President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, Monday in N’Djamena reiterated the need for Nigeria and her neighbours to intensify joint actions and cooperation to win the war against terrorism and insurgency.
Speaking to reporters at the Presidential Palace in N’Djamena after a closed-door meeting with his Chadian counterpart, President Idris Deby Itno, President Jonathan said that their talks focused mainly on security andeconomic cooperation.
The President told reporters that Boko Haram had a lot of external influence from outside Africa and it had become even more imperative for all countries in the region to work together to overcome terrorism and othercriminal activities across their borders.
“If you look at the economies of Nigeria and Chad both are linked. The Boko haram people don’t take permission to move from Chad, Niger, Cameroon and Nigeria.
“If the countries do not cooperate, we will not find it easy to win the war, because when the heat is strong in one country, the criminals and terrorists will go to another one and hide.
“So we must work together and we are discussing along that line,” President Jonathan told reporters.
President Jonathan recalled that his visit to Chad was the second in the last one month, noting that it underscored the importance of building a “robust relationship” between both countries to improve trade,economic and security ties.
He said that discussions between both countries on cooperation in the ICT sector were ongoing and expressed optimism that more proficient use of modern technology will help greatly to address economic and security challenges in the region.
President Jonathan who was accompanied on the one-day official visit by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Aminu Wali and the Director-General the National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Ayodele Oke has returned to Abuja.
Reuben Abati
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
November 24, 2014