19 Feb 2015
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 President Goodluck Jonathan
  • Insists election must hold in North-east
  • Commissions 4 Naval war ships
  • Commends Navy for tackling crude oil theft
Jaiyeola Andrews in Abuja
President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday re-assured Nigerians and the international community that the Nigerian Armed Forces has enough capacity to rout Boko Haram terrorists group operating in the North-east.
He equally assured that the rescheduled elections by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) billed for March 28 and April 11 would hold.
The President  commissioned four massive ships at the Nigerian Navy Dockyard, Victoria Island, Lagos.
At the commissioning, Jonathan gave kudos to the Nigerian Army and Airforce who are fighting the terrorists in the north-east.
He expressed delight on the success of the armed forces against the violent terrorists group.
He said his administration had made it a deliberate policy to properly equip and improve the security architecture available for officers and men of the Nigerian Army and Nigerian Airforce, which he said had been yielding positive results in the war against the insurgents.

"Let me also use this platform to promise my good country men and women that we will rout Boko Haram.
"Our capacity to achieve results in the northeast has increased sufficiency. Our men and officers are doing well in the northeast and we must conduct the elections as scheduled by INEC. We will return the north to safety," Jonathan added.
On the Navy, the president noted that the investment of his administration in providing crucial equipment and facilities for maritime operations was responsible for the significant reduction in cases of oil theft and other maritime crimes.
The  four ships which he commissioned thursday were according to him part of the transformation agenda of his administration in the security sector, adding that it will further boost the capacity of the Navy to fight maritime crimes.
The ships commissioned were Nigerian Navy Ship  Okpabana, Nigerian Navy Ship Sagbama, Nigerian Navy Ship Prosperity and Nigerian Navy Ship Centenary.
The President also announced that the ships are part of 6 which will be commissioned for the Navy this year, adding that one of the ships which came from the United States was the 6th from that country since 2002.
On women empowerment,  Jonathan expressed delight with the fact that female officers of the Nigerian Navy are now participating in some offshore activities of the Nigerian Navy.
"The Chief of Naval Staff just told me that in developed countries, women are commanding some sensitive Navy platforms. Going forward   our women can also do it. It will happen here too" he stressed.