Address by His Excellency, President Goodluck Ebele
Jonathan, GCFR
On the Occasion of His Declaration of Intent to Run for the
2015 Presidential Elections under the Platform of the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) Eagle Square, Abuja
Tuesday 11th November, 2014
Dear Compatriots:
1. Four years ago, precisely September 18, 2010; I stood in this
Eagle Square, to offer myself for election as the President of
our beloved country on the platform of our great party; the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
2. Seven months after that declaration, you elected me to lead
this country with overwhelming support from all parts of our
Nation. I remain grateful for the trust you reposed in me to lead
our Nation through uncommon challenges in our march of
progress as a united and democratic country.
3. Over the years, the Almighty God has made it possible for
me to develop a bond with you and I am grateful for your
support and understanding in the difficult periods we have
journeyed through.
4. Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, our stewardship has not
been without challenges. We have had to deal with the wave of
insurgency that has swept through some parts of our dear
country. Only yesterday, Government Science Secondary
School in Yobe State was bombed by insurgents, killing our
promising young children who were seeking education to build
the country and support their parents. Many Nigerians have
lost their lives and property to these mindless killings. Let me
crave the indulgence of all present here to stand up to observe
a minutes silence in honour of these young lads who lost their
lives. Clearly, this has cast a dark cloud on our Nation but we
will surely win the war against terror. A number of young men
and women have been kidnapped by these criminal elements
including our daughters from Chibok. We will free our
daughters and defeat terrorism.
5. We are equipping the armed forces and deploying special
forces to engage the terrorist and end this senseless war. We
must protect our country. We must save our people. I will do
everything humanly possible to end this criminal violence in
our Nation.
6. To ensure the long term stability and development of the
affected areas, government has launched three programmes:
The Presidential Initiative for the North East, the Victim
Support Fund and the Safe School Initiative. The Presidential
Initiative for the Northeast is focused on improving
infrastructure and economic growth in the region. The Safe
School Initiative is centred on creating a safe environment to
encourage our children in the communities to acquire
education. The Victim Support Fund, a partnership with the
Private Sector, has raised about 60 billion Naira, which will
help to empower and rehabilitate victims of terror. I promise
the victims of these dastardly acts that we will continue to
stand with you.
7. I am grateful to all Nigerians for standing with me.
8. Let me also thank the leaders and elders of our great party,
the Peoples Democratic Party, for the opportunity you have
given to me to serve our country, Nigeria.
9. I am overwhelmed by the trust, confidence and support of
the various organs of our party, the Board of Trustees, the
National Caucus, the National Executive Committee, the
National Working Committee, the PDP Governors Forum,
members of the PDP Caucuses of the National Assembly, and
others.
10. This day affords me the opportunity to continue the
conversation of development we started together.
11. Infrastructure has been a major focus area of my
administration and so, we pursued the power sector reform to
this point of irreversible progress. Nigeria has undertaken a
most transparent and corruption free bidding process,
attracting global commendation. The on-going 450MW Azura
Power Plant in Edo State is a testimony to the success of this
transformation.
12. We have also resumed development of our Hydro-Power
potential, with the construction of the 700MW Zungeru Hydro-
Power Plant, while construction work on the 3,050MW
Mambilla Hydro-Power Plant is about to take off.
13. Our power generation and distribution companies have now
been privatized. We are firmly on the road to guaranteed
regular power supply in the months ahead. This our bold move,
is paying off!
14. We are committed to environmental protection and
conservation and reducing vulnerability to climate change. In
this regard, we have embarked on a number of projects across
the country. Of particular note is the African Great Green Wall
Programme, where we have released about 16 billion naira for
implementation. The project will create a green belt across 11
states from Kebbi to Borno.
15. In the past three and half years, the water sector has
witnessed unprecedented improvement. Access to potable
water is now 67%, up from 58% in 2010, while sanitation
coverage is 41%, from 32% within the same period.
16. Major developments in water include the completion of 37
Dams and rehabilitation of 10, with several others on-going
construction. The flagship Kashimbila Multipurpose Dam
which is being built to contain flood from Lake Nyos, is now at
90% completion. We have also completed about 5,000 rural
and semi urban water schemes.
