Summary of the Presidential Media Chart with Pres. Goodluck Jonathan.

Here is a summary of the presidential media chat with Journalists which took place last night. Some Key points discussed were:

•On the planned centenary celebration:

The president says he cannot say exactly how much the centenary would cost. He said only the presidential guest would be funded by the government. A large chunk of the celebration is funded by "private organizations." "Government is not spending even one naira on the Centenary City."

•ON THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE:

President Jonathan emphasizes he will not supervise the break-up of Nigeria, justifying the conferences
defined limits on discuss-able issues.
He insists the conference is not planned to prevent disintegration and shall not discuss it. "Nigeria will not disintegrate," he said. "We are not saying without the National
Conference, Nigeria will break," he adds, "the result of this National Conference will not affect this administration significantly, …Our
tenure is too short" — Jonathan.

The National conference will be inaugurated on March 10, but the secretariat will kick off one week before.

•ON HIS RECENT VISIT TO SOME MONARCHS AND CHURCHES:

When pressed if his recent trips to almost all traditional rulers, churches and party activities across Nigeria, is a way of saying he will contest the 2015 presidential elections, the president does not answer directly. He explains his recent trips as a way of indicating he is a president of everyone.

•ON WHETHER OR NOT HE WILL CONTEST:
He does not answer if he will run or not. "Even if I do not contest, I will like to lead my party to victory," he said. He argues that if he announces his direction now, there will be too many political tension, either way. He said Nigerians should wait till the time is ripe to know his future ambitions.

•ON THE RECENT SUSPENSION OF THE CBN GOVERNOR:

The president argues that he has
"Absolute powers" to suspend the CBN governor. "The issue of suspension and removal are very different. Sanusi is still the CBN governor," he said.

The presidents says the CBN is not properly defined in the constitution and the CBN act is ill conceived, placing the governor at the head
of the bank's board. He said the CBN governor is stepping aside to allow the board clear issues raised with the bank's 2012 financial
audit, so he will not influence the outcome.

"There is no time that is inappropriate to suspend anybody," — Jonathan. The president says he "quickly rushed" to suspend the CBN governor so that the bank's
audit reports of 2012 and 2013 would be resolved and cleared. President Jonathan promises to pursue the lead of the whistle Sanusi blew before his suspension.
"Nobody is covering anybody up," he said. He argues that no president will watch even one billion
dollars miss, "even one Kobo."

In the society, people must begin to know that the right thing has to be done, no matter who's ox is gored.
In reaction to a question sent in via twitter, the president said Sanusi would be prosecuted only if a clear fraud is established against the
sacked governor. He said the future of the suspended governor depends on the nature of the findings of the ongoing investigation of alleged fraud in by the governor by the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria.

"If Sanusi has no case to answer, how will you prosecute who has no case?" he asked, "You cannot suspend everybody!" he said.
The president says the CBN act, which he earlier said places undue powers on the bank's governor, will "definitely" be reviewed, indicating he will press for a legislative review
of the CBN act.

Another twitter questions asks why only the CBN governor was singled out for suspension based on the report of the Financial Reporting
Council, when the report indicted almost every member of the CBN leadership, the president argues the governor was made to step aside because he is the head.

•ON KEROSENE SUBSIDY:

The president denies removing subsidy on kerosene. Even though
he admits the directive to the petroleum minister demanding the removal of subsidy on kerosene remains, he said it is old and rather
mischievous for someone to go to the archives and "pullout the memo" and begin to distribute.
The president's answer, however, lacked much certainty. But he claims he was involved in the process, as a vice president

•ON BOKO HARAM:

Still on the issue of Boko Haram attacks on Borno state, and the recent comments by the governor of that state that it appears the militants have upper hand in the
war, the president said the governor's comment was wrong. "if we pullout the military from Borno state, let us see if he will be able to stay in the government house," the
president answered, emphasizing the strength of the military operatives working in the state.

The president said he is also not aware of plans to send a military administrator to the troubled Borno state.
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