President Goodluck Jonathan at the 44th Annual Accountants Conference in Abuja, Tuesday said his administration created 1.2 million jobs last year.
Jonathan made this known in a speech read on his behalf by the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
Excerpts from his speech reads:
“Professionalism also demands being constructive in criticisms of policies that you do not support without personalising issues. In the course of this weeklong conference as you revisit the ethics and body of rules governing your profession, I hope that you would also discuss these matters as they relate to the promotion of the public interest.
“Unfortunately, I have also come across some Nigerian professionals whose actions have fallen short of professionalism in the course of my work. There are professionals who resort to blackmail and abuse of government and individuals when they fail to win contracts that are competitively bid.
“There are individuals/professionals who have resort to divisive ethnic and sexist sentiments to blackmail and undermine the government when policies have not favoured their narrow interests. For example, so called “professionals” have attempted to undermine new approaches designed to put this country in tune with international good practice”.
“In the oil and gas, we have completed work on important projects such as the 136km gas pipeline from Oben to Geregu, the 31km pipeline from Itoki to Olorunshogo and the acquisition of 250 square kilometers of 3D-seismic data for the Chad basin. In addition, the government has also initiated the Ogidigben Gas Industrialisation Project which will provide a petrochemicals complex in Delta State.
President Jonathan noted that his administration has made bold strides on several fronts in his transformation agenda, especially in the power sector, job creation, agriculture, as well as, oil and gas.
He also said that the current focus on the power sector would change the fortunes of Nigerians.