17. We are reforming the National Urban Water supply
programmes in 12 states, with 385 formal and informal
irrigation projects, covering a total land area of 118000 ha,
cultivated mostly by small holder farmers. This has yielded
over 3 million metric tons of assorted grains and vegetables,
with a market value of about 45 billion naira.
18. Before the advent of this administration, the Railway
system was practically dead. Today, we have revived the rail
sector. The narrow gauge line from Lagos to Kano has been
rehabilitated with improved coaches providing regular
services. The rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri rail
line is progressing with the Port Harcourt-Gombe segment as
well as the branch line from Kafanchan to Kaduna expected to
be completed and fully operational by December 2014.
19. Already, work on the Abuja-Kaduna standard gauge rail
line, is progressing. The tracks of the rail line will be
completed by December this year 2014. Upon completion of
the project in the first quarter of 2015, it will be possible for
Nigerians to live in Kaduna and work in Abuja. The Itape-
Ajaokuta-Wari standard gauge line has attained an advanced
stage, with the track completely laid. We hope to commence
full operation before the end of 2015.
20. Other segments of the new standard gauge speed train
network are planned with contract already awarded for the
Lagos –Ibadan Segment. There will be more of such modern
and faster rail connections in the coming years. Already,
discussions are now at advanced stage, for the Coastal rail line
that will traverse through 10 states, from Lagos through the
South-South and South-East, all the way to Calabar.
21. My administration has successfully completed the dredging
of the lower River Niger from Baro in Niger State to Warri in in
Delta State. The cheering news is that over 6.7 million
passengers and over 1.6 million tonnes of cargo have been
moved through this channel in less than three years.
22. I am happy to also report that our ports now operate 24
hour service, which has led to the reduction of clearing time
and improved efficiency.
23. When I assumed office in 2010, out of the 35,000km of
federal roads nationwide, only about 5,000km were motorable.
Today, that number has increased to about 25,000km. We
expect to complete the remaining 10,000km in three years
while initiating new ones.
24. I made a commitment to build two new major bridges
across the River Niger and River Benue. Today, the new bridge
over the River Benue, connecting Loko in Nassarawa State to
Oweto in Benue State has reached an advance stage of
completion, while work has commenced on the Second Niger
Bridge.
25. Beyond these, my administration has concluded plans to re-
commence the construction of Bodo-Bonny Road with three
major bridges on the alignment that will link the Island of
Bonny with Rivers mainland.
26. Preliminary works have started on my administration’s
planned re-construction and expansion of the Murtala
Muhammed International Airport Road in Lagos to a world
class entry point into our country. Only a few months ago,
work started on the dualization of Kano-Katsina Road. While
many Nigerians are celebrating the marked improvements on
our roads, I want to assure that it will get even better as we
move forward.
27. In the pursuit of an integrated transportation system, we
embarked on the construction of five new Airport Terminal
Buildings and Air-field facilities. We are also re-constructing
existing ones. The re-construction upon completion, will lead
to improved passenger processing, increased cargo handling
capacity and enhanced Air-field facilities that meet
international standard and improves safety. These efforts have
been met with global acknowledgement including the
attainment and retention of the FAA Category One status.
28. In housing, we signed the National Housing Policy to kick-
start the framework for providing more affordable homes for
our people. We have also expanded the National Housing Fund
to accommodate more Nigerians. We have started a revolution
in the housing sector with the start of the Nigerian Mortgage
and Refinanced Company (NMRC) a new initiative of my
administration, that will enable more citizens in the lower
income bracket to become first time home owners.
29. Our partners such as the World Bank group are supporting
this with US300million dollars interest free credit, while my
administration will back it with over 100billion naira in bonds.
We are already processing 66,000 mortgage applications for
our young people. We have amended the PENCOM Act to
enable the pension funds invest in housing sector bonds. This
will create a boom in the housing sector.
30. In the Federal Capital Territory, we are rapidly building a
befitting National Capital by expanding and providing new
infrastructure, developing ten new districts and Satellite Towns
to cater for the ever increasing population. In no distant future,
you will be able to arrive at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International
Airport and proceed to the city using the Abuja Light Rail. In
addition to providing durable health, educational and
transportation services, we are also collaborating with
Organized Labour to build functional, affordable and social
housing in Abuja.
