- Calls for strong intra-Africa trade for economic growth
- Goodluck Jonathan promises to bring Boko Haram down
- Jonathan, Jammeh call for support of transitional process in Guinea Bissau
PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan and his Gambian counterpart, President Yahya
Jammeh, on Saturday, in Banjul, insisted on Africa’s demand for the
urgent reformation of the United Nations (Photo Credit: Nigerian Tribune) |
In front of a cheering crowd, Nigeria’s
President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan officially opened the new Nigerian High
Commission office along Bertilharding Highway in the Kanifing Municipality, as
part of his two-day visit to Banjul.
Jonathan used the event to call for
strong intra-Africa trade and free movement of goods for economic growth of the
continent.
“Free movement of goods within the
continent will help to boost the economic growth of the continent,” the
Nigerian leader said.
Sworn in as Nigeria’s President in 2010,
Jonathan who was on his first state visit to The Gambia, express confidence
that the bilateral cooperation and trade between the two nations should double.
He arrived in Banjul on Friday evening
and departs on Saturday afternoon. His visit was meant to boost the two
countries already existing ties.
The Gambia and West Africa economic
powerhouse inked Technical Assistant cooperation pacts in Agriculture, Health,
and Education for decades, in what is seen as a "west meets west" the
ink also improve a strong existing bilateral ties between the two West African countries.
An estimated 30, 000 Nigerians live in
The Gambia, the smallest country in mainland Africa.
According to Jonathan, free movement of
goods in West Africa is on a discussion table and soon that will address to
ensure that goods travel freely from one West African country to another.
Passports
and voting rights
Mr Jonathan promised that the troubles
that Nigerians encounter while trying to access national documents abroad will
be a thing of the past. “We have given mandates to the embassies to issue
passports to Nigerian citizens in the diaspora,” he said.
He said for Nigerians in diaspora to
vote in Nigeria’s elections is not allowed by the National Assembly. But I
think that it will be considered, says Jonathan who was not too sure.
“The National Assembly of Nigeria
doesn’t allow for the Nigerians in diaspora to vote, but I think we will now
consider that although I am not too sure, but may be they will,” he said.
Book
Haram
Speaking of the Boko Haram sect which
has climed responsibility for some of the bombings, gun attacks and kidnappings
in the Muslim-dominated northern Nigeria, Jonathan said although Nigeria is
facing several challenges they are working to ensure that the group is
defeated.
“Nigeria is facing lot of challenges
specially Boko Haram but we are doing well, in fact we have cleared some of
their hideouts in the north, and also we are working on strong security to
defeat them,” the Nigerian leader said.
Boko Haram which is loosely translated
in Hausa as "Western education is sinful" is an Islamic jihadist
militant organization based in the northeast of Nigeria, north Cameroon and
Niger.
Founded by Mohammed Yusuf in 2001, the
organization seeks to establish a "pure" Islamic state ruled by
sharia law, putting a stop to what it deems "Westernization.” The group is
known for attacking Christians and government targets, bombing churches,
attacking schools and police stations, but has also assassinated members of the
Islamic establishment.
Violence linked to the Boko Haram
insurgency has resulted in an estimated 10,000 deaths between 2001 and 2013 and
roughly 3,600 killed, including 1,600 civilians between 2009 and 2013
Brothers
Nigeria’s High Commissioner to The
Gambia, Her Excellency madam John Esther Audu, described inauguration of the
High Commission as a significant development for the development of both
countries, Nigeria and The Gambia.
“The two countries are brothers and the
bilateral relation between Nigeria and The Gambia will continue to bear more
fruits,” she said.
She explained that the first face of the
construction was started in 2008 and finally completed in 2013. Commissioning
it today is a great achievement to us which came through the visionary leader
of The Gambia His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alh. Dr. Yahya AJJ Jammeh, Audu
said.
She thanked the Gambian leader for
acquiring them a plot to build the Embassy office, and for the warm welcome he
accorded to Nigerians in The Gambia. “It is a home away home without any
problem,” the Nigerian diplomatic representative added.
Jonathan was accompanied by a delegation
of high ranking government officials and influential businesspersons, who left
the country for Abuja on Saturday November 9, 2013.
- Jonathan, Jammeh call for support of transitional process in Guinea Bissau
President Goodlick Ebele Jonathan and
his Gambia counterpart President Yahya AJJ Jammeh have called on the
international community to support the transition process in Guinea-Bissau in
accordance with the pertinent decisions adopted by ECOWAS, AU and the UN.
In a communiqué signed between Nigeria
and The Gambia at the end of Jonathan’s November 8-9 state visit to Banjul, the
two leaders recognised Guinea Bissau for its “remarkable progress” in the
transition process due to the political consensus reached by local stakeholders
compared to the past years.
In recent months, Guinea Bissau has
adopted better manual voter registration system for the country’s next election.
Known for being one of West Africa’s
most unstable countries, Guinea Bissau is on the speedy road to have a smooth,
fair, peaceful and free election. The country has elected the National
Electoral Commission’s President, revised the electoral code and established
the National Commission for Planning and Strategic Coordination.
