Nigeria will be safe again - Jonathan

Nigeria's president, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has promised that the country would be safe again. 

He also admitted the nation is witnessing "a manifestation of the same warped and ferocious world view that brought down the Twin Towers in New York, killed innocent persons in Boston and led to the murder of defenceless people in the Southern Russian city of Volgograd."

In his 2014 Democracy Day address to the nation, the president said all the gains of the past 15 years of democratic governance are threatened by the presence of international terrorism.

"Our dear country, Nigeria is facing a new challenge. A war has been unleashed on us. Extremist foreign elements, collaborating with some of our misguided citizens, are focused on an attempt to bring down our country and the democracy and freedom we cherish and celebrate today," Jonathan said.

Concerning the abducted girls in Chibok, the president said, "the despicable abduction of [the] school girls...has brought to the awareness of the entire world, the heartless brutality of these terrorists who want to instigate a descent into anarchy and balkanize our nation."

"These agents of evil continue to brainwash and incite ignorant young men and women to attack the innocent. We cannot allow this to continue."

The president in the address that is available on IBPulse.com added that in a democracy, such as the one Nigeria is building, people can have differences while sharing worthy values and standing together in opposition to the scourge of terrorism.

"Nigeria is the only country we have and we must all work to preserve it for present and future generations," the president said.

He added, "I am determined to protect our democracy, our national unity and our political stability, by waging a total war against terrorism. The unity and stability of our country, and the protection of lives and property are non-negotiable. I have instructed our security forces to launch a full-scale operation to put an end to the impunity of terrorists on our soil.

" I have also authorized the security forces to use any means necessary under the law to ensure that this is done. I assure you that Nigeria will be safe again, and that these thugs will be driven away – it will not happen overnight, but we will spare no effort to achieve this goal."

He urged citizens to remain united to win the war against terrorism.

"Christians, Moslems, farmers, fishermen, herdsmen, teachers, lawyers, clergy or clerics, the rich, the poor and Nigerians from all sections of the country must work together with our security agencies and armed forces to overcome the terrorists who now threaten all that we hold dear," the president said.