26th February, 2015
President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday pledged that he would not disappoint Nigerians in the task of rendering quality services.
The President made the promise at the Aso Rock Villa when he had an interactive with members of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) Alumini Association, of which he is a member.
“I promise you that the day I leave office, you will be proud alumni of the UNIPORT. I will not disappoint you. I will not disappoint Nigerians.”
He said that sometimes people claimed that the administration had not achieved anything but he took all the criticisms in good fate, knowing that others appreciated.
He said the administration had intervened in many critical areas, such as railways and road infrastructure, reviving more than 80 per cent of the existing narrow gauge and even doing more.
The President said that he inherited a total of 5,000 kms of motorable roads which his administration had increased to 20,000 kms out of the existing 35,000 kms.
On health, he said if there was no new outbreak of polio by June 2015, the WHO would certify Nigeria as polio free.
Jonathan also said access to quality education had been improved through the establishment of 12 new universities and also ensuring manpower development.
He noted that the the raising of the pump price of fuel, which some Nigerians protested against had yielded good dividends as the proceeds were invested in reviving ailing infrastructure.
According to him, his administration had also recorded success in job creation as through the `Youwin’ programme alone, more than 3,000 graduates had become employers of labour in the manufacturing and services sectors with some of them already exporting their products.
He expressed optimism that in the next 10 years, Nigerians would marvel at the input of the `Youwin’ beneficiaries to the growth of the economy, adding that Nigerians were equally reaping benefits from the power sector reforms.
Jonathan further assured his guests that the recommendations of the National Conference would be implemented, to improve the polity.
Assessing his five years on the saddle, the president said that Nigeria had moved several levels higher.
“We have done quite a number of things but people will still say that this government has done nothing.”
He challenged such critics to prove to Nigerians what they had done better to improve the country.
He thanked the University of Port Harcourt Alumini Association for producing some of the best ambassadors of the country in the Nollywood industry and other fields.
The President said he was also pleased that the university had produced a lot of professors, including the vice chancellor of the university.
He thanked the association for their recognition of his achievements and promised to remain committed its leadership and programmes of the Association.
Earlier, the President of the association, Chief Sampson Ngerebara, said that some Nigerians had misunderstood the President for the past five years but he had continued to show that leadership “has a face”.
“You have touched the lives of every family. You have widened the scope of expression. You have given Nigerians a sense of belonging. You have given us hope.
“We have come together to harness our energy to attract the highest electoral value for you. At the close of hour, you will come out tops,” he said.
Also speaking, Prof Hillary Edoga, the Vice Chancellor, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State, said that the academia in the country would not forget the Jonathan administration.
Edoga said that other past leaders neglected the education sector but that through TETFUND, the ivory tower had regained its glory.
“You have used TETFUND to develop human capital and infrastructure in the tertiary institutions. Many of our lecturers are being trained abroad with TETFUND.
“I am happy with what you are doing. We are here to tell you that we are with you; you can never sink, rather you will be flying,” he said.
In a remark, the a Vice President of the NLC, Comrade Isa Aremu, noted that labour was happy with the Jonathan administration for raising the minimum wage from N7,500 to N18,000 and reviewing the Pension Act, thus attracting over N5 billion to the fund.
Aremu said that no labour leader was arrested or detained in the past five years of Jonathan’s administration.
He commended the President for reviving the railways, immortalising the late Pa Michael Imodu, the pioneer labour leader and former chairman of the National Union of Railwaymen.
Nollywood actor Bobmanuel Udokwu, and actress Hilda Dokubo noted that the administration had raised the creative art to be a top contributor to the nation”s GDP.
They added that through oil and gas and Nollywood, Nigeria overtook South Africa as biggest economy on the African continent.