The transition period is scheduled to
end by December 2013. In view of this, the African Union Commission, AUC
Chairperson, has advocated for the urgent financial support and all other
necessary aid from the African Union and international partners in order to
enable the country hold fair, free, credible and transparent elections.
Stimulate
regional integration
Nigeria and The Gambia have also
underlined the necessity to further stimulate regional integration by promoting
trade and economic activities between the two countries - given the political
and socio-economic development in the sub-region within the context of the
world economic and financial crisis.
They have called for the acceleration of
the programme of integration in Africa through re-invigoration, realization and
harmonization of the regional economic communities.
Saturday’s communiqués enhances the
historical and diverse relations between the two countries and reviewed their
bilateral relations to be further strengthened in the mutual interest of the
people of the sister countries.
In their joint communiqué the two
presidents dilated on energy, Justice, health, maritime transport, education,
air transport and combating illicit trafficking for the development of the two
West African nations.
They also renewed their commitment to
encourage trade between the two countries based on the various ECOWAS
Protocols, and to re-energize their joint commission, diversify and strengthen
their cooperation in all sectors by maintaining frequent contact and
consultation, as well as pursue the coordination of their actions and
cooperation at the regional and international levels.
The two leaders reaffirmed the need to
develop cooperation in the area of higher education and research, indicating
that economic growth, employment and harmonious integration of youths can be
achieved by giving priority to education and capacity building.
Both leaders pointed out the need to
reinforce cooperation in investment promotion and development of small and medium enterprises, convinced
that food security .energy, and climate change
are closely linked which
allows for poverty reduction and guarantee for sustainable
development to constitute a major preoccupation for their respective countries.
For the peace and understanding in the
both countries, the two heads of state expressed satisfaction with the
prevailing situation and renewed their commitment to mobilize resources and
energize for well being of the people of the two countries.
Presidents Jammeh and Jonathan also
described the integration of Gambian and Nigerian communities as exemplary and
commended the quality of their reciprocal relations with administrative
authorities in each country.
Lasting
peace in the Middle East
On the Arab world, the two presidents
called on major players to bring lasting peace and solution to the crisis in
Egypt and Syria. They pledged their support for the plan of resolution of the
crisis as recommended by the UN and Arab League.
Jonathan and Jammeh also lauded the
efforts of the UN weapons inspectors in dismantling Syria’s arsenal of chemical
weapons. And therefore asked all sectors in Syria to work towards a just and
sustainable political solution to ensure realization of legitimate aspirations
of Syrians in the name of sovereignty, territorial integrity and social
cohesion.
Both Presidents Jammeh and Jonathan
shared the conviction that Africa should be equitably represented in world
governance through a better representation in the UN Security Council and
agencies.
- Goodluck Jonathan promises to bring Boko Haram down
“My government
is working hard to bring the self proclaim Jihadist group Boko Haram down,”
Nigerian President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan said in Banjul on Saturday as he
open the new High Nigerian High Commission at Kanifing.
My government
is well aware that Boko Haram is well armed but despite that we are still
confident that if the state security is given the needed support they can bring
Boko Haram down, he said on 9 November, 2013.
“We have now
get to know that Boko Haram is strongly arm and that we were underrating them
before, but take it from me my government is determine to do all it take to
defeat the terrorist group and eradicate radicalism in Nigeria,” he said.
Mr Jonathan had
declared a state of emergency in three states in northern Nigeria to fight the
militant group which has claimed responsibility for bombings, kidnappings and
gun attacks on schools, security posts and barracks, churches and mosques.
Every Nigerian
in and outside of the country is worried of the threat posed by Boko Haram,
Jonathan said during a 24-hour official state visit to Banjul.
He accused the
late Libyan leader Maumar Gaddafi of supplying weapons to most of the African
Jihadist groups whom he said are using those weapons to stabilized countries
like Nigeria.
“They have
(Boko Haram) powerful weapons at their disposal that are capable of bringing
down airplanes. So for that been the case, we need to prepare well to overpower
them,” he said.
Good ambassadors
The Nigerian
president urges his fellow country people living in The Gambia to serve as good
ambassadors of their country.
Unlike in South
Africa, Nigerians in The Gambia are encountering limited crime rate, said
Jonathan, applauding the High Commissioner (Esther John Audu).
He thank the
professionals whom he said are bringing quality Education to the doorstep of
all the Nigerians Youths residing in The Gambia maintaining that Educations is
key to the development of a nations.
Jonathan said
he is working extremely hard to drastically reduce unemployment in Nigeria.
“Security is
our concern and if we want to reduce the crime rate we should create jobs for
the youths,” he said.
Nigerians have
complained to their president high tax charges in The Gambia, but Jonathan said
the West African community (ECOWAS) is working rapidly on this issue. We will
soon come to a conclusion regarding the issue especially on the movement of
goods and commodities, he said.
- Source: The Voice Newspaper, Serekunda, The Gambia
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