31. Other critical capital developments that are being packaged
by this Administration include the development of the Ultra-
Modern World Trade Centre, the Abuja Town Centre, the Jabi
Lake Comprehensive Centre, the Centenary City and the Land
Swap Districts. This private sector driven infrastructural
development will positively change the skyline of the city and
provide the required office and residential accommodation,
shopping and recreation as well as tourism and entertainment
facilities of the FCT.
32. In our determination to encourage much greater
participation of Nigerians in the oil and gas industry, one of the
first actions I took, was the enactment of the Nigerian Oil and
Gas Industry Content Development Act. As a result of this law,
indigenous Nigerian participation levels, in upstream and
downstream activities of the oil and gas industry have
increased by over 45%, thereby increasing employment
opportunities for our youth.
33. We have also succeeded in eliminating the long queues that
previously characterised our filling stations, through regular
and sustained product supply.
34. Gas infrastructure to ensure adequate Gas to Power and Gas
to Industry, is being aggressively put in place. Over 450km of
gas pipelines have been installed over the last 3years. Another
2,000km is planned over the next 4years. Critical
petrochemical and fertilizer facilities have commenced
including the gas industrial park in Delta State, for which I am
scheduled to perform the ground-breaking this Friday. This
will create millions of jobs and make Nigeria a regional hub.
35. In addition, as a result of government favourable policies
the private sector is investing over 12 billion dollars in the
petrochemical sector, over the next 4years. This will surely
create millions of jobs for our people.
36. In terms of gas supply, we have grown from less than 500
million cubic feet per day, 4years ago, to about 1.5 billion
cubic feet per day currently. Our goal is to attain 4 billion
cubic feet per day, over the next 4years.
37. We have changed the face of agriculture. We moved
agriculture away from a development Programme to agriculture
as a business. My vision is to create wealth for our people
through agriculture.
38. We have focused on encouraging the private sector to
boost investments in the agricultural sector. As a result, the
number of seed companies rose from five to eighty in the past
three years. Private sector investment in the agricultural sector
expanded by $ US 5.6 billion across the Agricultural value
chain.
39. We ended decades of corruption in the fertilizer and seed
sectors. We developed a transparent and efficient system of
reaching farmers directly with subsidized farm inputs. Before
our reforms, fertilizer procurement and distribution took from
the needy and gave to the greedy. We restored dignity back to
farmers. Today, 14 million farmers, of which 2 million are
women, access fertilizers with their mobile phones, through an
e-wallet system. Nigeria is the first country in the world to
develop an e-wallet system to reach farmers with subsidized
farm inputs on their mobile phones. Several African countries
are now borrowing this transparent and efficient e-wallet
system for their own countries.
40. Our national food production expanded by an additional 21
million metric tons between 2011 and 2014, a record,
exceeding our set target of 20 million metric tons set for 2015.
The Dangote Group, has committed to invest $US 1 billion in
commercial rice production and processing. With all these
developments, we are expected to be an exporter of rice in the
next five years. This will be a new dawn!
41. The benefits are showing on our food imports. Our food
import bill has declined from 1.1 trillion Naira in 2009 to 684
billion Naira by December 2013, even with our increasing
population, a reduction of 40%.
42. Nigeria met its Millennium Development Goal One on
reducing hunger and extreme poverty, two years ahead of 2015
target set by the United Nations, and was given an award by the
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
43. To sustain this trend, we are encouraging young graduates
through the Nagropreneurs Programme to go into commercial
Agriculture. We are also encouraging our students in Post
Primary Schools to embrace commercial Agriculture through
the National School Agriculture Programme.
44. My dear people, corruption remains a big challenge in our
national life. It corrodes our efforts at development and at
motivating competence in critical sectors of our national
growth. We have eradicated it in the agricultural sector and we
will surely eradicate it in other sectors of our economy.
45. Going forward, my focus is to continue to reinforce
institutions, systems, and processes to tackle corruption, and
also to bring to justice those that perpetrate corruption.
Through the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information
System (IPPIS), we have weeded out 56,000 ghost workers
from the Federal Civil Service, saving 162 billion naira.
