President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday welcomed the decisions reached at the London Ministerial Meeting on Security in Nigeria and West Africa aimed at putting an end to activities of the Boko Haram sect in the country.
This was made known through a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, which said that the President particularly expressed delight in the decision of the meeting to operate a Regional Intelligence Fusion Unit to enhance the generation and sharing of information that is essential to curbing terrorist activities.
Abati stated that Jonathan also applauded the establishment of a multi-national joint task force by Nigeria, Chad, Benin Republic, Niger Republic and Cameroon to enforce stricter border controls and prevent terrorists from having unrestricted access to their territories.
The statement added that President expressed the belief that the implementation of the important decisions taken at the London meeting, supported by necessary technical expertise from Britain, the United States and France would boost his administration’s ongoing efforts to end the scourge of terrorism in Nigeria and make the country a safer place for its citizens and residents.
“As his Administration continues to vigorously explore options for rescuing the abducted Chibok College girls and enhance security in all parts of Nigeria, President Jonathan reaffirms the Federal Government’s commitment to working for faster progress on developmental, governance, education and gender issues in keeping with its multifaceted approach to dealing with the underlying causes of conflict and insecurity in parts of Nigeria.
“The President also endorses the agreement by all countries represented at the London meeting that their collective response to terrorism must show due regard for human rights.
“President Jonathan thanks the British Government for the reaffirmation of its commitment to helping Nigeria and other West African countries to achieve faster development and ensure that social services and infrastructure are provided to those communities most affected by conflict and insecurity.
“He also welcomes Britain’s announced intention to expand its ongoing support for Nigeria’s efforts to overcome terrorism and insurgency,” the statement said.
