IBB backs Jonathan

Former military president, Gen. Ibrahim Bada­mosi Babangi­da, has said President Goodluck Jonathan means well for the country and that any­body who means well will support the presi­dent to ensure Nigeria survives as a united country.

This is just as President Jonathan commended the former president’s role in ensuring that the country re­mains united and her people live in peace.
Both spoke when Presi­dent Jonathan accompanied by National Security Ad­viser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd); his Chief of Staff, Gen. Jones Arogbofa (retd); Minister of the Federal Cap­ital Territory, Senator Bala Muhammed; former Gover­nor, Peter Obi and Senator Ahmadu Ali alongside oth­ers, paid him a visit at his hilltop mansion in Minna yesterday.
Babangida in response to Jonathan’s earlier re­marks said, “What I will say is simple: The President means well for this country and he is working well for this country. Anybody who means well for this country should support the President to make sure that Nigeria survives as a united country.”
Jonathan who described his meeting with Babangida as fruitful told newsmen af­ter the closed-door meeting that he was in Minna to visit the former military leader because he just returned from a medical trip abroad and to discuss like father and son.
He said, “First and fore­most, I have to use this op­portunity to appreciate our leader, President Babangida for his leadership, his com­mitment to ensuring that this country is united and we live in peace.
“Of course, you know that this is the end of the year. Within this period, people pay visits. So I have come to visit him. You know he just came back from a hospital abroad, not too long ago. Since he came back, we have not seen. I need to see my father to know how he is feeling. I am quite pleased the way I have seen him.
“Of course, you all know that as a nation, we are fac­ing challenges: security challenges all over, not just in the North. Yes, Boko Ha­ram in the North. The South is not safe: commercial kid­napping and robbery.
“He is one of our experi­enced leaders. As somebody who is sitting where he was before, I needed to see them from time to time to listen to their suggestions. That is one of the areas we can col­lectively move the country forward and ensure that Ni­gerians live in peace.
“That is the key thing and I am quite pleased that we had fruitful discussion,” he said.