46. I have directed ICPC to bring the perpetrators of this
criminal act to book. Let this be very clear, public officers must
live by example, fully accounting for the national trust and
resources in their care.
47. In our journey to progress, knowledge is indispensable.
Knowledge is power! This is why my administration
established 14 new Universities out of which 12 are
conventional and two are specialized Police and Maritime
Universities. Under my watch, every state in Nigeria, now has a
Federal University.
48. In addition, over 500billion naira have been spent, through
the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and the special
NEEDS assessment fund on various projects to increase access
and improve the quality of infrastructure at the tertiary level of
our education system.
49. To provide equal access and opportunities in education and
ensure that no Nigerian child is left behind, we have
established and equipped 150 Almajiri Schools across the
Northern states and the Out-of-School-Children Programme
including Specialized Boys and Girls Schools across the
country.
50. Fellow Nigerians, our country was faced with a major
National security, humanitarian, and economic threat in the
form of the Ebola Virus Disease, which arrived in the country
on July 20, 2014, by way of a foreign national, Mr Patrick
Sawyer.
51. Realizing the imminent threat, I declared a national
emergency, pulling states, local and federal government into
action as well as individual Nigerians to combat this disease.
Without the quick action of patriotic Nigerians in the First
Consultant Hospital, as well as the co-operation of Lagos and
Rivers State, where the disease occurred, working with the
Federal Ministry of Health and the co-operation of all
Nigerians we could not have succeeded in overcoming this
deadly disease. Fellow Nigerians we stopped Ebola together.
52. Just as we stopped Ebola, we are on our way to eradicating
the Polio Virus in our country. We have reduced the incident of
new Polio Virus from 300 in 2010, to 6 today.
53. My brothers and sisters, to encourage entrepreneurship and
self-reliance among our teeming graduates, we have developed
creative opportunities for enterprise for our young people.
54. Programmes such as YouWIN, the Graduate Internship
Scheme, the Nagropreneurs Initiative, the 220 Billion Naira
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Fund and
the 3 Billion Naira Grant to Nollywood are empowering our
graduates, the creative industry and other young people to start
up their own businesses and employ others.
55. We have supported the growth of industry through policy
and action. We launched The National industrial Revolution
Plan (NIRP), and the National Enterprise Development
Programme as key drivers to bring about our desires in the
industrial sectors and to diversify our economy. Our new
National Automobile Policy is transforming Nigeria into a
vibrant hub for the automobile industry. Our own Innoson
Motors is producing world standard vehicles, and Nissan,
Hyundai, and Kia, have set up factories in Nigeria and are
employing thousands of our people.
56. Our support for cement production is unprecedented. We
have increased our installed capacity from 16.5 million metric
tons per annum in 2011 to 39.5 million metric tons per annum
in 2014. Nigeria is now exporting cement. We are moving
forward! We must produce what we consume and consume
what we produce.
57. Our efforts to create an enabling environment for job
creation in different sectors of the economy including the
MSME sector, agriculture, housing and manufacturing have
yielded results. Between the third quarter of 2012, when we
started tracking jobs created and the end of 2013, 1.9 million
jobs were created. To deepen our success in this area, I have
created a Presidential Jobs Creation Board headed by the Vice
President with the mandate to create at least two million jobs a
year.
58. My brothers and sisters, our economy is heading in the
right direction and our efforts are yielding positive results. Our
economy continues to grow at the rate of 6 to 7 percent
annually, one of the highest in the world. Our country is now
the top investment destination and the largest economy in
Africa, with a GDP of 80trillion naira (510billion dollars) as
well as the 26th largest economy in the world.
59. As part of its efforts to support inclusive growth and
economic development in Nigeria through the CBN, my
administration has created and disbursed the sum of 200billion
naira via the Commercial Agric and Credit scheme, 300billion
naira Power and Aviation fund, 220billion naira Micro, Small
and Medium Enterprise Fund, as well as 300 billion naira rail
sector refinancing facilities at single digit interest rate. We will
continue to deepen the reforms in the financial sector, in order
to sustain the growth of our economy and uplift our people
from poverty to prosperity.
