcome the transient pains of the moment and eventually take its rightful place among the greatest nations on earth.
He said, “100 years ago, on January 1, 1914, the British colonial authorities amalgamated the Southern and Northern Protectorates, giving birth to the single geo-political entity called Nigeria which has become our home, our hope, and our heritage.
“I have often expressed the conviction that our amalgamation was not a mistake. While our union may have been inspired by considerations external to our people; I have no doubt that we are destined by God Almighty to live together as one big nation, united in diversity.
“I consider myself specially privileged to lead our country into its second century of existence. And as I speak to you, I feel the full weight of our 100-year history. But what I feel most is not frustration; it is not disillusionment. What I feel is great pride and great hope for a country that is bound to overcome the transient pains of the moment and eventually take its rightful place among the greatest nations on earth.”
Jonathan observed that like every other country of the world, “Nigeria has had its troubles and still does, having witnessed a civil war, military takeover, sectarian violence and terrorism among others.”
The President said while the nation’s centenary called for celebration, it should also be a moment of assessment of the past 100 years and considering the best way forward.
