“Nigerians Are Pleased With The Power Situation” – Jonathan’s Interview on CNN

CNN-interviewNigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan was yesterday evening, interviewed by CNN’s Christiane Amanpour where he talked about several issues including Boko Haram, power supply, and more.

President Jonathan who spoke from Davos, Switzerland, where he is attending the World Economic Summit claimed that Nigerians were impressed with the current level of improvement in power, and that if there was one area “ordinary Nigerians” applauded his administration for, it was power.

“I would have loved that you ask ordinary Nigerians on the street of Lagos, Abuja or any other city this question about power. This is one area that Nigerians are quite pleased with the government that our commitment to improve power is working. So if you are saying something different, I’m really surprised. That is one area that even civil societies agree that the government has kept faith with its promise. 

“We have not got to where we should be and of course we know that power infrastructure is one investment that you must complete the chain before a bulb can light. You must generate, you must transmit, you must distribute and even if you have the money and the political will, you cannot do it overnight and we are working very hard, you cannot do it overnight.”

His claim was immediately challenged on Twitter by Nigerians who were  following the interview in Nigeria with many tweeting that they were monitoring the interview using generators. When Amanpour put that forward to the President, he acknowledged that his administration had not achieved the targets it set for itself and promised to deliver results by the end of the year.

Speaking on Boko Haram, President Jonathan said the violent Islamic sect poses a threat to the African continent if not contained effectively. “Definitely, Boko Haram, if it is not contained, will be a threat. Not only to Nigeria, but to West Africa, North Africa, and Central Africa and of course we know that we have element of Boko Haram link up with some of the al Qeada operating in Northern Mali and other North African countries.”

He also denied that security forces were rounding up and killing innocent Nigerians who had nothing to do with the sect, describing the reported high-handedness of security agencies as “insinuations by some interest groups.”

President Jonathan did not give a direct response on what he is doing in tackling the massive corruption ravaging Nigeria, nor the impunity that has seen culprits left unpunished.

He lauded the conviction of a militant leader in the Niger Delta, Henry Okah, by a South African court on Monday adding that Okah’s trial and conviction were an example of his administration’s commitment to pursuing suspected criminals till they were caught and brought to book.

14 COMMENTS

  1. I don’t knw where he got that from, if he is ashamed of telling d world of d poor state of our country` power position he should awake from slumber and let him start doing somethg abt the state of our power supply and by d way who tld him that we are please with the state of our power supply. May be his family is pleased me I’m not

  2. Brethren,
    our president is obviously a liar. Political statements from a politician – what more can you expect? (I wish you all could see the intense disgust on my face right now). Nigerian leaders! When would they change?

  3. I think mr. President is doing is best, really power situation have improve compare to previous year. I don’t know why we like insulting our leader when we are the ones that vote them in. Mr president welldone. I belive there is more u can do to improve the power situation in d conntry

  4. Taiye y are u too selfish and hypocratic in nature. U said he is trying yet u said he needs to improve. What are u telling us pls. Bcos u voted for smbody, if dat person is not doing gud, u shld not talk. D fact remains dat our leaders are not longer ashame of teling lies anywhere. Dats hw the minister of information said, we get light atleast 15-18 hrs daily. Where? Even in abuja is not like dat.

  5. Yes biblically i can say nigerian are more improving with the current power situation. Those who criticise & not seeing anything good in jonathan, are the benefficiary. Culture contributed to what has now become global embarrassment to the whole of nigeria, nt just to jonathan administration. Jonathan is not a failure, rather he is suffering from the penalty of leadership. To me itś a collective failure we all need attitudinal change.