By JULIANA TAIWO-OBALONYE, Abuja
President Goodluck Jonathan has assured that the embarrassment caused by Boko Haram insurgents will end in no distant future.
He restated his government’s commitment to building strong security agencies so as to deal with the current security challenges in the country.
The President stated this when he paid homage to the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade at Ile-Ife, Osun State yesterday before proceeding to the venue of the mega rally of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the August 9 governorship election in the state, Dr. Iyiola Omisore.
The president described members of the Boko Haram sect as rascals, vowing to rout them.
Jonathan said, “There are certain things we should have done as a government, but because of the situation in the country, we have not been able to do much of them. The kind of embarrassment we are receiving now will never continue in this country.
“We want to build a very strong army, the Nigeria police and the Navy and the Airforce so that these rascals called Boko Haram will never stop us because we will surely rout Boko Haram. We are very committed. In the next few months, no criminal will ever embarrass us again in this country,” he said. The president said Omisore will work with the Federal Government to bring development to Osun State should he become governor.
Earlier in his address, the Ooni of Ife said the people in the South West and Osun State in particular needed a better feel of federal government’s presence in the key areas of Jonathan’s transformation agenda.
“For instance, in the area of agriculture, cocoa farming which is the mainstay of the economy of Southwest deserves better attention. In the aviation sector, it would be appreciated if the on-going upgrading of the Ibadan airport is completed. In the transportation sector, it is high time our railway system was expanded to link the Southwest with the Southeast through Akure, Owo and Benin,” he said.
Jonathan also paid homage to the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun.