60. Dear Compatriots, I promised as President, that we would
sanitize and restore integrity in our electoral process, by
ensuring that our votes are not only counted, but truly count.
We have gone to great length to ensure transparent, free, fair,
and credible elections. Elections have been conducted across
the country with local and international election observers
testifying to their transparency.
61. On the international scene, we have advanced our regional,
continental and global objectives. We have strengthened our
relationships with our neighbours and in many instances
supported them to protect their democracy, security and
stability. We are serving for a second time within a period of 4
years at the United Nations Security Council. This is
unprecedented in our Nation’s history. My brothers and sister,
this is a growing attestation of our country’s growing
influence.
62. In the first quarter of this year, our country celebrated its
centenary. To prepare the nation for the challenges of the next
one hundred years, I convened a National Conference where
recommendations and resolutions were reached towards a more
perfect union. We shall implement the report.
63. Four years ago, I made a commitment to advance the rise
and rise of womanhood. Today, I am glad that we have made
remarkable progress in this regard, trusting in the potential of
our women and reaping from their dedication and ingenuity. I
believe that any nation that ignores womanhood cannot
achieve its full potential. It is in this regard that I ensured that
women were given more opportunities in government, and I
have not been disappointed.
64. Specifically, I doubled the percentage of women in the
cabinet and gave them more challenging assignments.
65. The Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), is now admitting
female cadets as regular combatants and it is now possible for a
woman to rise through the ranks to the peak in military service,
and become a full general.
66. We must continue to sustain the banner of freedom and
justice that we have held high in our country. I am proud to say
that there are no political prisoners in Nigeria today. No
Nigerian has been driven to exile and no one will be, under my
watch.
67. It is in furtherance of a peaceful, participatory and
inclusive democracy that I signed the Freedom of Information
(FOI) Bill into law, to expand the frontiers of our fundamental
freedom.
68. Let me re-affirm that under a Jonathan Presidency, your
views, no matter how freely expressed, will not send you to
prison or into exile.
69. I am convinced that I have kept my pact with Nigerians,
and it is now time to look to the future. With your tremendous
support, we have collectively done so much in the last three
and half years, but to take our country to the next level, there is
still more to be done.
70. History has shown that the path of honour for any true
leader is not to walk away from his people in moments of
challenges. We must stand together in adversity and overcome
all threats to our development. We must defend our future, for
the sake of our children.
71. So many things have inspired me in the journey to this
moment. I want to appreciate ordinary Nigerians, especially
young people, for the solidarity shown to me by contributing
their meagre resources to enable me arrive at this point.
72. I appreciate the kind gesture of the Cattle Breeders Union,
Miyetti Allah, and the Market Women Association, who
encouraged me by coming together to contribute to the
purchase of my Nomination form.
73. In the same vein, I am touched by the National Association
of Widows who also encouraged me with their widow’s mite.
74. This labour of love, from ordinary Nigerians, has increased
my appreciation of your solidarity, my trust in our joint
destiny, and all we have achieved together these past three and
half years.
75. Therefore, after seeking the face of God, in quiet reflection
with my family and having listened to the call of our people
nationwide to run, I, Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan, have
accepted to re-present myself, on the platform of The Peoples’
Democratic Party, for re-election as the President of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria, in the 2015 general elections.
76. Democracy is a collective action, energized by individual
responsibility. Your mandate at this time will inspire in me the
strength to complete the good work we have started together.
77. My dear people of Nigeria, we must complete the task of
ensuring that we lift the poor out of the depth of want, and
place their feet firmly on the ladder of prosperity.
78. In this election season, I appeal to all of you, not to harm,
maim or kill; and not to incite violence of any kind. We must
never forget our common bond, one people from the womb of
one Nigeria. Again I say: My ambition to serve you is not
worth the blood of any Nigerian. I remain committed to this
principle of non-violence.
79. If you believe that we must build a country that works for
all, where the strong lift up the weak, and not trample upon
them, where the vote of every citizen determines who governs
or represents you, where the democratic space is open to all
citizens to fulfil their aspirations, irrespective of the
circumstance of birth, your brother, Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe
Jonathan stands ready to continue in service to you.
