Nigeria: Country to Work On Terrorism

Mohammed S. Shehu

20 July 2011

President Goodluck Jonathan and the British Prime Minister David Cameron have agreed to share common agenda on counter terrorism in a bid to flush out security threats facing the two countries.

The two leaders disclosed their resolve yesterday at a joint press conference after a closed-door meeting at the Marina House, Lagos, which lasted for about an hour.

“We are going to work together to make sure that these terrorist attacks we are having and other related issues are dealt with,” Jonathan.

Cameron, who was in Nigeria on a one-day state visit, described Nigeria as a country with security, terrorism, crime, illegal immigration challenges and pledged to assist it establish a new system of handling national emergencies similar to that of his country.

He said the meeting also resolved to double trade between the two countries by 2014 to 8 billion pounds and also agreed to double Nigeria’s power supply by 2015 to address one of the biggest obstacles to Nigeria’s growth.

He appealed to Jonathan to help liberalise trade in West Africa, saying his country would reciprocate by supporting the goal of free trade.

On the phone hacking scandal back home, Cameron said, “I don’t underestimate the problem. The politicians have been too close to media owners. We are a big country and we are going to get to the bottom of this through Judicial Inquiry and we are going to make sure it cannot happen again.”

On his own part, Jonathan said although Nigeria has its own security challenges, the country is focused on development and welcomes a security partnership to help protect Nigeria’s crude oil against bunkering.

He stated that the government has already taken decisive steps to address the recent Boko Haram insurgence.

“Before this time, Boko Haram and other related organizations came up just like religious sect advocating for a particular way of worship or probably like what we have in the Niger Delta areas youth coming out to agitate for better things for their community.

“But over the period, some of these agitations being manifested are taken over by people with different interests and different intentions and the whole direction begin to change.”

On Nigerians’ role in resolving the Libyan crisis, Jonathan said he will work with Britain but noted that: “Nigeria is one country that cannot be influenced by others. Whatever we do is based on the rule of law and in line with our own foreign policy. And when we take decisions, we always stand by it that’s why we are able to work with others to resolve the Code d’Ivoire crisis.”

He appealed to Britain to support Nigeria’s quest for permanent seat on the security council of the United Nations.

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