Presidency to deploy technology over pipeline vandals, says Jonathan

PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has promised to eradicate epileptic power supply in the country through the employment of technology to help deter and detect vandals and punish them.

This was part of the  agreement he reached after a long session with a strategy group composed mainly of a few trusted Northerners including former governors and some Southerners.

The president who is using the six weeks extension of polls to strategise with his supporters on how to win the elections was said to have told the gathering that he was poised to improve on power supply in the country noting that power supply has improved considerably during his tenure.

Though, he acknowledged that power has not improved to the extent he wanted due to lack of gas and pipeline vandalisation, he said he was intensifying efforts in diversifying power sources already mainly by  hydro sources so that the nation would not depend on one source.

“We are building massive dams such as Kashimila, Zungeru, Mambila to help us. I plan to exploit coal as well”, he said.

  On education, Jonathan he noted that the young people must be supported to acquire skills for a brighter future.

  He said: “I am therefore a strong believer in education. I have shown it by building 12 new universities so that for the first time in the country’s history every state has a Federal university.

  “I have built a dozen of Almajiri Schools and sent hundreds of our best brains to study abroad on scholarship. I plan to continue and strengthen my support for our tertiary institutions to ensure our children and thjeir lecturers live and study in a conducive environment. I care about thousands of our young children out   of school,” he said.

  Jonathan added that the health sector had achieved a lot, beating Ebola and now close to eradicating polio. 

  “We have shown that Nigeria is a country that has the capacity to handle even the worst health challenges and triumph. Under my leadership, we shall continue to ensure that our HIV/AIDS patients get their drugs, our children get immunized and our pregnant women have safer deliveries. I plan to continue to continue to strengthen our Federal hospitals and encourage even private healthcare top grow so that we can reduce the number of our people who travel out fro medical care,” he said.

  “On leadership and your team: I shall inject new blood. The door will be open for new people to join me and serve  including even those who oppose me now.

  “On the north: I understand the poverty problem of the north. I see the destruction of lives and poverty caused by Boko Haram. Once we drive out Boko Haram, I shall personally take charge of a rebuilding programme for the north east. I have already put instruments in place and will use them. I have put PINE, Safe Schools Initiative, Greenbelt, Victims Funds etc.