Nigeria’s problems cannot be fixed in four years – Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan has said that there is no government that can solve problems of a nation within four years.

The president stated this on Monday when he paid a courtesy call on the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari as part of his ongoing re-election campaign.

According to him, beyond tackling the Boko Haram insurgency, his administration was addressing other challenges in several sectors of the economy, including creating jobs through diverse means.

Jonathan said, “Beyond tackling the insurgency, we are creating road networks; we are moving faster in several sectors. There is no way within four years any government can finish the programmes of this country”.

However, this assertion contravened his earlier promise in Ethiopia few years back, when he stated that four years was enough for him to fix Nigeria’s problem.

It would be recalled that Jonathan had while interacting with Nigerians in Addis-Ababa, in February 2011, promised that if voted in for the next four years, he would ensure significant improvement in all sectors.

He was quoted as saying that without security, there is no government. So, it is not debatable, it is something we have to address and we are working towards that with vigour.

“But if I’m voted into power within the next four years, the issue of power will become a thing of the past.

“Four years is enough for anyone in power to make significant improvement and if I can’t improve on power within this period, it then means I cannot do anything even if I am there for the next four years.” Jonathan said in 2011.

However, addressing the monarchs and other traditional rulers on Monday, Jonathan said he needed more time to fix the many problems confronting the nation.

He added that with the delivery of additional equipment to the military, his government would wipe out the extremists.

He said, “We have been to many states, in Abuja, Sokoko, Gombe, Kano and Niger States and the north-east states of Yobe, Borno and Adamawa where we are battling insurgency.

“And we will surely give it a halt. We are creating platform for our military and in another two weeks, we would move faster than we have been moving before”.

Jonathan added: “We have intervened in several programmes especially in the area of agriculture. We are committed to moving this country forward, to create jobs for the country through diverse means.