80. My brothers and sisters, we cannot go back to the old ways!
Our railways were allowed to rot in neglect, we have revived
and are modernising them.
81. We cannot go back to the old ways! Our road infrastructure
collapsed. We are reconstructing, and expanding federal roads
across the country.
82. We cannot go back to the old ways! Our airport terminal
buildings were dilapidated and our airspace unsafe. We are
fixing this.
83. We cannot go back to the old ways! Our agricultural
practices did not benefit our farmers and our people. Fertilizer
distribution was a major source of fraud and we were
importing food more than our budget can carry. Now we are on
our way to self-sufficiency in food production.
84. Do you want to go back to the old ways?
85. We cannot go back to the old ways, where there were long
queues at our filling stations due to irregular supply of
products and our people were exploited.
86. We cannot go back to the old ways, when women and
youths were denied opportunities in government and in
responsible positions.
87. Do you want to go back to the old ways?
88. We cannot go back to the old ways! We had skewed
distribution of tertiary institutions. Whereas some states had
more than one degree awarding institution, some had none. We
have now made sure all states have at least one Federal
University.
89. We cannot go back to the old ways! Our economy is now
the largest in Africa. Once, we were virtually importing
everything, now we are exporting several products, including
cement.
90. We cannot go back to the old ways! In 2009, average life
expectancy was 47 years, by the end of 2013, it was 52 years.
Some of our hospitals now perform open heart surgeries,
kidney transplants and other challenging operations as we
reposition our health service to end decades of medical tourism
that drains our scarce resources.
91. We cannot go back to the old ways! Together, in unity, we
overcame Ebola, and in the process demonstrated the strength
of the Nigerian spirit. And together, united, we must maintain
our vigilance.
92. Do you want to go back to the old ways?
93. We cannot go back to the old ways where individual
freedoms were trampled upon and citizens were locked up for
expressing their views or criticising government.
94. Do you want to go back to the old ways?
95. We cannot go back to the old ways! We must continue to
have free and fair elections. We cannot go back to the era
where ballot box snatching and stuffing became the norm.
Where your votes never counted.
96. Certainly, we cannot!
97. We have to move forward! Only forward!!, my dear people,
Forward!!!
98. In moving forward, I see a Nigeria that thirsts for progress
with children across the nation, eager for knowledge and safely
in schools!
99. I see a Nigeria where all who have taken up arms, would
again embrace peace!
100. I see a Nigeria where our women can aspire to any
heights, without hindrance!
101. I see a Nigeria where the flames in the Eagles will
rekindle, and the Falcons soaring higher in victory!
102. I see a Nigeria where the children of Mustapha, and
Christopher, Ade and Ada, Timi and Bunmi, Nnamdi and
Namadi, do not go hungry!
103. I see a Nigeria where all, no matter their beliefs, live in
peace and harmony!
104. I see a Nigeria where the green passport is accorded a
royal reception the world over!
105. I see a Nigeria where one day the next generation will take
us to outer space.
106. Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, leadership is about
staying focused to achieve goals despite challenges. I have
been faced with many challenges since coming to office as
President. With your support and encouragement, we have
stayed the course.
107. We are succeeding, against all odds. For the young
Nigerian child, who grew up in the rural area, just like me, we
are expanding opportunities and giving them hope. For the
market woman, we are expanding opportunities. For our young
entrepreneurs, we are expanding opportunities. For the right of
our people to vote and for their voices to be heard, we are
expanding opportunities. For Nigerians to have the right to free
speech, we are expanding opportunities. For the job seekers,
against all odds, we are expanding opportunities.
108. While serving our people, I will always ensure the rule of
law. I do not intimidate, I expand the democratic space. I give
voice to the voiceless and uphold the weak, for the nation
belongs to us all. Fellow Nigerians, as we build our democracy,
leaders must show temperance at all times. That is a virtue, one
which I treasure, and will always uphold.
109. My people, Nigeria is destined for greatness. Today, here
at Eagle Square, I say to Nigeria, that working together in love,
in strength and in faith, we will build a nation of one people,
united in purpose and in action.
110. Fellow Nigerians, it is forward ever! We must put our
hopes to work! Together, we will realize our collective destiny.
111. Thank you!!
112. God bless Nigeria!!