President Goodluck Jonathan on Sunday met with the United States Secretary of State, John Kerry, who was visiting ahead of the February 14 presidential to urge commitment to peaceful elections.
Jonathan assured the top US official that his government would do everything possible to ensure a successful elections and the eventual handover on May 29, 2015.
The president in a statement which highlights his discussion with the United States Secretary of State,Mr John Kerry who arrived Nigeria Sunday.
Jonathan said “I made it absolutely clear that the May 29th handover date is sacrosanct. In addition, the Government will provide all resources that are required by the Independent National Electoral Commission to ensure that the election goes smoothly. I also emphasized that INEC is an independent body, which makes its own decisions without any interference from the Government.”
“I emphasized to Secretary Kerry that I am deeply committed to ensuring that our forthcoming election is free, fair, and credible. It is especially critical that all political parties abide by the Abuja Accord, which commits each to non-violence before, during, and after the election.
The statement which was endorsed by the president said “It was a pleasure to welcome Secretary John Kerry to Nigeria. We had a candid and constructive discussion about a broad range of issues.
“Nigeria is a vibrant democracy and the largest trading partner of the United States in Africa, with more than $18 billion in bilateral trade. Our countries and peoples share a mutual admiration for each other and a deep commitment to freedom, democracy, and human rights.
“This is why we are together engaged in a struggle against a common enemy that promotes terror, fear, division, and violates human rights, most especially of women and girls, with complete impunity. Winning the fight against Boko Haram in Nigeria and West Africa is absolutely essential to beat back the tide of religious extremism around the world.
According to President Jonathan ,”Our security forces have been working tirelessly and courageously to achieve this goal. I reaffirmed for Secretary Kerry that Nigeria is strongly committed to building the multinational task force to fight Boko Haram in partnership with Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Benin Republic under the auspices of the Lake Chad Basin Commission. Indeed, I called publicly for such a regional approach at the African leaders summit in Paris in May 2014 and more recently in multilateral meetings.
“We are pleased that the international community is now strongly united behind this initiative and agree that its success is critical. It is equally important that the multinational force receives the significant support that is required to address the threat through our global partners.
“The United States, more than any other country in the world, has the most experience fighting armed insurgencies. And having suffered the devastating attacks of 9/11, its people also understand the insecurity and fear that is the reality for the vast majority of peaceful, tolerant Muslims and Christians in North Eastern Nigeria
“This is why I firmly believe that enhancing and expanding various channels of cooperation between our two countries, in the context of growing international coordination, are of the utmost importance. I discussed a number of ideas with Secretary Kerry to move such cooperation forward.
“We are grateful to the United States for standing with Nigeria and its people in our fight against Boko Haram. I reaffirmed our strong commitment to working together with the United States to put an end to global terrorism and particularly Boko Haram. Nigeria will also work to deepen and consolidate our bilateral relationship with the United States.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Nigeria on Sunday to discuss the potential for violence after elections next month and efforts to combat the Islamist militant group Boko Haram, State Department officials said.
Kerry is the first secretary of state to visit Nigeria,Africa’s largest economy, since his predecessor Hillary Clinton’s trip in 2012.
The top U.S. diplomat was also met former military dictator Muhammadu Buhari.
He urged the rivals accept the results of the Feb. 14 poll and instruct their supporters to refrain from violence, said the officials, who asked not to be named under department protocol.
While President Barack Obama’s administration believes Nigeria is ready to hold the election as scheduled, it has seen signs of a potential repeat of deadly post-election riots in 2011, they said in a briefing in Zurich.
He’ll also discuss Boko Haram, which has been linked to a series of terror killings in the country’s northeast, the officials said. On Sunday, suspected extremists were fighting security forces and vigilantes to capture the state capital of Borno state, Maiduguri, military spokesman Major-General Chris Olukolade said by phone from Abuja.
Earlier this month, Boko Haram razed two towns and killed as many as 2,000 people in the process, according to Amnesty International. Last year the group, which aims to impose strict Islamic law, kidnapped almost 200 schoolgirls from the predominantly Christian town of Chibok. Most of them have yet to be rescued.
Nigeria’s National Management Agency says more than 980,000 people have been displaced by violence tied to Boko Haram.
The group’s threat has become a regional concern, prompting Nigeria’s neighbors to launch a multinational task force and help the struggling Nigerian military.
The Nigerian government’s failures aren’t from a lack of military assistance, or support from the U.S. or any other foreign country, Mausi Segun, a researcher for New York-based Human Rights Watch, said on a Jan. 22 call with reporters.
