President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday urged
United States President Barack Obama to help
to “fix Nigeria.”
“For you to fix the world, you must fix Africa.
For you to fix Africa, you must fix Nigeria,” Dr.
Jonathan told his American counterpart.
Both leaders met at the Lyndon B. Johnson
suite in the Waldorf-Astoria. It was Obama’s
first stop in his swing through town for the
United Nations General Assembly.
Noting his trip to Africa at the beginning of the
summer, Obama said he saw common interests
in helping Nigeria improve its rural
electrification, empowering young people
through the Young African Leaders programme,
improving internal security in a way consistent
with human rights and “making sure” Nigeria’s
elections in 2015 continue to improve the
country’s democratic process.
And he said the attack at a Nairobi mall over
the weekend “underscores” the level to which
all countries are connected and their need to
work together.
“We stand with them against this terrible
outrage that’s occurred, we will provide them
with whatever law enforcement help that is
necessary,” Obama said. “The United States will
continue to work with the entire continent of
Africa and around the world to make sure that
we are dismantling these networks of
destruction.”
“I feel the pain of President Kenyatta … terror
anywhere is terror on all of us,” Jonathan said.
Obama was joined by Secretary of State John
Kerry, National Security Adviser Susan Rice,
United Nations Ambassador Samantha Power
and deputy chief of staff Rob Nabors.
In a statement on the meeting between the two
Presidents, Dr. Jonathan’s spokesman Reuben
Abati said:
“President Goodluck Jonathan Monday in New
York called for a stronger global consensus
and determination to end the scourge of
terrorism as quickly as possible.
“Speaking at talks with President Barrack
Obama of the United States ahead of the
opening of the 68th session of the United
Nations tomorrow, President Jonathan said that
unless the international community unites and
deploys its enormous resources to eradicate
terrorism, it will continue to be embarrassed
by terrorist outrages such as the heinous
attack on defenceless shoppers in Nairobi at
the weekend which both leaders strongly
condemned.
“President Jonathan expressed his appreciation
of the support and assistance Nigeria has been
receiving from the United States for its fight
against domestic terrorism. He added,
however, that Nigeria will welcome even more
bilateral collaboration in this regard.
“The President said his administration also
looked forward to the further strengthening of
Nigeria’s relations with the United States in the
areas of trade and economic development.
“He reassured President Jonathan of his
commitment to the continuous strengthening
of Nigeria’s electoral processes and the
country’s democratic institutions.
President Jonathan also applauded President
Obama’s Power Africa and Youth Leadership
Initiatives, saying that both initiatives would
complement aspects of his administration’s
agenda for national transformation.
“President Obama had while welcoming
President Jonathan to their meeting at the
Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York, described
Nigeria as a critical partner of the United
States in Africa.
“He assured President Jonathan that the United
States will continue to cooperate with Nigeria
in all possible areas, including the war against
domestic and global terrorism.
“President Jonathan was accompanied to the
talks by the Minister of State (Foreign Affairs)
Prof. Viola Onwuliri, Nigeria’s Ambassador to
the United States, Prof. Adebowale Adefuye,
the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs.
Diezani Allison Madueke, and the Governor of
Gombe State, Alhaji Ibrahim Dankwambo.”
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