President Goodluck Jonathan Friday in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau warned that
the global community was no longer inclined to tolerate a role in
governance by the military in Africa and other parts of the world.
Addressing a special session of the National Peoples’s Assembly during his
visit to Guinea-Bissau, President Jonathan called on the country’s Armed
Forces to embrace total respect for democracy and constitutionalism in the
interest of their nation.
“It is no longer fashionable today to see the military parading themselves
as the custodians of political power. Rather, it is fashionable for the
military to embrace the protection, preservation and total respect for
constitutional order and democracy in order to build a prosperous and an
egalitarian society,” President Jonathan said at the session which was
also attended by members of the diplomatic corps and representatives of
civil society organizations.
President Jonathan, who said that he was in Bissau to show solidarity to
the Government and people of Guinea Bissau as part of efforts to ensure
lasting peace and stability on the African continent, seized the
opportunity to re-state Nigeria’s condemnation of recent attacks on the
Nigerian Embassy and Nigerian nationals in Guinea Bissau.
Saying that “mischief makers” in the country should be discouraged from
inciting the public against brotherly Nigerians and Africans, President
Jonathan called on the authorities of Guinea-Bissau to bring the
perpetrators of the criminal attacks to justice.
“We should be our brothers’ keepers and work hand-in-hand in this era of
globalization so as to reap the fruits that come with it. I want to
reassure you that the incident that led to the death of a Nigerian will
not deter us from our desire to ensure that peace and stability is
restored in Guinea-Bissau,” he told the Parliament.
The President said that the objective of his visit was to “identify with
your aspiration to transform your country to the status of a stable and
democratic society that will guarantee peace and stable democratic
governance, which is a fundamental pre-requisite for meaningful economic
development.”
He therefore called on the country’s political leaders and members of its
Armed Forces to “remain steadfast and maintain the commitment which you
have demonstrated right from the onset until the transition process is
successfully completed with the holding of general elections which will
take place soon.”
President Jonathan further urged all stakeholders in the country to
sheathe their swords and work together in harmony to salvage the nation.
He assured the gathering that Nigeria and ECOWAS will continue to make
financial and material contributions to ensure that the general elections
are held as quickly as possible.
The Speaker of the National Peoples’ Assembly, Ibraima Sori Djalo thanked
President Jonathan and the Nigerian Government for “Nigeria’s presence in
our country every time we need support, particularly in this last crisis
to which we are determined to find a solution.”
He described the October attack on Nigerians in Guinea Bissau as very
“depressing” and reiterated the earlier official apology conveyed to
Nigeria on the incident.
Both countries later signed a Cooperation Agreement to boost bilateral
relations between them. The agreement was signed by the Nigerian Minister
of State (Foreign Affairs), Dr. Nurudeen Mohammed and his Guinea Bissau
counterpart, Fernando Delfim da Silva, in the presence of President
Jonathan and his host, the Interim President of Guinea Bissau, Manuel
Serifo Nhamadjo and top government officials of both countries.
During bilateral talks between the delegations of the two countries, which
preceded the signing of the cooperation agreement, President Nhamadjo
informed President Jonathan of the commitment of his government to conduct
general elections and implement the reformation of Guinea-Bissau’s
Security and Defense Forces with the assistance of ECOWAS.
He also thanked President Jonathan for his tireless and positive efforts
as the Chairman of the ECOWAS Contact Group on Guinea Bissau and Nigeria’s
material and human support especially through its troops in ECOWAS Mission
in Guinea Bissau (ECOMIB).
President Jonathan had on arrival in Bissau, laid wreaths at the tombs of
Guinea-Bissau’s great nationalist hero, Amilcar Cabral and other fighters
for the nation’s independence.