President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan on Wednesday in Abuja reiterated Nigeria’s appreciation of the support being given by Britain and others for efforts to locate and rescue the schoolgirls abducted from Chibok, Borno State.
Speaking at talks with the British Minister for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Mark Simmonds, at the Presidential Villa, Jonathan said that the Federal Government will also welcome international support for its plans for the socio-economic rehabilitation of the North East states after the Boko Haram insurgency has been substantially curtailed.
Jonathan told Simmonds that he looked forward to meeting the Heads of States and Governments of Benin Republic, Chad, Niger and Cameroon this weekend in Paris, France for talks on how Nigeria and their countries can strengthen and intensify collaboration against Boko Haram and other criminal organizations.
“If we all collaborate more, it will easier to eradicate Boko Haram and terrorism,” he said.
Simmonds reassured President Jonathan of Britain’s commitment to giving Nigeria all required assistance to find and safely rescue the abducted girls.
“We are keen to support Nigeria in every possible way and help you overcome present challenges,” he told the President.
Also on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa, President Jonathan received solidarity calls from the Prime Minister of Algeria, Abdelmallek Sallel, and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of Pakistan.
They both expressed their willingness to share their counter-terrorism experiences with Nigeria and support the ongoing search and rescue operations in any possible way.
The President later received the United Nation’s Secretary-General’s Representative in West Africa, Ambassador Saidi Jinit.
He told Ambassador Jinit that the Federal Government will welcome help from the United Nations for the coordination of a planned victims support programme and a Victims Support Fund.
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