Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) – Nigerian and Kenyan Presidents led, on Monday, top officials of their respective countries to bilateral talks in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, calling on African leaders to never succumb to the antics of terrorist organizations operating in the continent.
Nigerian President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, and his Kenyan counterpart, Mr. Uhuru Kenyatta, said at a joint press conference at the end of their bilateral discussions, that African leaders should rather forge ahead and implement agenda that will transform their countries.
President Kenyatta is on a three-day state visit to Nigeria, ahead of the World Economic Forum which he will attend.
The declaration by the two leaders on terrorism is against the backdrop of the growing terror attacks in Nigeria and the Sunday attack on a commuter bus in Kenya where scores of people died while several others were injured.
The two leaders appealed to Africans to continue to offer the necessary cooperation and understanding with their leaders in order to defeat terror and implement policies that will uplift the lives of the citizens.
Jonathan, who expressed Nigeria’s condolences to the government and people of Kenya on the latest terror attack, said “for us in Nigeria we have been experiencing these dastardly acts for some times now. Kenya is beginning to experience it. We have to appreciate the courage expressed by the president for not aborting the state visit and the invitation to the World Economic Forum because of the attack. It is a clear signal from here that the attack will not stop us from moving forward.
“The act of terror in Africa is diversionary, being organised by group of people that does not want the continent to move forward. Whenever a country is showing any sign of progress, these criminal elements will strike. Yes, they are setting us backward. They are slowing us down. They are killing innocent citizens. They are destroying properties. But surely, we will overcome and terror will not stop Africa from progressing.”
“The terror attack is naturally to frighten people. But as governments, we will do our best to make sure that we provide maximum protection for our citizens. For this period that President Uhuru Kenyatta has been with us, we have had useful discussions.”
Kenyatta, who also expressed solidarity with Jonathan over the recent spates of bomb blasts in the country, noted that the intention of the terrorist was to cow the leaders and people of the continent from embarking on development-oriented projects in the continent.
Said Kenyatta, “let me also use this opportunity in condoling your government and the people of Nigeria. Just like the people of Kenya, we have suffered at the hands of cowardly terrorists, in the hands of people who do not have value for life, who continue to wreck wanton havoc on lives and properties in our two countries.”
“Yesterday (Sunday), as the President has said, we in Kenya lost a number of people and many others injured in the cowardly attack that took place in Nairobi, Kenya. Indeed, these attacks are aimed at cowing the people of our countries and this continent, to derail them from the new agenda that we have set for ourselves.”
“My presence here is an indication that these people will not derail us. We will continue. We shall fight the fight and we will win the fight and in the process we will continue with our agenda of transforming our continent’s economy. This we must not lose focus on. Mine is to ask the people that we must join hands together. Government alone cannot defeat these cowards who attack people in buses by the road side. Let me also say that my visit here is equally intended to further consolidate the brotherly partnership between our two countries.”
“Kenya and Nigeria are two countries and are basic economic pillars in this continent. Nigeria today ranked now as the largest economy in Africa. And this is an indication that we are moving in the right direction. By bringing these two economies and their people together, honestly I believe is the surest way to guarantee creation of employment for our young men and women, add value to our products, increase the level of trade and inter-African trade.”
Thanking President Jonathan for his leadership and the solidarity that he had continued to show in affairs concerning Kenya, Kenyatta added that “if we continue working together in this spirit, no doubts, our generation will see the economic transformation of this great continent. I want to assure you of my personal commitment in objectives that we have set for ourselves.
“The agreements that we have signed previously, the agreements we have signed today, we will jointly work together to ensure that our officials get them from mere agreements to practical realities that benefit our business communities, that benefit our people and see job creation in our respective countries and achieve prosperity in our two countries.
“As we stand today, Nigeria is the single largest country helping Kenya in our oil and gas exploration. Nigeria is an African country investing in an African country. This is what we will like to see more often going into the future.”
Kenyatta stated that “the time has come for African solutions to African problems and African renaissance. Africa’s transformation will not come from anywhere else than the African continent. And this momentum that we have taken is really where our future lies.”
The bilateral meeting was attended by the Foreign Affairs Ministers of the two countries, cabinet ministers as well as other high-level government officials from the two countries.
Last year, President Jonathan also paid a three-day official visit to Kenya, during which both countries signed seven agreements aimed at boosting bilateral and trade ties.
The agreements were on tourism, oil and gas, trade and investment, visa exemption for diplomatic passport holders, double taxation, agriculture, livestock and fisheries and twinning of cities.
